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Violent New Zealand – Cricketer Jesse Ryder In Coma With Skull Fracture, updated
Jesse Ryder is in intensive care after a savage beating by 4 men in Christchurch
New Zealand’s carefully honed image of being a safe country has taken another blow after the savage beating of cricketer Jesse Ryder.
Ryder was left with a fractured skull, punctured lung and internal bleeding after a frenzied attack by four men on a Christchurch street. Ryder was due to fly out tomorrow to start a $NZ300,000 contract with the Indian Premier League.
According to a report in the NZ Herald Ryder was attacked from behind outside Aikman’s Bar on Papanui Road, Merivale.
Radio New Zealand reported he was in a coma. His condition was critical.
A witness, who only wanted to be known as Adam, told Fairfax Media that Ryder had his shirt ripped off his back and was on the ground as four men kicked and punched him outside the bar.
Ryder was lying in a bush “shaking, vomiting and covered in blood” in the carpark of McDonald’s, which was across the road from the bar.
Adam, who was drinking at the bar, said the brawl broke out behind him.
“From what I could tell it looked pretty unprovoked,” he said.
Four men started punching Ryder in the bar’s courtyard and the fight was quickly pushed out on to the street.
”Four dudes were just laying into him and absolutely smashing him on the ground. His shirt was ripped off and they were kicking him and punching him while he was down.” more here
We send him our best wishes for a full recovery. Read more posts tagged NZ not as safe as you think and violence on the streets.
Update
a 20 year old man and an out of town male relative, age 37, have been arrested. Neighbours saw a man led away in handcuffs from a home in Barbadoes Street on Thursday evening, just hours after the attack.
British Cricket Team Victims of Theft in Auckland
Continuing with cricket and sporting news, it has emerged that three members of the British touring cricket team were victims of theft whilst staying at the Pullman Hotel on Waterloo Quadrant, Auckland on Sunday night.
Police are looking for a man who was pictured leaving the “plush hotel” with the unnamed cricketers’ gold clubs which had been left in an unsecured storage room. A doorman, who is reportedly not a suspect, helped him carry the golf bag out of the door in the early hours of the morning. The theft was noticed when the team’s luggage was loaded up for the flight out. For more click here.
The team has already left New Zealand and are unlikely to be as lucky as the member of the US rowing team at Lake Karapiro who had their stolen possessions returned minutes before leaving New Zealand. For more read US Rowing Team Member Robbed, World Rowing Championships 2010.
South African reporters covering the Rugby World Cup weren’t that fortunate. Christiaan Kotze and Barry Aldworth lost R60 000 worth of equipment after South Africa’s games against Samoa at North Harbour stadium. Neither were SuperSport journalists Brenden Nel and Gavin Rich, when their car was broken into at a parking lot at an Auckland hotel.
Related articles
- Test cricketer’s skull ‘smashed’ (theage.com.au)
- National Sport: NZ cricket offer support to Ryder (birminghampost.net)
- New Zealand cricket star Jesse Ryder in critical condition after bar attack (metro.co.uk)
British tourists lose it all at Huka Falls, Taupo
Have you seen this van?
An intrepid pair of British travellers have lost most of their possessions when their campervan (above) was stolen from the Huka Falls car park.
There have been thefts from this area before and we believe there are, or used to be, signs warning people not to leave valuables in their vehicles. However, what are people supposed to do when they have no other options open to them? Before now we’ve suggested that major tourist centres in New Zealand provide security lockers for tourist’s valuables, rather like the left luggage lockers found at airports. However, despite tourist thefts reaching epidemic proportions in some parts New Zealand, our suggestions have gone unheeded.
Claire Barnham and Ben Horner had travelled to many countries without incident before arriving in New Zealand in March of 2012, drawn by the scenery and taking full advantage of it by deciding to travel around it in a campervan. It was only whilst there that they, like so many tourists before them, became the victims of crime.
Dodgy Countries
On the trip of a lifetime which began in December 2011, the couple had previously travelled through Turkey, Dubai, India, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei and Singapore before arriving in a cold, depressing Christchurch in March 2012. A relieved relative left a comment on their travel blog, saying
“Glad you made it through all the dodgy countries and are now somewhere with flushing toilets! It’s luxury from here on.”
Little did she know that the couple had just entered what could turn out to be the most dodgy country of them all and where they would lose everything.
“We’re now in New Zealand. Spent a few days in Christchurch where it’s very quiet and a bit depressing with everything blocked off because of the earthquake damage. We went to Akoroa, Mount Cook and Lake Tekapo. New Zealand is unbelievably beautiful. We arrived in Queenstown and, first thing tomorrow, we’ll start looking for jobs, places to live and shopping for a good coat. It’s bloody cold here!”
Ironically, as they left Queenstown on 21 January this year, headed for a trip around New Zealand and on to Australia and the Pacific Islands, they wrote about the trustworthiness of the locals and how they didn’t even have a key for their front door:
“Today we are leaving Queenstown to spend two months campervanning (check out the amazing renovated camper) around New Zealand before travelling through Australia, Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa, American Samoa, and Hawaii. We will be updating the blog as we go, here is our entry for Queenstown…Queenstown – We have spent almost ten months living in Queenstown. It is by far the most beautiful, amazing, energetic little town that either of us have ever been to, let alone lived in. We wi…ll definitely miss the place, and in particular waking up to the stunning views of Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables mountain range.Kiwis are the friendliest and most trustworthy people on earth, we never had to lock our front door (we never even had a key), and could rely on being picked up within five minutes if we had to hitchhike home from town.We have both worked in jobs that we have enjoyed, both of us guiding at Segway on Q, Claire also working at the Remarkables Primary School and Ben at the British Lolly Shop. We have also ticked off a few things from our bucket lists, including sky diving, bungee jumping, canyon swinging, jet boating, paragliding, quad biking, and white water rafting. We have seen the famous and elusive kiwi bird and cruised through the breath-taking scenery at Milford Sound.We love you Queenstown and we will be back!”
“Sooooooooo things have not gone well in the last two weeks. First, our camper was overheating as we were coming to the end of our South Island tour, we got a quote of $3000 for the fix but decided to get a second opinion in Wellington……It was whilst enjoying a swim in the naturally heated river in Taupo yesterday that our camper was broken into and stolen. We have lost everything but the swimming clothes we were wearing, and I mean everything – passports, bank cards, clothes, laptop, kindles, iPods, phones, gifts, souvenirs, backpacks, $6000 that we were going to get from a couple that wanted to buy our van at the end of our trip, the list goes on. Without ID we are struggling to access money but are hoping the police will be able to help with this.Our travel insurance ran out two months ago and we could not renew it from outside of the UK and our car insurance does not include theft. Today we are supposed to be on a wine tour in Hawke’s Bay but instead we are at the home of a wonderful family that have taken us in and kept us going. Without them we would be feeling so much worse, although that does not seem possible right now. We have exactly three weeks left in New Zealand and needless to say our plans have changed. Anyway, we will do our best to enjoy the rest of our travels and will update the blog when we can, Ben & Claire.”
Crime
“Crime levels are generally low, but street crime occurs in major towns and cities. Thefts from unattended vehicles, especially hire cars and camper vans in major tourist areas (the Coromandel Peninsula, Rotorua and Queenstown) have increased. There has also been an increase in the number of thefts from hotel rooms in some tourist areas. Don’t leave possessions in unattended vehicles even if out of sight in a locked boot. Don’t leave valuables in hotel rooms. Use the hotel safe if possible. Keep passports, travellers’ cheques, credit cards, etc separate.”
.
Related articles
Visitors “often targeted” by criminals in NZ (Radio New Zealand) – “The Tourism Industry Association says although New Zealand is a safe place, visitors are often targeted by criminals.It said tourists should take the same precautions they would in their own country…”
Nicole Kleinhoelting, Another German Tourist Loses All in New Zealand - “New Zealand’s reputation as a safe tourism destination took another hammer blow today with the news that one more foreign tourist has been robbed in the country, this time whilst on a Lord of the Rings tour in the South Island. 25 year old German tourists Nicole Kleinhoelting had travelled through both New York and Chicago without a problem, it was only when she arrived in New Zealand she was robbed of everything she owned…”
German tourists ask for help after theft - Two German tourists are appealing for help after their van was stolen from Hagley Park. Westphal Constanin and Lukas Kannenderg, both 20, have been travelling around New Zealand since October in a white Ford van. On Saturday, the friends parked their van at Hagley Park and went into the city to explore. When they returned about two hours later, the van had vanished…”
Tourists continue to be targets for criminals in New Zealand - American woman assaulted on the Huka Falls walking track.
Korean tourist beaten and robbed in Taupo – an international safe community
French Public Get to Hear About Tourist Crime in New Zealand – A” dream campervan holiday for two young French women is in tatters after an opportunistic thief broke into their van at Rabbit Island and took their valuables – and their story is likely to be read across France…”
“No Accountability in New Zealand” Fox Glacier Aviation Disaster
Bradley Coker was one of nine people killed in the Fox Glacier plane crash
The inquest into the deaths of nine people in the Fox Glacier plane disaster two years ago has been told there is ”no accountability in New Zealand“
In a letter from the parents of Bradley Coker, a British tourist killed in the crash it was revealed
“There have been without doubt major failings by the Civil Aviation Authority and there were major failings by the aircraft operators.”
It had been flown out of balance and overloaded 75 times, which meant such an accident was an “inevitable certainty”.
They called for law changes to ensure ”proper responsibility” to those who were involved, saying there was “no accountability in New Zealand”. Read more source
In an interview given to the BBC in May of this year Bradley’s family told reporters his death was one of many in the adventure tourism sector in New Zealand, one that is perceived to be poorly regulated and with a high accident rate. They gave this advice to viewers:
“To anyone thinking about going to New Zealand on an adrenaline sport think twice, the report is a catalogue of errors from both the CAA and the sky diving company” … regulations “not enforced”… “two of the tandem masters had actually taken controlled drugs before they got on the plane” (cannabis)
In a statement to the BBC, Prime Minister John Key said approximately 50 people had been killed in adventure tourism sector in the last 8 years.
New Zealand a “safe country”
Parents of another deceased tourist, Annika Kirsten due to return nome on 3 October but instead her ashes arrived in an urn on 18 September, also wrote a letter to the inquest
Her parents had encouraged her to travel to New Zealand, thinking it was a safe country.
Since the crash, they had suffered post-traumatic stress syndrome.
“Together, with our daughter, we lost our future, our sense of life and our hope.”
They blamed the CAA for failing to adequately supervise the industry and Skydive New Zealand for acting negligently.
“In the name of our daughter, we ask the responsible people, who are still alive to stand up to their responsibility and to tell the truth about their negligence in the inquest.”
A live streaming broadcast of the inquest may be found here http://www2.justice.govt.nz/courts/coroners-court/courtstreaming.html
New Zealand tourism a catalgoue of disasters and drug taking
The Fox Glacier crash was before the Carterton ballooning tragedy in which 11 people were engulfed in flames. The balloon pilot, Lance Hopping, was later found to have cannabis in his system at the time of his death. Remarkably, two of the jump masters in the skydiving crash were also found to have taken cannabis prior to the flight.
Adventure tourism must learn from NZ crash:
“THE authors of a report criticising aviation regulators following a skydiving plane crash in New Zealand that killed nine people, including two Australians, in 2010 say there are lessons to be learned by all adventure tourism operators.
The modified topdressing plane, carrying four foreign tourists, four tandem jumpers and a pilot, had too much weight in the rear of the plane when it tried to take off on September 4, 2010, causing it to rise very sharply and at too low a speed to be controllable.
NZ Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) investigator Ian McClelland says the plane flew regularly with eight passengers, producing too much weight in the rear of the plane, and the owners and pilot were not checking weight and balance as they should be.
But he also says regulation of adventure aviation was not what it should be, that the modifications to the plane were poorly managed, and discrepancies in the modification documents weren’t picked up by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) when it approved them.“The CAA lost the opportunity to correct the company’s errors,” Mr McClelland said…” more here
British FCO advice to travellers about New Zealand (May 2011)
“There have been a number of tragic accidents involving British visitors; these also include extreme sporting accidents. If you intend to participate in extreme sports do check that the company is well established in the industry and that your insurance covers you. If you intend visiting remote areas, check with local tourist authorities for advice before setting out. Ensure that you register your details with a Visitor Information Centre or family or friends. Weather conditions can quickly become treacherous in some areas so keep yourself informed of regional weather forecasts.”
“Many tourists safely undertake adventure activities in New Zealand. However, many adventure tourism activities have inherent risks, and there have been a number of serious accidents involving Australians and other tourists, some resulting in deaths. Some operators have been found to be negligent. You should be aware that safety standards in New Zealand’s adventure tourism industry may differ between individual operators and may differ from those in Australia.
Travellers need to make their own careful judgements about the risks involved in individual or group activities and of the safety standards of individual operators. We strongly recommend travellers inquire with individual operators about the safety standards adhered to, whether these standards are applied across the industry and the risks involved in the activity. We recommend travellers hold travel insurance and complementary accident or income protection insurance and understand what circumstances and activities are not covered by the policies.”
”I am German and have been in NZ for the past 4-5 years. I completely support this site and strongly confirm these allegatons. NZ has no control or standards and has minimum professionalism or competence…public transport, mobile phone service, administration, hospitals, immigration, you name it…I had it all. NZ is beautiful but things simply do not work. Be careful and and maintain some healthy common sense ’cause you cannot expect it vice versa.”
NZ Safety
A”nother dent in NZ’s undeserved international reputation! The word is getting out that New Zealand is a bit lax in the H&S area!
.
Blogs tagged ‘Adventure Tourism deaths‘ and these posts:
Fox Glacier Aviation Disaster “New Zealand Unsafe” (May 2012)
Excitor III and Mac Attack Companies Fined for Broken Backs (May 2012)
Harness Failure Leaves Woman Dangling At Nevis Bungy Swing (May 2012)
Carterton Ballooning Tragedy, Urgent Checks Follow Air Worthiness Concerns (Feb 2012)
Emily Jordan: Riverboarding Death By Misadventure. Tell Clients The Truth About The Risks. Staff Panicked (May 2011)
Sarah Bond Quad Bike Death – Prosecution Brought (August 2009)
Thrillseekers Adventure Ltd Fined For Bungy Fall (May 2011)
Tom Donaldson Inquest – Coroners Says ‘Warn Tourists’ (Nov 2010)
Wellington Reverse Bungy Closed Amid Safety Fears (Dec 2010)
Tourists Seriously Injured In Bay Of Islands Boat Incidents (April 2011)
Catherine Peters: Alistair McWhannell Guilty Of Manslaughter In Swing Bridge Death (June 2010)
Fox Glacier Plane Crash, Nine Dead Including Four Tourists (Sept 2010)
Tourists Injured in Queenstown Jet Boat Crash, Another Died Swimming With Dolphins (Nov 2010)
Australian Tourist Seriously Injured By Dophin Boat (Dec 2010)
Tourists seriously injured in collision between Outward Bound cutter and a Dolphin Watch Ecotours (Feb 2011)
Six students and teacher drown in outward bound activity (May 2009)
BBC Interview with family of Bradley Coker. Adventure Tourism must learn from NZ crash. Cannabis Use
The BBC has screened an interview with the family of Bradley Coker.
Bradley, a British tourist, died along with eight other people when a sky diving plane crashed over the Fox Glacier on the day of the Christchurch earthquake. His death was one of many in the adventure tourism sector in New Zealand, one that is perceived to be poorly regulated and with a high accident rate.
In a statement to the BBC, Prime Minister John Key said approximately 50 people had been killed in the adventure tourism sector in the last 8 years.
from the BBC interview with Bradley’s family:
“To anyone thinking about going to New Zealand on an adrenaline sport think twice, the report is a catalogue of errors from both the CAA and the sky diving company” … regulations “not enforced”… “two of the tandem masters had actually taken controlled drugs before they got on the plane” (cannabis)
.
For more about New Zealand’s drug problem read this report in the NZ Herald NZ’s world-high drug use no surprise – Experts
BBC:
“The family of a British man who was killed when the aircraft taking him on skydiving trip crashed in New Zealand, has called for a review of aviation safety to stop a further tragedy happening again.
Bradley Coker, 24, died on South Island in 2010 while trying skydiving, along with eight other people. An accident investigation report found a catalogue of errors.
Bradley’s father Chris, sister Elizabeth, and his girlfriend Hayley Denham, want safety to be reinforced in so-called adrenaline sports”.
.
Other countries who lost their nationals in the disaster have also reported on the crash, and on the official investigation into one of New Zealand’s worst air disasters.
The Fox Glacier crash was before the Carterton ballooning tragedy in which 11 people were engulfed in flames. The balloon pilot, Lance Hopping, was later found to have cannabis in his system at the time of his death. Remarkably, two of the jump masters in the skydiving crash were also found to have taken cannabis prior to the flight.
Adventure tourism must learn from NZ crash
“THE authors of a report criticising aviation regulators following a skydiving plane crash in New Zealand that killed nine people, including two Australians, in 2010 say there are lessons to be learned by all adventure tourism operators.
The modified topdressing plane, carrying four foreign tourists, four tandem jumpers and a pilot, had too much weight in the rear of the plane when it tried to take off on September 4, 2010, causing it to rise very sharply and at too low a speed to be controllable.
NZ Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) investigator Ian McClelland says the plane flew regularly with eight passengers, producing too much weight in the rear of the plane, and the owners and pilot were not checking weight and balance as they should be.
But he also says regulation of adventure aviation was not what it should be, that the modifications to the plane were poorly managed, and discrepancies in the modification documents weren’t picked up by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) when it approved them.“The CAA lost the opportunity to correct the company’s errors,” Mr McClelland said…” more here
British FCO advice to travellers about New Zealand(May 2011)
“There have been a number of tragic accidents involving British visitors; these also include extreme sporting accidents. If you intend to participate in extreme sports do check that the company is well established in the industry and that your insurance covers you. If you intend visiting remote areas, check with local tourist authorities for advice before setting out. Ensure that you register your details with a Visitor Information Centre or family or friends. Weather conditions can quickly become treacherous in some areas so keep yourself informed of regional weather forecasts.”
“Many tourists safely undertake adventure activities in New Zealand. However, many adventure tourism activities have inherent risks, and there have been a number of serious accidents involving Australians and other tourists, some resulting in deaths. Some operators have been found to be negligent. You should be aware that safety standards in New Zealand’s adventure tourism industry may differ between individual operators and may differ from those in Australia.
Travellers need to make their own careful judgements about the risks involved in individual or group activities and of the safety standards of individual operators. We strongly recommend travellers inquire with individual operators about the safety standards adhered to, whether these standards are applied across the industry and the risks involved in the activity. We recommend travellers hold travel insurance and complementary accident or income protection insurance and understand what circumstances and activities are not covered by the policies.”
”I am German and have been in NZ for the past 4-5 years. I completely support this site and strongly confirm these allegatons. NZ has no control or standards and has minimum professionalism or competence…public transport, mobile phone service, administration, hospitals, immigration, you name it…I had it all. NZ is beautiful but things simply do not work. Be careful and and maintain some healthy common sense ’cause you cannot expect it vice versa.”
NZ Safety
A”nother dent in NZ’s undeserved international reputation! The word is getting out that New Zealand is a bit lax in the H&S area!
.
Blogs tagged ‘Adventure Tourism deaths‘ and these posts:
Fox Glacier Aviation Disaster “New Zealand Unsafe” (May 2012)
Excitor III and Mac Attack Companies Fined for Broken Backs (May 2012)
Harness Failure Leaves Woman Dangling At Nevis Bungy Swing (May 2012)
Carterton Ballooning Tragedy, Urgent Checks Follow Air Worthiness Concerns (Feb 2012)
Emily Jordan: Riverboarding Death By Misadventure. Tell Clients The Truth About The Risks. Staff Panicked (May 2011)
Sarah Bond Quad Bike Death – Prosecution Brought (August 2009)
Thrillseekers Adventure Ltd Fined For Bungy Fall(May 2011)
Tom Donaldson Inquest – Coroners Says ‘Warn Tourists’ (Nov 2010)
Wellington Reverse Bungy Closed Amid Safety Fears (Dec 2010)
Tourists Seriously Injured In Bay Of Islands Boat Incidents (April 2011)
Catherine Peters: Alistair McWhannell Guilty Of Manslaughter In Swing Bridge Death (June 2010)
Fox Glacier Plane Crash, Nine Dead Including Four Tourists (Sept 2010)
Tourists Injured in Queenstown Jet Boat Crash, Another Died Swimming With Dolphins (Nov 2010)
Australian Tourist Seriously Injured By Dophin Boat (Dec 2010)
Tourists seriously injured in collision between Outward Bound cutter and a Dolphin Watch Ecotours (Feb 2011)
Six students and teacher drown in outward bound activity (May 2009)
Argentine, German, French Embassies Issued Theft Prevention Advice For New Zealand
Argentina says looks after your valuables in NZ
According to an article in Stuff the French, German and Argentine Embassies have all warned about theft in New Zealand.
It appears that the problem of thefts from tourists may be more prevalent than is reported by the media in New Zealand.
The German embassy alone says it gets 1-2 people a week reporting passports stolen from vehicles.
“A number of incidents involving European tourists in Auckland and Rotorua generated media attention over the summer holidays, and last week the Argentine Embassy in Wellington advised tourists in New Zealand to take care with their belongings.
“There has been an increase in the number of reported robberies, especially of cars and camper vans left unprotected, in larger cities and popular tourist areas,” it said in a regular newsletter.
Romina Bocache, head of its consular section, said they decided to include the notice after being contacted by several young people whose belongings had been stolen.
There was no violence involved and it often occurred when people left their vehicles unlocked.
“It’s just to tell them to be careful because here it’s very quiet but you have to lock the doors and have normal precautions…”
The report says that the French and German embassies have also done similar, after their nationals have also fallen victim to New Zealand’s crime problem. Not least that of phsyical attacks on tourists – the most poignant in most people’s memories is probably the rape and serious assault of a five year old European tourist during a campervan robbery in Turangi.
More recently a couple of Swiss tourists had their campervan tyres slashed as they camped in Hapuku , just outside of Kaikoura.
The Stuff report went on to add:
“A spokeswoman for the German Embassy said there had been a warning about thefts from vehicles on its website for about two years.
A lot of people they arrive at the airport, get their campervan, they drive to the next supermarket around the corner and then they think well, I’m in New Zealand nothing will happen‘.“It’s stupid from them because in Germany you wouldn’t leave your belongings in the car either.”
More than 65,000 German tourists and 8000 working holidayers visit New Zealand annually, the embassy usually gets one or two people contact it each week after having their passport stolen from a vehicle.
A warning of the French Embassy‘s website also warns of thefts from cars and campervans and recommends people take their valuable belongings with them…”
You can read the full report by Kate Chapman here
The British and Australian foreign offices issued their advice some time ago. The British FCO also warns about theft from hotel rooms in some tourist areas.
British Foreign and Commonwealth Office:
Safety and Security – Crime
Street crimes occur in major urban areas. Reports of thefts from unattended vehicles, especially hire cars/camper vans in major tourist areas (e.g. the Coromandel Peninsula, Rotorua and Queenstown) have increased. There has also been an increase in the number of thefts from hotel rooms in some tourist areas. Do not leave possessions in unattended vehicles even if out of sight in a locked boot. Do not leave valuables in hotel rooms, but use safe boxes when available. Keep passports, travellers’ cheques, credit cards, etc separate. See our Victims of Crime Abroad page.
Australian Government:
The risks of criminal activity are similar to Australia. You should exercise the same caution as in Australia. Money and valuables
Before you go, organise a variety of ways to access your money in New Zealand, such as credit cards, travellers’ cheques, cash, debit cards or cash cards. Consult with your bank to find out which is the most appropriate currency to carry and whether your ATM card will work in New Zealand.Make two photocopies of valuables such as your passport, tickets, visas and travellers’ cheques. Keep one copy with you in a separate place to the original and leave another copy with someone at home.While travelling, don’t carry too much cash and remember that expensive watches, jewellery and cameras may be tempting targets for thieves.As a sensible precaution against luggage tampering, including theft, lock your luggage. Information on luggage safety is available from Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority.Your passport is a valuable document that is attractive to criminals who may try to use your identity to commit crimes. It should always be kept in a safe place…”
For many years we at E2NZ been warning tourists about the dangers of crime in New Zealand, and not just theft.
It’s good to see that the message may finally getting through,
You may also be interested in an increase in reported crimes during the rugby world cup last year. This is from a blog written in Oct:
NZ World Cup Visitors Rich Pickings For Thieves – Updated Oct 7 2011
“Despite warnings to visitors the rugby world cup has provided rich pickings for New Zealand’s criminal element.
We’re saddened to hear a number players and journalists have become victims of crime. They are among hundreds of tourists and visitors who are victims of opportunistic crime every year in New Zealand.
Potographers Barry Aldworth and Christiaan Kotze had almost $10,000 worth of property stolen when their car was broken into at a media shuttle drop off point. They lost “two computers, bags, peripheral photographic equipment, money, clothes, sunglasses and the tent they had been using for accommodation during their stay… unique Castle Tri-Nations Springbok jackets and clothing” and prescription medication.
Journalists Brendan Nel and Gavin Rich lost an iPod when their car was broken into at the secure underground carp park at the Pullman Hotel had their car broken into on Thursday last week after parking it in the secure underground car park at the Pullman Hotel in city centre.
Three days ago an American couple travelling in the Kerikeri Basin in the “lawless north” had their camper van broken into and lost a number of irreplaceable belongings including photographs and a travel diary. Elsewhere in Northalnd a Scottish couple’s car was broken into at the Haruru Falls car park, near Paihia. They lost a handbag containing money, passports, phones and medication. More here.
American newlyweds Meghan Scranton and Philip Wilson had travelled the world without incident until they reached Auckland just after the rugby world cup began.
In the three or four minutes they took to enjoy the view from top of Mount Eden thieves broke into their car and stole money and passports. Even their Kiwi hosts hadn’t prepared them for the risks they faced parking in the public car park at the monument.
Earlier in the tournament two rugby jerseys were stolen from Argentinian player Juan Manuel Leguizamon. They were shirts given to him by English and Romanian’s players that he’d played against during the pool games.
Update 21 October
Three foreign tourists (two English and one American) were injured and robbed in separate attacks in the small Northland town of Paihia. You can read more about it in the Northern Advocate: Fan robbed after locals turned nasty…”
At the time of the rugby world cup the British FCO also issued this specific advice
“The Rugby World Cup is likely to attract opportunistic thieves. Keep all possessions – especially your passport – secure. Do not leave possessions in unattended vehicles even if out of sight in a locked boot. See our Victims of Crime Abroad page.”
Posts tagged tourist attacks
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New Zealand crime news
- Man dead, woman wounded in Northland shootingA 38-year-old man will appear in the Kaitaia District Court tomorrow charged with murder.
- Cash taken in night bar robberyA man armed with a rifle robbed a Hastings bar last night, striking an employee with the firearm before fleeing.
- Australia set to return paedophile to NZA paedophile who took photos of his children's friends as they played together looks set to be returned to New Zealand from Australia.
- Drug charge cop 'loved his job' says loyal wifeThe wife of an Auckland policeman accused of drug dealing is defending her husband, saying there's "no way" he's involved with the notorious Head Hunters gang.
- Warning on killer coming back to NZA murderer whom authorities warn could kill again will be deported from Australia to New Zealand - but unless laws change here he is unlikely to be monitored.
- Paremoremo's D-Block inmates stabbedAn inmate is seriously ill in hospital following a stabbing at the country’s most notorious cell-block this week.
- Sentencing delayed for convicted rapistA Palmerston North rapist's case has been referred to the High Court so a sentence of preventive detention can be considered.
- Police in long-distance pursuitNorthland police were involved in a pursuit which lasted more than 100km in the early hours of Saturday morning.
- Police officer accused of working with gangA sworn police officer who won an award when he graduated from police college is accused of making methamphetamine and collecting debt on behalf of gang members.
- Child sex predator told: 'She won't forget this'The tension was palpable and tears were shed in the public gallery of the Invercargill District Court yesterday when the impact of a Southland man's sexual offending against two girls was revealed.
NZ Police Alerts News New Zealand
- Murder charges laid in burns caseLocation: National News Christchurch Police have formally charged two men with murder in relation to the death of Terrance Martin Smith. Mr Smith, aged 55, of Christchurch, died on 8 May after receiving severe burns in an incident at a Woolston address on Anzac Day, 25 April.
- Waikato Police working to recover body from King Country bushLocation: National News Body of man missing in King Country located The family of a man missing in bush in the King Country since Monday have addressed assembled searchers to express their gratitude following the locating of his body earlier today. Sergeant Phil Bell of the Waikato Search and Rescue Squad said the body of 63-year-old Leslie WRIGHT was locat […]
- Update V, reinforcements arrive for King Country searchLocation: National News King Country search update V Waikato Police say reinforcements from across the North Island have arrived to assist and relieve colleagues working on the search to locate a West Coast man missing in the King Country for five days.
- Update IV; Reinforcements called in for search for missing West Coast manLocation: National News Search for West Coast man missing in King Country to continue overnight Highs and lows is how searchers describe their efforts to locate a missing West Coast man last seen in Te Kuiti on Monday.
- Awards and rewards aplenty in AucklandLocation: National News Police Minister the Honourable Anne Tolley alongside Assistant Commissioner Nick Perry will present 47 Police and members of the public with various awards and medals at the Auckland Town Hall tomorrow morning.
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