Following on from our post Tourists Continue To Be Targets For Criminals In New Zealand on 2 December, we’re appalled to hear the news that more tourists have been targetted by New Zealand’s bogan criminals.
New Zealand has one of the OECD’s most rapidly widening gaps between rich and poor, unfortuantely crime against tourists is just one manifestation of the deep inequalities within its society.
The latest crimes (not all are reported to the media, some only come to light when the offenders appear in court) were committed against Australian tourists, three of them schoolies from New South Wales (perhaps they should’ve gone to Bali?) in two separate robberies.
Rotorua
An Australian psychologist and his family had been in Rotorua only a few hours when their campervan was broken into and possessions worth more than $10,000 stolen. Clinton Schultz said their van was cleaned out while they were at a birthday party. “Everything was gone.” source Mr Schultz was with his wife Lozen McDiarmid and their two young children.
Napier, Hawkes Bay
“Three teenage Australian students on holiday in Hawke’s Bay at the end of their school year were robbed of $218 by thugs who leapt out of a car on Napier’s Marine Parade and demanded their cash.” the 17 & 18 year olds were quietly sitting on a bench when a car full of drunk thugs stopped and ‘rolled them’ source
Considering that these are just the latest in a succession of crimes against visitors to New Zealand what advice are we giving to anyone considering a vacation in New Zealand?
Don’t. Just don’t go there.
But if you must travel to New Zealand, leave your valuables at home. Don’t use a campervan and don’t carry more than a few dollars in cash around with you.
Travel Advisories
Both the British and Australian foreign offices have had the sense to issue the following advice to travellers to New Zealand, you can’t say you weren’t warned.
Safety and Security – Crime (UK)
“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.”Money and valuables (Australia)
“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.”
You may also be interested in these blogs
NZ World Cup Visitors Rich Pickings For Thieves – Updated
Another Welsh Couple Robbed in New Zealand. No “Gold” For The Haskeys
Suffolk Couple Put Emigration Plans On Hold After Experiencing NZ’s Crime
For more posts about crimes against tourists, which include rapes and serious assaults, in New Zealand read all our blogs tagged Tourist Attacks
E2NZ.org 
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11334956
A Kiwi living in Australia says he was mistaken for a Muslim and threatened with decapitation because he had a beard.
Queensland police are investigating the incident after expatriate Lucas Pollard, 19, was abused at a Gold Coast intersection.
Mr Pollard, originally from Tokoroa, said a Holden Commodore driver pulled up beside him at traffic lights in Ashmore last Thursday.
Seeing Mr Pollard’s beard, car occupants started calling him “a dirty Muslim”, he said.
“I went to pick my brother up from karate and at a set of lights a carload of Aussies were yelling at me, calling me a Muslim, and said if I was walking they would have ran me over and cut my head off,” Mr Pollard told APNZ.
Mr Pollard explained he was a New Zealander and also not a Muslim.
They allegedly replied: “That’s all right, after these Muslims you c***s are next.”
/waggles eyebrows/
Now that’s plain ridiculous Pete, there are countries with less of a poverty gap that are safer to visit.
If tourists were to stay away from New Zealand in large enough numbers perhaps that would provide the impetus for New Zealand to do more to care for their welfare?
Its not just crime that an issue, but road accidents, adventure tourism, exposure to pesticides and herbicides whilst tramping, earthquake hazards, poor working holiday conditions and many other activities.
Just this week two female tourists died near Franz Josef glacier, will there be any safety review as a result of that? highly unlikely.
In September another blog, that is also concerned with the safety of foreigners in New Zealand, wrote:
Until people start ‘voting with their wallets’ is anything likely to change?
“Considering that these are just the latest in a succession of crimes against visitors to New Zealand what advice are we giving to anyone considering a vacation in New Zealand?
Don’t. Just don’t go there.
But if you must travel to New Zealand, leave your valuables at home. Don’t use a campervan and don’t carry more than a few dollars in cash around with you.”
That’s just ridiculous. Any given time there are tens of thousands of tourists in New Zealand, and because 0.0001% are running into the poor side of human nature during the year your advice is to not go at all?
Sure, stay at home. Pull the blinds and lock the door. If you are THAT risk averse, you really shouldn’t even open your front door.
No, not stay at home, you small minded kiwi. The advice is to avoid NZ, go to safer places instead. The world’s tourist don’t need this place at all, the world is a big, interesting place without it, and if they want to take risks, there is South Africa, at least you can experience seeing great wildlife in there!