We’re saddened to hear of yet another tourist assault in New Zealand and the detrimental effects attacks like this have on its tourism industry.

Two French tourists, asleep in their campervan on Ohautira Rd, about 13km from Raglan were awoken by a man doing a haka outside their vehicle.

A police report on Scoop.co.nz said

“the couple, believed aged in their twenties, were sleeping in their campervan off Ohautira Rd when they were woken by a man doing a haka.

“The couple have then been accosted by a group of what we believe were five intoxicated men, who had turned up in a dark coloured four-door utility who said the couple had camped on private land and had to pay rent.

“The French man was punched and an attempt was made to drag him out of the vehicle before the couple had a variety of items taken from them and their attackers drove off. Though not resulting in serious injury, this is type of attack is concerning given the time it happened and the sense of isolation the victims would have felt.”

The investigating officer said

“an assault on any person was unacceptable but this particular incident had the potential to cause far reaching damage given the visitors were from overseas…” more here

Earlier this week we wrote about two Austrian tourists who were mugged in Palmerston North, they too had been travelling in a campervan through the Highbury district – notorious for its gang problem.

Then, as now, we’d like to reiterate our advice to tourists in New Zealand. That is to take every possible care with their personal safety and not to give lifts or rides to strangers:  if you wouldn’t do it in your own country never do it in New Zealand. Never camp on the side of the road and only stay at registered campsites.

Be advised. New Zealand has a reputation for tourist attacks and robberies, campervan tourists often become crime victims.

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You may also be interested in our other blogs tagged Freedom Camping in New Zealand and the following blogs

Vicious Sex Attack on 5 Year Old Belgian Tourist – little girl severely injured in a frenzied attack as she lay sleeping in a campervan in Turangi.

Austrian tourists mugged in Palmerston North

Australian honeymooners lose it all  two tourists robbed near Milford Sound

Te Anau Troubled By Tourist Attacks -drunken youths attack visitors in Te Anau

Swiss Campers’ Tyres Slashed In Kaikoura

Chilean Tourist Robbed, Loses Life’s Work  robbed in a motel near Auckland international airport

“New Zealand is a wonderful country, but be careful as it’s not so safe” – Swiss campervan tourist loses everything in Whangarei

Honeymoon Couple Lose Precious Photos, No ‘Gold Medal’ British couple robbed outside of Auckland zoo

Czech Tourist, Jan Fakotor, Stabbed In Motueka man stabbed in a Motueka backpackers

English tourist mugged in Gisborne female tourist punched and handbag stolen in a street attack, delaying her departure from NZ

Chilean tourist punched, robbed in Nelson man attacked on Nelson cathedral steps by three teenagers

A group of students that were beaten and robbed whilst on a treasure hunt at the Hundertwasser toilets in Kawakawa, Northland

A series of random, unprovoked attacks in Queenstown

Previous robbery of British tourists at Kerosene Creek

Tourists robbed at Kerosene Creek

Three French tourists beaten and robbed in their campervan in Mangamuka, Northland  

A family of Swiss tourists that were assaulted and racially abused in Kaitaia, Northland

Anke Kuballa and Marc Busch from Germany who were robbed in Whangarei, Northland

A family of five robbed at the roadside whilst camping in their van at Oturere Stream, 25km south of Turangi

Two German tourists attacked in Paihia, Northland

Two American tourists were robbed at Shipwreck Bay in Northland whilst sandboarding