Theft from tourist vehicles has reached epidemic proportions in New Zealand
Two more reminders today that New Zealand continues to be an unsafe tourism destination.
Both news report contained the now mandatory ‘we still love NZ/the people are lovely/this hasn’t spoiled our foreign holiday’ statements which are always published when international tourists become the victims of crime in New Zealand. (Try to find a report that doesn’t have one).
There is an editorial fear that their plight of tourists will always attract overseas attention, and therefore getting them to make positive remarks about the country will detract from the seriousness of the offense or injury.
First, another camper van burglary. This time of a British couple Chris and Jenny Burrows who were visiting the Organ Pipes on Mt Cargill on Tuesday afternoon.
Their van was broken into and over $5,000 worth of belonging stolen including the medication Chris Burrows takes for the side effects of leukemia treatment. Since losing it he’s suffered painful cramps, does that mean this medication is either not available in New Zealand or is too expensive for him to access? Cancer medicine taken in ‘nasty’ theft:
The couple hoped someone might come forward with information about the theft and the publicity would warn others to “make sure you have got the really valuable stuff locked away or on you”.
The theft had “come as quite a shock”, Mrs Burrows said.
“I feel violated,” she said.
“Even the fishing licence I had just bought and my bait, some dehydrated squid, were gone,” Mr Borrows said.
Second. Spanish tourist cyclist Rodrigo Perez suffered broken bones and cuts to his legs after he was struck by a hit and run driver on Taupaki Rd near Kumeu, in Auckland’s northwest. Tourists cycling trip ruined:
Police are still looking for the driver of the four-wheel drive vehicle which hit his bicycle as he was riding south towards home at 9pm.
The car clipped a pannier bag strapped to the 22-year-old’s mountainbike, buckling the frame and back wheel.
The wing mirror hit Perez’s buttocks and shattered. He was thrown two metres and landed in the ditch. “At first I felt my legs to see if they were working,” Perez says…
You may also like to read Mia Pusch’s Boyfriend & His Father To Visit NZ. Mia was a German cyclist hit by a logging truck, she was one of a number of cyclists whose deaths and injuries have been attributed to NZ motorists’ aggressiveness, careless driving practices and drunkenness.
Shortly before her death she’d written in her blog about the dangers of cycling in New Zealand and the perils presented by passing truck drivers. Some would sneak up at high speed to well within her safety zone (0.5 -1.0 metres) and then overtake with horns blaring, leaving her shaking with adrenaline: more. Her killer was made to pay a mere $5,000 in reparation to her family.
Other stories you may be interested in
French Tourists’ Campervan Attack – Jail Sentences Handed Down
E2NZ revisited: “Bashing Tourists Now a National Pastime?”
Freedom Camping in New Zealand and the following articles
Elderly Australian Tourist Stabbed in Head at Waihi Beach, Murder Investigation Launched
Haka Thugs Attack French Tourists Near Raglan
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
Two German tourists attacked in Paihia, Northland
Two American tourists were robbed at Shipwreck Bay in Northland whilst sandboarding
Asian woman, (probably Japanese) age 22, raped in her room by 2 teenagers in a home invasion in Opotiki, Bay of Plenty
Three Chinese tourists attacked and robbed at Te paki, 90 Mile Beach, Northland, by two men they’d stopped to help
French tourist Anthony Cressend, beaten and robbed at campsite in Ahipara, Northland
Two Australian tourists robbed at knifepoint for their holiday money in Te Puke, SE of Tauranga.
Japanese tourist age 23 (female) kidnapped, robbed and assaulted in Rotorua by four men
French tourist (male) raped at gunpoint near Opotiki, Bay of Plenty
American peace corp twins Adam and Alex Rahmlow, 21 were robbed of all their possessions by a man they tried to help in Amberley, Christchurch.
Dutch couple raped and robbed on a campsite in Tuatapere, NW of Invercargill, whilst on their honeymoon. (Dutch govt. issued a travel warning about NZ)
Two Koreans were attacked and robbed of their possession which included a laptop computer by a man claiming to be a gang member in Blenheim.
British tourist worker sexually assaulted near Hururu Falls, Northland when she was dragged off a walking track.
Canadian tourist Jeremie Kawerninski, kidnapped, assaulted and robbed in Lower Hutt, Wellington
Dutch couple robbed and sexually attacked Haruru Falls, Northland whilst on honeymoon.
Two British women robbed and raped in their campervan at Tokomaru Bay, north of Gisborne.
Japanese tourist subjected to a prolonged and brutal sex attack in a communal area of a backpacker’s hostel in Turangi, Taupo.
Scottish woman Karen Aim brutally murdered and robbed by a youth in Taupo.
German woman Birgit Brauer murdered near New Plymouth.
Korean man Jae Hyeon Kim decapitated with a spade by white supremacist.
Japanese tourist robbed at gunpoint in Oamaru.
Irish cycle tourist Paul Mack bashed, robbed and urinated on throughout his NZ tour.
6 English and Danish tourists attacked and stabbed in Cashel Mall, Christchurch for having “foreign accents.”
Irish man Robby O’Brien beaten up in Westport.
Russian couple Denis Khotchenko and Lera Nesterova beaten and robbed in Milford, Auckland
English woman knifed and sexually assaulted in a toilet block at an A1 motor camp in Kaikoura
American campers Patrick Dykstra and Kelsey McGinley beaten and robbed at Whangarei Falls, Northland.
Australian tourist sexually assaulted on a street in broad daylight in Nelson.
Australian tourist subjected to a sex attack by Maia Crawford Rongonui whilst walking home to a backpackers in Christchurch.
Canadian tourist left with a fractured skull outside Silver Fern backpackers in Taupo.
Dutch tourist beaten and robbed at Lake Rotorua.
British man Paul Speakman and his young son beaten and robbed in a campervan at Athenree Gorge, Katikati.
Chinese woman attacked for speaking Chinese on a train approaching Petone.
Scottish visitor Stuart Martin who was left in a coma and with a boot print on his face after a street bashing in Taradale, Christchurch.
German Tourist Couple Mugged in Whakatane, German Tourists Robbed in Invercargill (e2nz.org)
Man Stabbed in Stomach By Youth Gang on Central Auckland Street (e2nz.org)
Teens charged over attack on German campers (stuff.co.nz)
Ungrateful New Zealand Complains About Poor, Low Quality Tourists (e2nz.org)
Pair’s ordeal spurs camping advice (stuff.co.nz)
Australian Tourist Attacked in Paintball Driveby in Hanmer Springs (e2nz.org)
Australian tourist missing in NZ (skynews.com.au)
E2NZ.org 
Yeah, I have to say this really bugged me too… if you get burgled (check) or assaulted by some random for your purse (check) or get ripped off by tradesmen (oh my god check) the response is always just that from Kiwis – like they’re the ones that had a horrible experience. Or else they’ll just say you’re lying and made it up… it could never happen in little old New Zealand. Or that you deserved it, for looking like you should be robbed/mugged/burgled/ripped off. Whatever.
I suspect one reason why this restaurant owner is having trouble with crime and not too much police attention devoted towards resolving the issue, is because he is not related to someone on the police force
http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/9893492/Restaurant-owners-under-siege
I venture to say, things would be much different had the thugs bothered Sian Sushi, which counts new policeman Sean Choi among its staff (parents own the restaurant, and it’s in the same area) – yet I no longer see a mention of it in the news as having such trouble.
Interesting how that works out.
Whenever I dared mention one or more of the things that happened to us while living in New Zealand, because the person seemed intelligent and sympathetic, they’d always say in a wounded orphan manner, “Oh, but I hope it hasn’t turned you against us”. How are you supposed to respond to this? Do you say “Yes, it has totally turned me against you and I can’t wait to get home” (which is often the truth, after an accumulation of crp events makes its impression on you). Of course not. Hence these “modifying” comments you always see. People don’t have the balls to convey that yes, actually, my vacation or residency experience HAS been ruined and I WOULD in fact qualify it as crp, and I’ll be unlikely to be back. After all, often they haven’t gotten out of the country again yet! What are they supposed to say, lying in their hospital beds or needing professional refs to get a new job, or with a few more beds and breakfasts booked to stay in or needed security deposit sitting under some Kiwi (not that they ever give those back) before that airplane leaves? For chrissake.