1080 Use In Westland

Source: Scoop, 4 Sept, 2008

Westland Regional Environmental Network (WREN) has today announced its existence and intentions to the public of Westland. The Group's primary aim is: The implementation of publicly acceptable pest and TB control methods to replace 1080 use in Westland.

WREN has formed in response to the depth of community feeling against the use of 1080 in the Westland district area. The group intends to be a focal point for fair and educated discussion about 1080 and its viable alternatives and definitely does not wish to see TB infection rates on the West Coast going up, nor do they wish to see our biodiversity lost.

1080 has become an emotive issue for obvious reasons, and consequently, inaccurate and irrelevant information has been expounded from both sides of the argument” says WREN spokesperson Mark Mellsop-Melssen.

The group hopes to engage pro-1080 organisations so that the public may then have full access to all the relevant information about 1080, its use and its dangers.

In conjunction with like-minded groups, WREN, along with KEA (Kumara Environmental Action) and KAKA ( Karameans Advocating Kahurangi Action ) is planning a series of public meetings and debates over the next 12 months, along with the distribution of valid and as accurate as possible information, and nation-wide correspondence to media and relevant authorities.

Public support and donations will assist the campaign and WREN invites people concerned about 1080 to show their support by attending advertised public meetings.

WREN believes that previous considerations in regard to 1080 have failed to apply the precautionary principle to the entirely reasonable possibility of chronic poisoning from 1080 in our environment. The views of a modern and decent society appear to have been largely ignored, and significantly, 47 years on from the first 1080 drops in the Hokitika catchment, not only has the factor of inhumane deaths upon animals been perpetually ignored, but there has been a failure to demonstrably consider or implement viable alternatives. These views and others will be publicly debated and an invitation issued to 1080 advocates to present their take on the debate in a professional and cordial manner very soon.

“Our farmers are important to all of us. The Westland people are important to farmers. Can we sit down and talk it over? I think we can. There is a way forward after 47 years of 1080 poison in Westland” said Jackie Douglas WREN co- spokesperson.

1080

source: Stop 1080 Poison

"One of the prized polo-cross/rodeo & pony club horses recently killed at Rangipo, (along with 20 sheep) by 1080 poison baits broadcast in an "accidental overfly." The nearby prison water supply was also poisoned in the same operation, which was carried out by EPRO LTD, contracted by Environment Waikato (Waikato Regional Council) on behalf of AHB (Animal Health Board) and sanctioned by the NZ Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA).

The land treated could easily have been treated for possum control by safer alternative methods, ie. trapping and ferratox in bait stations, as it is NOT REMOTE, NOT INNACCESSIBLE, and NOT RUGGED TERRAIN.
It is obvious from the position of the animal, the damage to its leg, the vomited lungs and the distended veins, that this animal died a horrible and cruel death. Deer have been observed to have tried to rip open their own bellies in their agony, and have inflicted similar and worse damage to their bodies while under the effects of 1080. Dogs are driven insane by the excruciating pain inflicted upon them before succombing to a cruel death. Poisoned possums can travel several kms and may take up to 18 hours to die."

What is 1080?

source: Wikipedia

"Sodium fluoroacetate (also known as sodium monofluoroacetate, compound 1080 or 1080) is a potent metabolic poison that occurs naturally as an anti-herbivore metabolite in various plants. It works by interfering with the citric acid cycle, and is used primarily to control mammalian pests, including invasive species. The existence of this chemical was first noted in the Second World War.

Sodium fluoroacetate is used as a rodenticide. Farmers and graziers use the poison to protect pastures and crops from various herbivorous mammals. It is used in New Zealand to control the Common Brushtail Possum , while in the United States it is used to kill coyotes. Other countries using 1080 include Australia, Mexico and Israel

Itis highly toxic to mammals and insects. The oral dose of fluoroacetate sufficient to be lethal in humans is 2–10 mg/kg.

Species have different susceptibility to sodium fluoroacetate due to metabolic differences. The New Zealand Food Authority established lethal doses for a number of species.Dogs, cats and pigs appear to be the species most susceptable to poisoning."

230,000 Children Living in Poverty in New Zealand

Source: NZHerald, Thurs 7 August, 2008
"The Government is being urged to do more to alleviate child poverty in New Zealand in the wake of a major report issued today.

Commissioned by Children's Commissioner Cindy Kiro and Barnardos, the report shows that about 230,000 children, or 22 per cent, of New Zealand children are living in unacceptable poverty. "There are too many poor children in New Zealand and ignoring them threatens our future economic prosperity and social well being," Dr Kiro said. Barnardos New Zealand chief executive Murray Edridge said the report made it clear that the country could not afford to sacrifice the healthy "development of our children and therefore our productive human capital".

The Families Commission said families, communities, the business sector and government needed to work together to address poverty. Chief commissioner Rajen Prasad welcomed the report, A Fair Go For Children - Actions to Address Child Poverty in New Zealand, and said it added to the growing understanding of poverty issues within New Zealand. The Paediatric Society of New Zealand urged the Government to take seriously the policies proposed in the report, so that every child in New Zealand was able to grow up to reach their full potential."

Further link: http://www.cpag.org.nz/campaigns/How_can_I_help.html

Getting The Homeless off the Streets, Auckland

Source: NZHerald, Thurs 4 Sept 2008

Council officers are working on ways to stop the homeless sleeping rough on city streets.

The move was prompted by complaints from the public about mattresses on footpaths, puddles of urine and people behaving offensively, especially near Aotea Square in the central city.

Auckland City Council's community services committee has asked officers for ways to increase the council's ability to intervene.

Councillor Paul Goldsmith has proposed asking Parliament to widen police powers to allow them to move rough sleepers along......

Mr Goldsmith said the Bill of Rights limited the council's actions.
"Maybe all we can do is ask Parliament as loudly and clearly as we can to bring in legislation that allows the police to do the job - picking people up and moving them somewhere else." Another option was hiring security guards to patrol troubled spots, he said.

Auckland City Missioner Diane Robertson acknowledged there was problem with rough sleepers. She said she received a lot of complaints from people who felt unsafe, as well as shopkeepers who wanted people moved from their doorways.

But the first step to solving the problem was to give people somewhere to go.

"These are people who don't have anywhere to go and they're sleeping out in the wet and the cold," Ms Robertson said.

"If we had enough beds, and people used them, it would make a huge difference [to the number of rough sleepers]."

The mission plans to apply to Auckland City Council in November for resource consent to build an 80-bed facility.

Ms Robertson said other countries had provided long-term housing solutions and then legislated against vagrancy.

"We can't just move them along if there's nowhere to go.

Demolition For House That Leaks Like a Sieve

Source: NZ Herald, Thurs 4 Sept 2008

A migrant family are so disillusioned with their big house in the Auckland suburb of Lynfield that they are demolishing it. The large 1980s seaside place had many defects and faults, including leaks. The family came here from Taiwan last decade but are so disheartened after years of enduring the house that they have decided to start again........

The 255sq m house was badly designed, wet and cold, they said. Problems were so widespread that it was not even worth removing the house from the site for resale.......

They said none of their windows had flashings to keep out rain. Nor were the walls insulated, which meant the place was freezing. The house was oriented towards the seaward side and the prevailing weather so water came into the lounge and the largest bedroom through windows. But because the house was built in the 1980s, the family had no legal redress via the state-funded system which helps leaky-home owners. The house was not eligible for a weathertightness assessment or claim. The Government bans owners of houses built more than a decade ago from using its leaky building service, which offers free house inspections, written reports on defects and dispute negotiation, mediation or adjudication to resolve problems. "It was not built very nicely," said one of the house's residents yesterday, adding that her family did not initially know enough about the system to commission a building inspector's report before they bought it in the 1990s. "We ... just thought it was a nice area," she said. It was only when a family member met a builder that they discovered the extent of the problem. QV has the house listed as being worth $600,000: $310,000 for the house and $290,000 for the large site.

Karen Aim Trial

Security guard says teen defendant showed him bloody bat
Source: NZHerald 3 Sept, 2008

"The teenager accused of murdering Scottish tourist Karen Aim allegedly hid the baseball bat he used to kill her under his house and then showed the bloodstained, dented object to a man he knew.

Leigh Herewini, a 34-year-old security guard, said he felt "uncomfortable" when he saw the bat because "it could've been the bat that hurt the girl".

Mr Herewini was testifying at the second day of a depositions hearing at the Taupo Youth Court yesterday.

The accused, who was 14 when he allegedly murdered Ms Aim in January, stared at Mr Herewini while he gave evidence.

But Mr Herewini avoided his gaze and told the court the accused had shown him the baseball bat when he had gone to his house about two or three days after Ms Aim was killed.

"It had a lot of dents and bitsmissing off it," Mr Herewini said. "It looked like it had blood on it."

He said the accused had called him on the day Ms Aim was killed and told him he knew who was responsible for the murder.

"He said it was a guy Bryan, a Mongrel Mob prospect from Rotorua."

Life in New Zealand

You've probably seen the 100% Pure New Zealand ads, Lord of the Rings films and "documentaries" (I use the term loosely) showing new migrants' first few days in New Zealand. You may also have read the following statement from the Department Of Labour's Website:

Source: New Start. New Opportunities. New Zealand

"In many ways it’s not what we have that’s important to our quality of life – it’s what we don’t have! We don’t have high crime rates, our police don’t carry guns and instances of corruption are virtually unheard of. We don’t have abject poverty or hunger and we don’t have the pollution, congestion, health issues and cramped city living that we see elsewhere."

More on that later.

There are some other avenues of research to wander down if you're interesting in getting a more balanced view of NZ life, away from the glare of the scenery. First, some mainstream works depicting life in New Zealand:

Once Were Warriors
source: Wikipedia
"New Zealand author Alan Duff's bestselling first novel, first published in 1990. It tells the story of an urban Māori family, the Hekes, and portrays the reality of domestic violence. It was the basis of a 1994 film of the same name, directed by Lee Tamahori and starring Rena Owen and Temuera Morrison. The novel was followed by two sequels, What Becomes of the Broken Hearted? in 1997 and Jake's Long Shadow in 2002."



Whale Rider
Source: Wikipedia
"A 2003 film directed by Niki Caro, based on the 1987 novel The Whale Rider by New Zealand Māori author Witi Ihimaera. The world premiere was on September 9, 2002, at the Toronto International Film Festival"














World's Fastest Indian
Source: Wikipedia
"A film based on the legendary New Zealand speed bike racer Burt Munro. Munro set numerous land speed records for motorcycles with engines less than 1000 cc at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah in the late 1950s and into the 1960s. Many of his records still stand to this day."











Where else to look? Most of the Daily Newspapers have an on-line edtion. A list is here, you may like to find the news for the region you're interested in. There are also many online forums where migrants discuss the ins and outs of migration in many countries, some of these sites have a tendency to supress what are perceived to be negative comments about New Zealand.

"We don't have high crime rates"

Crime Statistics
According to Nationmaster New Zealand has the second highest rate of reported crime in the world at a rate of 105.881 per 1,000 people. The top ten countries are ranked as

1. Dominica
2. New Zealand
3. Finland
4. Denmark
   
5. Chile
6. UK
7. Monteserrat
8. USA
9. Netherlands
10. South Africa

A more detailed breakdown for the statistics of different types of crimes may be found in the document New Zealand Crime Statistics 2007.


As you can see the incidence of violent crime is cause for concern (click on image to enlarge)

Hardly a day goes by without a news report of an armed robbery, unprovoked assault, incident of domestic violence or other violent crime. Here are just some of thre crime reports from around the country that are in the news today.

Woman's Body Found in Flat
Source: NZ Herald, Wed 3 Sept, 2008
"Police have launched a homicide investigation after a woman was found dead and a man injured at a central Auckland apartment building yesterday.

Police were called to the apartment in Winchester St by ambulance services shortly before 4pm.

A man in his 20s who called police to the apartments is expected to remain under police guard at the hospital for several days, as he is treated for a serious injury to his hand."

Gang role in Bashing Probed
Source: NZ Herald, Wed 3 Sept, 2008
Police are investigating whether youth gangs were involved in a brutal attack which left a South Auckland teenager in a critical condition.

"Tuatu Cecil, 19, is in Middlemore Hospital with head injuries after he was attacked by a group in Papakura about 2am on Sunday.

Police found him unconscious after responding to reports of a group of people fighting near netball courts on Smiths Ave.

Detective Inspector Mark Gutry said police had been busy interviewing people in the area where the attack happened. He said Mr Cecil had been attacked after a fight or altercation between two groups of people."

Police Hunt Sydenham Sex Attacker
Source: Press.co.nz wed. 3 Sept, 2008
"Christchurch police are seeking information from the public after a 15-year-old girl was sexually assaulted at 6.30 last night.

The girl was walking along Selwyn Street in Sydenham when she was attacked from behind and dragged onto the grounds of Christchurch South Intermediate School.

The offender is described as a male, possibly wearing a hooded sweatshirt, and it is believed he left the school grounds via the Selwyn Street exit.

Police would like to hear from a man who was seen walking a white labrador in the area at the time."


Girl Told Accused About Sex Abuse
Source: Dominion Post Wed. 3 Sept, 2008
"A 10-year-old girl sexually abused by a paedophile - who was killed in a vigilante attack to avenge the abuse - feared he would hurt someone else if she did not speak up.

Glen Stinson, a paedophile with convictions dating to the 1960s and on bail for fresh sex charges against young girls, was killed on July 31 last year. It is alleged that he was punched and kicked to death after he was found touching the girl at a party. His body was dumped on the country driveway of a poultry farm in Foxton.

Aubrey Harrison, 27, and a woman who has name suppression, 32, have been jointly charged with his murder. They deny the charge. Bruce Tamatea has pleaded guilty."


Ambulance officer guilty of indecent assaults on patients
Source: NZherald Wed. 3 September, 2008
"A 35-year-old former ambulance driver has been found guilty of indecently assaulting patients in the back of an ambulance in Auckland in 1999 and 2000.

A jury at the Auckland District Court found the man guilty of six counts of indecent assault, four of which were on a 16-year-old schoolgirl who had been injured in a car crash.

He was acquitted of sexual violation and four other indecent assault charges.

The man has interim name suppression."


Xue Strangled Wife With Tie
Source: NZHerald Wed. 3 September, 2008
"Nai Yin Xue, who abandoned his daughter in a Melbourne railway station, used a yellow tie to strangle his wife before dumping her body in the boot of his car, a court was told today.

At a depositions hearing in Auckland District Court, crown prosecutor Brian Dickey presented evidence in the case against Xue who is charged with murdering his wife An An Liu last September.

The depositions hearing has been set down for two days, before two justices of the peace."

"Our Police Don't Carry Guns"

Rise in Public Support for Police to Carry Guns
Source: NZHerald Thurs 24 July 2008
"New Zealanders have changed their minds about an unarmed police force. More than half of those in a new survey want the police to carry firearms.

Just five years ago a majority were still opposed to the idea. Only 33 per cent supported it. Now 53 per cent would approve.

The survey of 500 people by Research New Zealand has also revealed that 44 per cent of the public are more concerned about their personal safety than they were last year.

People were asked: "How much do you approve or disapprove of the Police carrying guns?"

Police Association president Greg O'Connor said the findings reflected a nation worried by a steady increase in serious violent crimes, mostly related to methamphetamine.

"It's a clear reflection of the disturbed public feeling about the amount of violence out there," he said.
........

A 2003 survey of (police)association members showed that 64 per cent did not want, or were opposed to, the general arming of police, he said.

By 2005, that figure had risen to 69 per cent."

TBC......

Karen Aim Murder Case Comes to Trial

The trial began today of the youth accused of the murder of Scottish tourist Karen Aim.
It was a shocking crime that sickened many people in both New Zealand and the rest of the world. The trial will probably be the focus of a lot of media attention in the coming weeks and over a hundred witnesses will be called.

My thoughts are with her family and friends during this difficult time.


Accused Tries to Pin Blame on Friend
Source: NZ Herald, Tuesday September 02, 2008

The 15-year-old boy accused of murdering Scottish tourist Karen Aim allegedly lied that another person had killed her but was arrested after her camera, handbag and a baseball bat with her blood on it were found at his house.

The teenager, who was 14 when Ms Aim was murdered in Taupo in January, allegedly said that a friend called Bryan killed the 26-year-old and planned to dispose of her body in the Waikato River when he was disturbed.

The accused, who cannot be named because of his age, allegedly showed a baseball bat to a man he knew and said he had obtained it from Bryan.

The man is appearing as a witness at a depositions hearing for the defendant and is expected to testify today that he was disturbed by blood he saw on the bat.

The depositions hearing began yesterday in the Taupo Youth Court.

The Problems Migrants Encounter with Housing

One of the most frequent problems that migrants from developed countries have is with the condition of the housing stock in New Zealand. Much of it is wooden framed, ranging from old Kauri villas to mansions and there are often problems associated with dampness, lack of adequate heating and poor insulation.

There has been a lot of coverage in recent years of a phenomenon called "leaky homes syndrome," it's just another way of describing weather tightness issues and it affects all sorts of buildings - right through from apartment blocks, to townhouses and million dollar homes. For more information see http://www.nailed.co.nz/The_Problem_Explained_943.aspx

If you are thinking about purchasing a property in New Zealand be sure to have a full and proper inspection carried out and make it a condition of the sale that the report be satisfactory.


Most of the houses are timber framed with a skin to keep the weather out - this could be comprised of overlapping boards, plywood, thin brick veneer, metal sheets, plaster or other materials. In older houses there is often no insulation in either the external walls or roof voids, this can cause problems with heat retention during the winter, or over-heating during the summer. Condensation on cold external surfaces is also a problem and this can lead to fungal growth and unhealthy living conditions.

Many houses are built on piles which are usually wooden and can be prone to rot, suspended floors are often uninsulated and draughty.

Problems such as these have resulted in changes being made to the building code to ensure that adequate insulation and, where needed, double glazing is fitted as standard to new homes. However, despite the low winter temperatures in some parts of New Zealand there is seldom any provision for heating other than an open fire or wood burner. Some home owners are installing heat pumps (a type of electric fan heater) but these can be expensive to buy, fit and operate. Heat pumps may also be used to dehumidify and cool the air.

New Zealand has the second highest prevalence of asthma in the world and it is thought that mold spores in damp homes, dust mites and smoke from wood fires are three triggers for the disease.

What can you do?

• If you're buying a house have it properly surveyed and if necessary set aside money to bring the house up to a standard that you are comfortable with. A house that faces north is desirable because of the amount of solar gain it will accumulate during the winter. Be wary of houses that are in valleys or shielded in some way from the winter sun.
  

• If you're renting look very carefully for signs of damp or mold growth, check around window openings, the edges of carpets, in closets and linen cupboards. Also look for signs of water penetration and ask what type of insulation is present in the property. You will need to think about how you are going to heat the house in winter and whether or not to buy a dehumidifier.

to be continued..............

For today's posts see: latest posts

Another Attack on Camper Van Tourists

News agencies are publishing reports of another attack on tourists camping in New Zealand.

News agencies are publishing reports of another attack on tourists camping in New Zealand.

Two British women camping near the beach at Tokomaru Bay, north of Gisborne were subjected to a 2 hour long sexual assault by a man who forced his way into their hired camper van. The attack was brought to a sudden end when a text message was sent to one of the women.

Source: NewstalkZB, Monday 1 Sept, 2008

"The country's largest camper van operator is reassuring the public its vehicles are secure, after the sexual assaults of two tourists on the East Coast.

The young British women were subjected to a two hour assault when a man forced his way into their unlocked camper van, which was parked by the beach in Tokomaru Bay on Friday morning.

Tourism Holdings chief executive Trevor Hall says customer safety is top priority for the company. He says all tourists who rent the company's vans are told to stay only at camp sites.

Mr Hall says unfortunately, the women were not parked at a contained camp site, compromising their safety.

Tourism Holdings owns Maui, Britz and Backpacker Rentals, making it the biggest camper van operator in New Zealand."

But it would seem tourists aren't being told why they should only park at contained camp sites. A man later handed himself in and will appear in Gisborne District Court this afternoon to face three charges of sexual violation and two of assault in regards to the attack.

Source: NZ Herald, Monday Sept 1, 2008

"We consider ourselves to be one big family up the Coast, and everybody thinks it is just horrible that it could happen here," said Jenny Jones, who works at the Tokomaru Bay dairy and camping ground.

"We like to consider ourselves a safe community."

But whilst some are warning about 'free camping' she seemed to welcome the money it brings:

"She said she was concerned the attack could give the area a bad name, which would be "devastating". "We like freedom campers. They stay and spend money ... it's good for us."

This is just the latest incident in a history of assaults on tourists and visitors to New Zealand. Yet some tourisism based businesses persist in marketing the country as a safe tourism destination, this may be causing many visitors to not be as careful about their personal safety as they should be.

These are just a few of the recent assaults on tourists. Links are given to articles, please exercise discretion when viewing as some of the details of the crimes are quite graphic.



January 2008
Scottish tourist Karen Aim was murdered whilst walking home at night in Taupo A youth who was 14 years old at the time is charged with her murder.
Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Aim_murder
http://emigratetonewzealand.blogspot.com/2008/08/karen-aim-murder-case-comes-to-trial.html


March 2008
A Canadian tourist sustained a fractured skull after a beating in Taupo
Source: Travelmole.com

"Police said the tourist was knocked unconscious and robbed outside the Silver Fern backpackers hostel in Tamamutu St at 4am.

Senior Sergeant Tony Jeurissen said there was no link between the weekend's assaults and Ms Aim's murder on January 16, about 112 kilometres away from the latest incidents.

Assaults happened in all New Zealand centres, he said. Society should be concerned at the level of violence that took place every weekend. "What happened in Taupo is not unusual from what occurs in other centres. The concern is why is it happening."

Tourism Holdings chief executive Trevor Hall said there were isolated events of violence at many international tourist destinations. However, New Zealand's reputation as a safe tourist destination could suffer if backpacker attacks kept happening. "

April 2008
6 English and Danish tourists were attacked by 5 males whilst walking through Cashel Mall, Christchurch. Two of those attacked received knife wounds to the chest and stomach. The attacker cited the tourists foreign accent as a reason for targeting them. See also http://emigratetonewzealand.blogspot.com/2009/06/british-tourist-wishes-hed-been-warned.html
Link: http://www.theleader.co.nz/4477878a6432.html


April 2008
Irishman Robbie O'Brien was attacked by a group of men in Westport during a 3 week trip to NZ.
Source: ETurboNews.com

"Tourism leaders are urging operators not to be afraid of warning people of the risks of travelling in New Zealand.

Robbie O'Brien, 31, was attacked by a group of men after a night out in Westport. He suffered cuts to his face and needed hospital treatment. O'Brien said he had been staying in Westport as part of a three-week trip to New Zealand and had been drinking with locals he had met.
Senior Sergeant Geoff Scott, of the Westport police, said the attack appeared to be unprovoked and happened only because O'Brien spoke with an accent."

2006
A Dutch couple on their honeymoon were abducted, sexually attacked and robbed of passports and other possessions at gunpoint in their camper van at the Haruru Falls near Paihia in the Bay of Islands. A week earlier they had been warned by an attendant at a gas station not to "free camp"
Source: iAfrica.com Sept 2006

"Petrol station attendant Dion Gee said a week earlier he had warned the couple against camping in isolated areas after they asked him if there were any free places to stay.

"I said, 'Anywhere that is free is probably not safe'," Gee told the New Zealand Herald.

"They just kind of laughed but I said, 'Seriously, New Zealand is not as safe as it is probably made out to be."

October 2005
German backpacker Birgit Brauer murdered at Lucy's Gully, southwest of New Plymouth by a man who picked her up when she was hitch hiking between Wanganui and New Plymouth. The man responsible had 65 prior convictions dating back to when he was a juvenile, and had previously raped a woman.
Link http://www.stuff.co.nz/4150739a10.html

October 2004
British man Paul Speakman and his 12 year old son were asleep in their camper van in Athenree Gorge, near Katikati when the were assaulted by a group of 4 men high on "P" pure methamphetamine. This attack was part of a widespread orgy of violence that night when the men used crowbars to smash windows of other tourists' vehicles, threatened and attacked their victims, stole their property and slashed their tyres to prevent them from going for help. The vehicles were left "blood-spattered and ransacked"
Link: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10010634

2004
American campers Patrick Dykstra and Kelsey McGinley were beaten and robbed as they camped overnight in their car at crime hotspot Whangarei Falls.
source: Backpacker.com April 3, 2004

"Yesterday, still in his hospital gown, he was ruing the decision not to find a backpackers' lodge. Mr Dykstra said they had no inkling they might be unsafe."We were surprised, certainly. We didn't expect anything like this, or we wouldn't have been sleeping in the car. "We just assumed because New Zealand has such a big backpacker culture that it was safe, so we thought the waterfalls was an all-right place to sleep. We didn't think twice."

2003
Missing Korean backpacker Jae Hyeon Kim.
Update: Tuesday 24 June 08

"Police engaged on the inquiry into missing Korean backpacker Jae Hyeon KIM have today arrested 2 men and jointly charged them with the murder of Mr Kim at Charleston in late 2003.

Inquiry Head, Detective Inspector John Winter, said that Operation JERICHO had been launched to achieve a break-in to the wall of silence that confronted police. That operation had paid dividends and police were now exploiting the initial success."
Link: NZ Police

For today's posts see: latest posts