Two Australian Tourists Robbed At Knife Point In Te Puke

Two Australian tourists were robbed at knife point in Te Puke yesterday only hours after they'd arrived from Melbourne. The attack is just the latest of a number of brazen attacks on visitors to New Zealand who are often seen as easy targets. See other blog posts about tourist attacks in New Zealand and tourist warnings that have been issued


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NZHerald 11 Sept 09

"A teenager armed with a knife mugged two Australian tourists in Te Puke yesterday, taking money intended for their Tauranga holiday.

The men had arrived from Melbourne on Wednesday.

They were sitting in their rental car in a car park on the corner of State Highway 2 and Boucher Ave between midday and 2pm when they were robbed, Te Puke police said.

The men were eating lunch bought from a local bakery before they planned to visit some local tourist attractions.

The youth showed them a knife and demanded money.

The cash they handed over had been intended for the short time the tourists planned to holiday in Tauranga, police said.

The youth had been seen with a group of teenagers with two bicycles near the bakery beforehand.

He was described as Maori, about 16 or 17 years old and of solid build. He was wearing a light coloured hoodie, dark blue jeans and a dark cap."