US Solidiers Robbed in Kaikoura

Yes that's right - Kaikoura, not Kandahar.

Kaikoura is a popular seaside town in New Zealand, and setting-off point for whale watching trips. But Kaikoura has been having a rough time of it recently what with visitors getting beaten up on the streets and seals being clubbed to death.

Now we hear that two American soldiers, Eli and Tonia Gerhard, lost a large amount of property when their rental car was robbed.

Following the theft police used a search warrant to enter a local address and “recovered a “substantial amount” of property” according to the Kaikoura Star.

The couple had decided to take a holiday in New Zealand, away from the crime and strife of war ravaged Afghanistan where they'd both been posted. What a bad choice New Zealand turned out to be for them.

From the Marlborough Express:

They had hoped to leave behind the air of crime and mistrust of Afghanistan and enjoy what should have been a relaxing holiday in a country which is generally considered a safe haven.
“This sort of thing does nothing for tourism.”
Constable Dean Schroder of Kaikoura agrees.
“This is a senseless targeting of tourists in Kaikoura. It does nothing for our image. The damage this sort of crime does to our region far outweighs the value of the property stolen.”…
…Items stolen included a small laptop, a Toshiba notebook, a fisheye lens for their Canon camera, a video camera and a couple of hard drives with all their holiday photos as well as all Mr Gerhard’s footage of Afghanistan – he has a helmet mounted camera with which he has recorded many of his missions.
“There is some pretty explicit s**t in there – almost three hours of mission videos,” he says. “But I doubt they will even look at it to realise – they will probably just delete everything.” read the full report here

According to another report a

“man aged 19 and a woman aged 23 are due to appear in the Kaikoura District Court on January 21 in relation to the theft.
Police were called to the Presbyterian Church on Deal St over the weekend after windows in the church were found broken. Mr Schroder believed the breakages were as a result of stone throwing and occurred on Thursday or Friday night last week. An amount of steel was stolen from the railway yard on Edmund Ave on Thursday night.
A pallet full of plates, often used to weight craypots down, and some cut-up railway iron was stolen.” read the full report here

The message here, as always is when in New Zealand never leave anything unattended in your car or camper van that you don’t want to lose.

Just how much of the couple’s property has been recovered isn’t clear but we hope they manage get it all back. Next time they have a much needed furlough  we also hope they chose somewhere more secure to vacation than New Zealand, where it seems a great many tourists are falling victim to crime recently.

Other stories you may be interested in:-
Suffolk couple put emigration plans on hold after experiencing NZ’s crime:

“Today’s Herald is reporting on British couple Dean and Tabitha Forbes who lost most of their possessions whilst on a pre-emigration trip to Auckland, New Zealand…”

British Migrants Robbed:

“”An English family who came to New Zealand to make a fresh start were left with only the clothes on their backs when their motel was burgled two days after they arrived.
Dawn and Conrad Tutin and their children Stephanie, 14, and Kiel, 12, arrived from Nottingham a week ago to begin a new life in Auckland, where Mr Tutin will work for Fisher & Paykel…””

More British tourists robbed, no gold for New Plymouth:

“Earlier today we wrote about honeymooning couple Simon and Sabine Greenslade whose campervan was robbed of outside of Auckland Zoo, losing most of their holiday and honeymooning photographs amongst other possessions.
We’ve also heard about another young British couple, Jake Graham and Jess Kelly,whose campervan was also broken into and who lost almost everything they owned in New Plymouth yesterday afternoon…”

Other stories you may find interesting
Honeymoon couple lose precious photos, no ‘gold medal’ in Auckland

US rowing team member  robbed, world rowing championships 2010 in Queenstown

Czech Tourist, Jan Fakotor, Stabbed In Motueka
English tourist mugged in Gisborne
Chilean tourist punched, robbed in Nelson
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 - police have yet to resolve this crime

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

Asian woman, (probably Japanese) age 22, raped in her room by 2 teenagers in a home invasion in Opotiki, Northland

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,

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 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.

Today's posts - click here

State Of Emergency May Be Declared in Christchurch, Quake Near White Island

There have been shallow and powerful earthquakes  in Christchurch this morning that sent Boxing Day shoppers running for cover, they also caused power outages to around 40,000 premises in the central business district  Papanui, St Albans, Fendalton and other parts of the city.

The store Ballantyne's has been damaged with a lot of broken glass inside.

The council is said to be considering declaring a state of emergency.

According to the site Canterbury Quake live there has been 19 quakes so far in Christchurch this Boxing Day, starting  at 2.07am with a magnitude 4.21. The strongest was a very shallow magnitude 4.89 at 10.30am, only 3 kms from Catherdral Square, which caused most of the damage to the CBD.

For more about earthquakes in Christchurch, Canterbury and the slow pace of recovery read posts tagged #EQNZ

North Island Quake
A couple of hours before the Christchurch quakes started today the North Island was also roughly jolted by a single 5.9 magnitude quake. The quake struck just after midnight 80 kilometres north of White Island in the Bay of Plenty and was felt over large areas of the North Island.

48 Km offshore, White Island (Whakāri) is one of New Zealand's most active cone volcanoes which has been built up by continuous volcanic activity over the past 150,000 years. About 70 percent of the volcano is under the sea, making this massive volcanic structure one of the largest in New Zealand (Geonet)

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Suffolk Couple Put Emigration Plans On Hold After Experiencing NZ's Crime

Today's Herald is reporting on British couple Dean and Tabitha Forbes who lost most of their possessions whilst on a pre-emigration trip to Auckland, New Zealand.

Mr Forbes, from Suffolk in England, had been offered a position as an aircraft engineer at Ardmore Airport. Mrs Forbes, who works in IT, was still looking for a job, but the couple had taken some downtime from job hunting to visit Auckland museum on Wednesday.

When they came out of the museum they found their car had been broken in to and two suitcases containing computer and electronics equipment, Christmas presents, cash and a gold necklace bequeathed to Mrs Forbes by her mother, had been stolen.

The couple told the Herald that they wanted to migrate to New Zealand because of the "relaxed way of life and other charms" whilst on a brief visit last year and compared New Zealand to the Britain of  1980. Unknowingly, this was probably a valid comparison given the dire economic state the Uk was in at that time,  but they would have been kindergarten age at that time so they are unlikely to have been making the comparison based on personal experience - rather on an ideological judgment of some halcyon bygone age that never really existed.

Mr Forbes said that they had never been victims of crime in the 34 years they had lived in the UK and that the theft has "put a big dent" in how the see the place. They are keen to return home and re-evaluate their reasons for emigrating. Perhaps, for the first time, they are seeing New Zealand for real.

We'd like to pass on our best wishes to the Forbes and we hope that Tabitha one day recovers her mother's necklace. However, we think the couple are wise to reconsider their move because of what else they may lose in the future. Read our Migrant Tales series to find out what.

New Zealand's Crime Problem (click on links for details)
New Zealand has a high level of crime, much of it due to social deprivation and drug (P and cannabis) use.

Theft from cars is the most commonly reported form of theft in New Zealand. In 2009 there were 43,105 incidents reported - that’s almost five every hour.

During one recent survey 80% of people thought that crime was a serious problem in New Zealand. The country also has one of the highest incarceration rates in the developed world locking up people at a rate of 199 per 100,000. The European average is about 80.  Australia jails a third less than NZ does, according to figures from the International Centre for Prison Studies.

By July of this year 370,000 criminal convictions had been made by NZ courts over the year. An increase of 9% over the previous year and 40% higher than in 2000.

Methamphetamine (P) has New Zealand in it’s grip. A former Hamilton detective has accused the Government of a “head in the sand mentality” when it comes to New Zealand’s growing drug culture. New Zealand now rates as the third highest number of P users per capita in the world.

On average 200 P labs are discovered on residential streets every year in New Zealand. “Drug experts warn the makeshift labs are ticking time bombs that pose a risk to their occupants and to those who live unsuspectingly alongside them…Often the labs are uncovered only by accident – or after they explode.” The number uncovered is declining as ‘cooks’ get more adept at hiding them.
For more about Crime in New Zealand see our Crime stats and facts page HERE

Read Also:
British Migrants Robbed:

""An English family who came to New Zealand to make a fresh start were left with only the clothes on their backs when their motel was burgled two days after they arrived.
Dawn and Conrad Tutin and their children Stephanie, 14, and Kiel, 12, arrived from Nottingham a week ago to begin a new life in Auckland, where Mr Tutin will work for Fisher & Paykel...""

More British tourists robbed, no gold for New Plymouth:

"Earlier today we wrote about honeymooning couple Simon and Sabine Greenslade whose campervan was robbed of outside of Auckland Zoo, losing most of their holiday and honeymooning photographs amongst other possessions.
We’ve also heard about another young British couple, Jake Graham and Jess Kelly,whose campervan was also broken into and who lost almost everything they owned in New Plymouth yesterday afternoon..."

Other stories you may find interesting
Honeymoon couple lose precious photos, no ‘gold medal’ in Auckland

US rowing team member  robbed, world rowing championships 2010 in Queenstown

Czech Tourist, Jan Fakotor, Stabbed In Motueka
English tourist mugged in Gisborne
Chilean tourist punched, robbed in Nelson
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 - police have yet to resolve this crime

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

Asian woman, (probably Japanese) age 22, raped in her room by 2 teenagers in a home invasion in Opotiki, Northland

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,

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 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.

Today's posts - click here

Pike River Migrants Face Deportation From New Zealand, Happy Christmas?

Despite all the talk about keeping valuable, skilled miners in New Zealand following the explosion and subsequent closure of the Pike River Colliery, a number of immigrants working at the pit have been told they have to leave New Zealand in a few weeks if they don’t find alternative employment. They are already living in New Zealand illegally and say that if they stay on they will be deported.

Shockingly of the 20 migrants, all from ‘western’ countries, including 12 from South Africa, only 2 have managed to attain permanent residency. This case highlights the perilous state that many migrants on work permits find themselves in when they emigrate to New Zealand and how little protection they have when they lose their jobs. It also highlights how dependent New Zealand is on skilled migrant labour and how it fails to retain the people it really needs.

This appeared in Monday’s Greymouth Star newspaper:

Out-of-work miners who were lured to the West Coast for employment at Pike River say they have been given weeks to find work or face deportation.
Of the 20 migrants from the United Kingdom, South Africa and Germany who were made redundant last week after the hapless Pike River Coal Company was placed in receivership, only two have permanent residency.
One UK man, who moved to Greymouth a year ago specifically to work at Pike River, told the Greymouth Star he had been given five weeks to find work or leave town.
Immigration New Zealand officials were in Greymouth for two days last week to deliver more bad news to the newly-redundant miners.
“When I walked in I was told I was now living in New Zealand illegally and that they would turn a ‘blind eye’ for five weeks while I either found another job in Greymouth or left the country,” the UK miner, who asked for anonymity, said… read much more here

The New Zealand mining industry brought these men over from their homes countries so that they could work in their mines, when the jobs disappear are they to be thrown on the scrap heap and treated like undesirables? At the very least Work and Income and should be pulling out all the stops and finding them suitable employment, and if that’s not possible fully fund their repatriation expenses (including shipping of their household goods) or onward migration to another country that deserves them more.
One of the redundant UK miners told the paper

“I’ve just lost my mates in that mine, we are still in shock, now we are being forced to leave — what sort of Christmas are we going to have?”
…Bernie Monk, elected spokesman for the families of the 29 mine victims, said the situation for the migrant workers was “gut wrenching”.
He personally knew one of the men affected.
“Because his contract with Pike River is now null and void he no longer has a job. He has been told he has to find another job over $55,000 otherwise he will need to leave the country.
“He loves this place and doesn’t want to leave. This guy is still getting to grips with losing his workmates and then to have to deal with this … when will it end?”
Mr Monk said he had been working with West Coast MPs to try to get some compassion under the circumstances.”

We wish the men and their families the best of luck with getting some compassion, which they are more than entitled to.  We just hope that their impending deportation doesn’t affect their redundancy payments.


You may also find interesting:

Posts tagged:  Jobs for Kiwis

Philippines warns citizens against NZ work-to-residence scheme:

“”Philippines consul-general Emilie Shi says Immigration New Zealand is not doing enough to warn would-be applicants about the difficulties of finding a job or telling them that Kiwis will be given preference by employers.
“Immigration New Zealand continues to say what a great place this country is to come live and work in, but they cover up the fact that it is very difficult to find a job here, or that they will be treated as second-class workers under the scheme,” Ms Shi said….”"

 Today's posts - click here

Gay Hate Crime In Moeraki, New Zealand.

Two North Otago men accused of kidnapping a man last week are facing seven charges including  kidnapping and assault of a male at  Moeraki last Friday, unlawfully entering and remaining in his house and another house at Moeraki, threatening a second man and assaulting him twice.

The charges stemmed from an incident where the men allegedly ordered two men to leave town because of the mistaken belief they were gay. Source

The two accused, a 41 year old man from Oamaru and a 40 year old from Hampden, have had their names suppressed.

Hampden police Senior Constable Darrin Low told Dunedin District Court (on Monday) that one man who had been detained said he had “never known fear like it“. Source

Our thoughts are with the victims and we wish them a full and speedy recovery from their ordeal.
It’s good to see that police are taking this incident seriously and are prosecuting the alleged offenders, however it does highlight how shockingly bigoted and violent some of the more rural areas of New Zealand can be.

But is ‘gay bashing,’ in all its forms, limited just to the rural backwaters of New Zealand, or is there something dark lurking within the collective fragile Kiwi psyche  ?

Air NZ’s Gay Kiss Refusal



Following complaints from gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people Air New Zealand said recently that they will remove a scene from an in-flight safety video where All Black player, Richard Kahui,  refused to kiss a gay flight attendant on the cheek.

The video, which had already been shown to over two million people on Air NZ’s aircraft, apparently without any thought as to whether it may have marginalised or offended some people, also raised concern from a university professor who feared it may have caused gay male suicide. Is it any wonder in a country where ads like this next one are permitted, legitimising homophobia:

Low Carb Beer ‘Queer’




Earlier this month GayNZ reported on an ad campaign by Moa Beer, which suggested that anyone drinking low carb beer was ‘queer’:

“Moa Beer is offering to apologise in person to anyone offended by a t-shirt campaign which suggests low carb beer drinkers are queer, after an outpouring of disgust and disappointment on Facebook.

The boutique brewer’s marketing department was giving away t-shirts which said “Low Carb Beers”, with the a pink ‘Q’ superimposed over the letter ‘B’ so it read “Qeers”, promoting the fact that Moa’s brews are “full strength”.

When asked by GayNZ.com Daily News whether the campaign is saying that anyone who drinks low carb beer must be queer, Moa’s marketing manager replied “yes”, but also so replied “yes” to the question of whether Moa was bothered that it had offended some gay people.

The ensuing story sparked angry backlash on its Facebook page…” read the full report here

So what’s the message here – Homophobia in NZ is acceptable until it results in physical harm and assault?
Comments left on the beer company’s wall included:

“Yesterday a friend of mine was threatened with being bottled, sworn at and called a faggot because he walked down Ponsonby Road holding his boyfriend’s hand.
THIS is why, unfortunately, NZ isn’t mature enough for Moa’s advertisement. I know it’s meant in humour, there are too many people who see that kind of advertising as legitimising their homophobia. Take Toyota and the ‘bugger’ commercials. Suddenly it was acceptable. It was on wheel covers. It was publicly ok to say the word. This will happen with homophobia if advertisements like Moa’s are seen as ok.”

“It’s reading debates like this that I’m pleased I’ve left New Zealand. Considering it’s nearly 2011 it’s amazing how backward kiwis can still be. We need to be more accepting. To those that posted “PC madness” “take a joke” etc., it’s easy to say that when you are part of the majority. Try putting yourself in the shoes… of someone in a minority group and feel what it’s like to be oppressed; dealing with this stuff day in, day out.
ps I’m not gay.
pps won’t be buying the beer.”

“The only people that will take offensive to it are ‘Queers’, I don’t get mad at ads that take the piss out of woman, as a lot of beer adverts do, eg Tui…. I say grow a set of balls and laugh… by the way well done MOA by the reaction this has had it means your advertising has worked!!!”

“Another ‘Like’ just to post on your wall.
I really thought we had made progress, as a country, away from homophobic shyte like your QEER T Shirt campaign.
Like many, I’d never heard of you but the bad news is, now I have, I don’t like you.
Epic PR failure.”

Other stories presently in the NZ News you may be interested in:
Upset by sexual moves, murder trial told
Gay community calls for justice over banjo killing
Thanks to Readerofe2 for the links




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Tourist Seriously Inured By NZ Dolphin Boat

Today’s Stuff is carrying a story about an Australian tourist who was flown to hospital after being cut by a boat propeller in Ruakaka Bay, Marlborough Sounds shortly before midday.

The woman, who is said to be 49  year old Catherine Carlyle from Adelaide, came into contact with the propeller as she jumped off the back of the Dolphin Watch Ecotours boat, sustaining deep lacerations to her legs and a possible fracture.

According to the news report

“…When the Wellington-based Westpac Rescue Helicopter met the boat at the wharf in Picton ambulance officers were already treating the woman.
Pilot Logan Taylor said the cuts to her legs “were quite deep”.
“She got told it was OK to hop in and obviously the prop was still turning,” he said.
“They were going to do some snorkelling.”
The woman was flown to Wellington Hospital where she is being treated for her injuries…” Read the full report here

Our thoughts are with Ms Carlyle and we wish her a full and speedy recovery from her injuries.

Judging from the severity of her wounds it is possible that the propeller was still turning as she entered the water, if so she was very fortunate not to have suffered massive blood loss or the loss of a limb. We wonder how many “near misses’ may have happened with other people before she was injured.

Update 12 December 2010 – Bad News for NZ Tourism, Safety Needs Hard Look At

A Blenheim based relative of the injured woman was reported in Stuff as saying:

“It’s absolutely hideous,” he said. “That it could ever happen is just crazy. It’s just bad news for New Zealand tourism. It’s just another activity New Zealand is renowned for that has now gone wrong. The safety issues need a really hard look at.”

Further details of the incident were revealed on Stuff:

“The group had already done one dive when the boat stopped in Ruakaka for a second dive.
The tour guide blew the whistle to say it was safe to jump.
Mrs Carlyle got caught in the boats propellers and had deep cuts all over her legs. One leg was broken.
She was airlifted to Wellington Hospital and had surgery yesterday afternoon…” read the full report here

A number of deaths have occurred recently whilst people have been swimming with dolphins in New Zealand.

Last month Swedish tourist Anita Engman, age 56, drowned whilst swimming with dolphins in the sea off Kaikoura. She was on organised event with Encounter Kaikoura and had been on holiday in New Zealand with her husband and friends from Sweden.

Three other people have died whilst swimming with dolphins or whales in New Zealand, at the time of their deaths this activity was not governed by any guidelines or standards. Among them was American tourist Emily May Parker, from Denver Colorado, who was found face down in Marlborough Sound whilst on a tour with Dolphin Ecowatch Tours in October 2009.

According to an article published in the Marlborough Express at the time neither Maritime NZ nor the Department of Labour were to make any investigation into Ms Paker’s death. Even though the coroner’s investigation had yet to be completed, they believed that her death was from “natural causes” and that it was a “police matter”.

Australia Updates Travel Advice For NZ – Australia recently issued the following advice to travellers to New Zealand: (emphasis ours)

“Many tourists safely undertake adventure activities in New Zealand. However, many adventure tourism activities have inherent risks, and there have been a number of serious accidents involving Australians and other tourists, some resulting in deaths. Some operators have been found to be negligent.Travellers need to make their own judgements about the risks involved in individual or group activities and safety standards of individual operators. We strongly recommend travellers inquire with individual operators about the safety standards adhered to, whether these standards are applied across the industry and the risks involved in the activity. We recommend travellers hold travel insurance and complementary accident or income protection insurance and understand what circumstances and activities are not covered by the policies. You should be aware that safety standards in New Zealand’s adventure tourism industry may differ between individual operators and may differ from those in Australia.” (Sept 2010)

Article in the Sydney Morning Herald - “Adventure tourism a deadly business” August 24 2010:

“NZPA
Adventure tourists are killing themselves for a good time in New Zealand.
So much so that the government is looking at tougher measures to improve safety in the industry.
During five years (July 1, 2004 to June 30, 2009) 39 people died in NZ in what are recorded as workplace activities.
But the actual number is likely to be much higher as recreational deaths were not included…” read full article here

Further reading  – Our NZ Adventure Tourism Facts and Stats page
 
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Pike River Coal Mine - What Went Wrong?

The tragic events of the last seven days, culminating in yesterday's horrifying explosion at the Pike River mine and the loss of twenty nine very much loved men, will stand as a black day in New Zealand's history for many years to come.

We'd like to pass on our deepest condolences to the families of all the New Zealand, British, Australian and South African miners.

We hope that the recovery of the men can be done as soon as possible so as to lessen their families anguish, and to give dignity to those who perished working in one of the most dangerous occupations in the world.

Now also begins the examination of what may have gone wrong, what lessons can be learned to prevent this from happening again? No more families should have to suffer like this.

Andrew Watson, Operations manager of Mines Rescue safety training service in the UK,  wrote a report for the BBC examining what may have gone wrong in the Pike River coal mine disaster.
He started out by explaining the obvious differences between the Chilean and New Zealand mines.
Then went on to say that with coal mining there was additional natural hazards from combustible, toxic gases and weakened strata around the coal that needed to be supported.

But all of those "should be able to be controlled by high standards, regulation and good management."


So what may have gone wrong?

In his opinion the level of methane in the mine  reached dangerous levels above which miners should have been evacuated - suggesting that " either the warning system was inadequate or it wasn't properly monitored."

This is an interesting comment because various news reports said that no- one above ground had realised that the initial explosion had occurred until two hours after it had happened, and that was only because the two survivors, Daniel Rockhouse and Russell Smith, who walked out, raised the alarm. That  two hour delay cut into a four hour window of opportunity that a mine rescue team may have used to go in and try to bring the remaining men out.

According to Mr Watson the ventilation shaft should have ensured that methane did not build up to dangerous levels. So why did it?

He wrote:

After explosion
Methane gas is explosive in atmospheric ratios between 5% and 15%. In coal mines in the UK, we aim for less than 1% methane. At 1.25%, the power automatically cuts off, and at 2%, all miners are evacuated.
At Pike River, the fact that there was an explosion suggests the methane reached 5% or more. So, either the warning system was inadequate, or it was not sufficiently monitored.
Once the initial explosion occurred, the following would have been lost:
* Communication
* Monitoring of the mine atmosphere
* Ventilation
In such cases, it means that rescuers don't have much information to work with.
In the case of Pike River, what they would have done immediately is gone to the return ventilation side of the mine and taken samples.
That would have told them how much methane, carbon monoxide and hydrogen was in the atmosphere at that point. What it would not have told them was what the conditions deep inside the mine were - which parts were safe and which weren't.
The explosion might have damaged ventilation equipment such as fans, ventilation doors and seals. It might also have caused rock falls.
The miners would have been trained in these situations to travel towards a safe haven. If this couldn't be reached, the hope is that they would have barricaded themselves in somewhere away from this toxic and noxious environment.
Rescue decision
At this point, the rescuers would have had to decide whether it was safe enough to deploy a rescue team into the mine to gain the information they desperately needed.
This did not happen at Pike River, so clearly the information obtained from the return side samples indicated that it was too dangerous to enter the mine.
Some people have accused rescuers of being too cautious, questioning whether a window of opportunity had been missed. They insist that emergency teams should have been sent into the Pike River mine soon after the initial explosion.
The team would have had access to breathing apparatus - what we call long duration sets. These weigh 17kg (37lb) and last up to four hours. But when you consider the distance that rescue team would have to travel, it is clear that the apparatus would have been right on the limit. It was almost 1,200m (3,940ft) to the first cross cut, and 2,300m (7,545ft) to the end of the tunnel.Double that distance - to get in and back out - and you are taking things to the extreme.
Now consider the conditions in the tunnel. It would be very, very hot - because the ventilation may well have gone. And, because of the rock fall, the terrain would be rough.
Too dangerous
This could have been challenging even for a fit team of rescuers.
So, instead of going into the mine to get this information, they drilled a borehole from the surface, which obviously took time. Once completed, it verified that the atmosphere inside the mine was too dangerous too enter and that the worst scenario for the miners had been realised.
From a rescuer's point of view, this is as frustrating and distressing as it can be. These men would have been trained to help and rescue their colleagues. It is in the nature of miners to work as a team and to help each other in this extreme environment, and that is what the rescuers would have wanted to do.
There is absolutely no doubt that, if it had been possible for them to enter the mine at any time, they would have done so.
These men would have been aware that the environmental readings were preventing this.
No doubt, in the days and weeks to come there will be much discussion about what lessons can be learned from this disaster.
Of fundamental importance is the need to maintain high standards. Mining safety standards in New Zealand are very similar to those in the UK.
But, at Pike River, something went badly wrong leaving many questions unanswered.

Background to Pike River Mine
On 12 March 2004, Minister of Conservation Chris Carter approved the access arrangement for Pike River Coal Ltd. The arrangement included four 1.5m-wide emergency escape shafts within the boundaries of Paparoa National Park and a requirement for Pike River Coal Ltd to spend $NZ70,000 annually on conservation projects.

Carter stated that the "safeguards and compensation" outweighed the inconsistencies with objectives of the Conservation Act 1987 and the relevant management plans.

Due to the location, the conditions of the access arrangement required special consideration for the environment, such as a need to minimise tree felling and a requirement to reinstate all above-ground areas after mining ceases.

Opponents of the mine strongly criticised the approval of the access agreement, noting that the coal is not intended for domestic use but simply a commercial operation, and thus should not have been allowed to go forward in a sensitive location.

Forest & Bird also criticised the fact that the Minister of Conservation chose to ignore the report from the Department of Conservation stating that the mine would be damaging to the local environment. Greenpeace Aotearoa New Zealand also criticised the project for furthering the use of fossil fuels instead of developing sustainable alternatives.

Mine operation
"The coal is mined 200m underground, at 800m above sea level, quarrying coal from the Brunner coal seam. The coal is taken from the mine via a 'drift', a gently-sloping 5 degree tunnel 2.3 km long. This tunnel has taken large amounts of dynamite to create, as the rock is described as being up to four times harder than concrete...

Another major feature of the underground works is a 110m-deep ventilation shaft. After local ground conditions were found to be worse than expected, it was excavated with a raise-bore system excavating the 4.25m ventilation shaft from a 0.35m pilot drill shaft.  Access to the top of the ventilation shaft is by helicopter only, even during construction, as conservation restrictions do not allow roads to be built to reach this point.

The mine will also include underground excavation for the coal slurry handling facility and mine water storage and pumping equipment, with several large galleries of up to 5.5m width and 11m height to be excavated. As of 2010, The mine has three main "drives" (shafts).

Originally, once at the processing plant, coal was to be trucked to Greymouth for reshipment...
The mine was to have about 150 full-time staff, though in 2007-2008, there were problems filling all positions, partly because of high demand for the same occupations on the Australian and international job markets." (source wikipedia)

For more posts about Pike River Mine click here

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Cycling Carnage On New Zealand Roads

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Any one who has been reading this blog on a regular basis knows that for a long time we've often highlighted New Zealand's shameful road death and injury record, one of the worst in the OECD.

One of the most vulnerable group of road users in New Zealand are cyclists and the rate at which they are being killed and injured is disgusting. What's worse, New Zealand is often promoted as a  safe cycling destination even though many tourists and visitors to the country continue to be killed by careless / drunken drivers. Many of those  drivers escape with light sentences that are often slammed as not being proportionate to their crime and not acting as a deterrent to others.

The cyclist killed on Tamaki Drive, Auckland yesterday afternoon has just been named as 27 year old British citizen Jane Mary Bishop. She died when she was hit by a truck whilst cycling along Auckland's waterfront outside of Kelly Tarlton's (see the stretch of road in the Google streetview above)

Police said she had swerved to avoid a car door. Our deepest condolences go out to her family and friends for their loss.

Her death came hours after three cyclists, travelling in a group of ten, were killed by a car in the Waikato that crossed the centre line whilst taking a corner. Mark Andrew Ferguson, 46, and Wilhelm Muller, 71, died at the scene and Kay Heather Wolfe, 45,  died this morning. Our thoughts are with their families.

Condolence to to the family of And with the family of Patricia Anne Veronica Fraser, 34,  who was killed in the Manawatu on Saturday while training for the Lake Taupo cycle race;and our very best wishes go 12 year old Jacqueline Wyatt, a pupil at Riverlands School, whom was run over by a truck this morning as she cycled to school on Main Street, Blenheim. She is critically ill in hospital.

Tamaki Drive Carnage
The road where Jane Mary Bishop lost her life was also the scene of the infamous ‘Tamaki Drive Carnage". 

A female student lost her licence for 6 months and was ordered to pay $1,000 to each of her victims after she ploughed into a pack of cyclists travelling along Tamaki Drive. The cyclists, one of whom suffered long term brain injuries and may never be able to work again, said that the sentence handed out was far too lenient.

A report in today's NZ Herald said

Ellerslie man John McLaren was also involved in a crash on Tamaki Drive last week.
He was in shock and suffering from a broken shoulder blade and collarbone when the motorist who forced him off the road confronted him with an angry lecture. Ms Bishop's death on the same stretch of road had him counting his blessings his accident was not worse.
"It's a sad event. All our thoughts should be with the family of the deceased."
He called for increased tolerance and awareness from motorists in the wake of the cyclist deaths. "The woman that died yesterday - if that person who opened their car door had just looked around things could have been different. If the guy had waited just 10 seconds for me to go over the bridge, everything would have been fine.
"It's awareness. That one bit of impatience could mean someone getting hurt or killed." Read the full report here, including a call for cycle lane

Lacks of awareness, education, consideration, understanding and/or substance abuse are common themes in these incidents. New Zealand, quite simply, isn't as safe as you'd like to think it is, cyclists risk their lives every time they venture onto a road. New Zealand drivers take no prisoners.
These are some of the cyclists we've blogged about in the past.

Stephan Stoermer, a German tourist, had been on a cycling world tour since 2006, he had been safely winding his way through 26 countries in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia since early 2006 before arriving in New Zealand. He died a week before his tour was scheduled to end when he was hit by a logging truck near Te Puke in the Bay of Plenty on March 12, 2009. The driver fell asleep behind the wheel.

Jenns Richardon had been living in NZ for a few years was killed by a hit and run driver. His body was eventually discovered by a passing motorist. The killer pleaded guilty to  driving under the influence of alcohol causing death and failing to stop for an injury accident. He had drunk around 10 pints of beer at a bar in Rolleston from around 2.30pm that day. He told police he knew he had hit a cyclist but panicked because he had been drinking. The judge took pity on him a gave him a sentence of home detention.

Frank van Kampen was killed by drunk driver, 71 year old Alison Downer, who received  a lenient two year sentence for her 4th conviction after she hit and killed Frank as he was cycling along State Highway 1 in Te Horo.  Mr van Kampen’s partner wept through the hearing at Palmerston North District Court and said that she was disgusted by the sentence. Can you believe that Downer’s defence lawyer was alleged to have told the judge that “this was not the worst type of offending because there was only one victim.”

Graham Robinson, a North Shore doctor, was struck and killed whilst cycling outside of Helensville. The driver of a white Toyota Hillux sped off after hitting him and police have yet to track him down, despite having an excellent description of the vehicle.

Pia Pusch, a 19 year old German tourist, also died when hit by a logging truck as she cycled through New Zealand, she had previously blogged about the aggressive and intimidating driving habits of truck drivers. The driver pleaded guilty and was asked to pay $5,000 to her family.
Mia’s death sparked calls for mandatory minimum passing distances for vehicles overtaking cyclists – from between 1 to 1.5 metres, but all of them have been ignored.

A Facebook  group Mia Pusch - NZ cyclists mourn you was set up in her memory, an the group pushed for improvements in road safety.

Jane Bishop's death is a reminder that auckland, and New Zealand, still has a very a long way to go in improving road safety for all the users of its roads.

For more about New Zealand's dangerous roads and 'accident' black spots click HERE and our  
 ROAD CRASH DATA page

See also:
Cycling dangers in New Zealand – see posts tagged Cycling

New Zealand Herald’s Road Accidents Archive

New Zealand’s dangerous roads

NZ’s roads described as ‘killing fields’ after 14 fatalities over ANZAC weekend

67 Boy Racers Taken Off the Streets of Christchurch

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Tom Donaldson Inquest - Coroner Says "Warn Tourists"

A brief report into the death of British tourist Tom Donaldson has just been made in the Northern Advocate.

According to the paper the coroner said that

“Visitors wanting to experience New Zealand’s adventure tourism should be warned that they are taking a risk.
That message, from Northland’s coroner, comes as the region prepares to accommodate thousands of tourists for next year’s Rugby World Cup.”

The inquest found that Mr Donaldson had ignored the warnings of a far north tour operator and chose to sand board down a dune known locally as “suicide hill”, despite being warned to only slide between the flags.

The paper reported that coroner, Brandt Shortland

“said adventure tourism businesses should warn those keen to experience the thrills about the dangers via their websites.
It was timely to do so as about 16,000 people were expected in Northland for next year’s Rugby World Cup.
“What must be said is that Mr Donaldson chose not to follow instructions in that he engaged a sand dune that ultimately cost him his life,” Mr Shortland said.
“People have to remember when engaging in adventure tourism they have to follow the rules for their own safety.” read the full report here

We blogged about Mr Donaldson’s death in February 2009, saying that there was no mention of the word ‘dangerous’ in any of the advertising material for sand boarding at the Omapere/Opononi dunes. See Another tourist dies in New Zealand.

A review of adventure tourism in New Zealand was recently carried out following the deaths of a number of international and local holidaymakers, including children and an instructor on an outdoor adventure camp.

The review was only instigated after a high profile campaign was launched by the father of Emily Jordan, who died riverboarding. Her father Chris wrote to John Key calling safety regulation in New Zealand “third world.“

Almost 3 years on and an inquest is yet to be held into Emily’s death, read Still no inquest for Emily Jordan, 13 November

Safety Gaps in NZ Adventure Tourism
The review found safety gaps that risk more accidents and damage in New Zealand’s $3 billion adventure tourism industry, gaps that allowed some to operate with less than acceptable safety standards.

The two major outcomes were recommendations that adventure tourism Operators be registered (which stops short of a licensing system) and that  “most” be audited in order to remain on the register. Read Safety gaps found in adventure tourism review, 24 August 2010

For more about New Zealand’s appalling record for adventure tourism deaths, click here.
Our deepest condolences again go out to the family and friends of Mr Donaldson at this very difficult time.

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No Gold For NZ Honeymoon Couple

A  couple honeymooning in Auckland didn’t have the same Gold Medal rapid response that an American rowing team member got just three days later, when they too were burgled hours before leaving New Zealand.

British newlyweds Simon and Sabine Greenslade were married in August in Germany and had been honeymooning in New Zealand. At the end of their holiday they parked outside of Auckland Zoo and it was there that their campervan was ransacked on 6 November, the last day of their honeymoon – according to a report in the NZ Herald.

During the robbery the couple lost a laptop and iPod with their wedding photos, shots of their NZ holiday and months of Mr Greenslade’s programing work were taken from their van.

Coincidentally the unnamed American sportsman also lost a laptop and iPod in his burglary.

Unfortunately there was no gold medal for this couple, they got a clunker. The Herald said:

An appeal to police in the aftermath of the theft didn’t produce any results, says Ms Greenslade.
“They simply gave us a crime reference number and left it at that.”

The young couple had to get back to the UK with the help of the motorhome company, who replaced some of their missing belongings.

The news of this robbery has filtered out in the hope that the couple may retrieve some of their lost photos, which are obviously irreplaceable.

We wish them good luck with that, although their chances are pretty slim ten days after the event, ‘miracles’ have been known to happen.

Wouldn’t it be splendid if all tourists who experienced loss or crime in New Zealand got a gold medal response. Not just those who have a high profile internationally.

Also read:
US Rowing Team Member Robbed, World Rowing Championships 2010: 9 November 2o10

“The United States rowing team has just had an unpleasant brush with New Zealand’s spiralling crime problem.
On Saturday a member of the team had a number of personal items stolen after the World Rowing Championships at Lake Karapiro.
A Police press released managed to turn what could’ve been a PR clunker into a  ‘gold medal’ news story for the police (and New Zealand) when they apprehended the young burglars responsible and returned the stolen goods to the rower just minutes before he left the country:
“After speaking to management at the teams’ hotel, police tracked the stolen iPod, laptop and other belongings to three brothers aged 14, 15 and 17, who admitted the theft.
More stolen property was also found at an Otorohanga property, 58km southwest of Hamilton in the King Country.
Police contacted a man in Otorohanga who admitted receiving the laptop and “it was explained the significance of the theft and the damage to this country’s reputation and he agreed to bring it into the Hamilton Police Station.
“From there an aunty of the offenders helped Police recover the victim’s camera, the US team left Hamilton yesterday about 6pm for an 11pm flight and we needed to get all the property recovered, documented and back to the victim. Time was against us and there’d be no ‘B’ final if we didn’t make it.”” Smith (Ed. Sergeant Dale Smith of the Hamilton Proactive Policing Team) said.” Read more here – police win race to return rower’s stolen property

We particularly liked the section that said
“It would be fair to say that while the rest of the country is celebrating the achievements of our teams on the water the team in blue delivered a gold medal performance as well in terms of New Zealand’s reputation of a safe, friendly place to visit.”
Well done to the police for working with the community and relatives of the thieves to bring about a successful conclusion to this sorry event. But, if New Zealand was that safe the rower’s hotel room wouldn’t have been burgled in the first place, would it and he would have left the country with only fond memories? If only other tourists could’ve been so lucky!”

Other stories you may find interesting
Czech Tourist, Jan Fakotor, Stabbed In Motueka
English tourist mugged in Gisborne
Chilean tourist punched, robbed in Nelson
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 - police have yet to resolve this crime

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

Asian woman, (probably Japanese) age 22, raped in her room by 2 teenagers in a home invasion in Opotiki, Northland

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,

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 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.

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Indian? Tourists Set Upon By Mob In Kaikoura

 
A group of four or five holidaymakers from Christchurch were attacked by a 'mob' in Kaikoura early on Friday morning.

Some locals are saying that it was a gang that was responsible (possibly the Mongrel Mob) and it is noticeable that some media reports about the attack are using the phrase “group of people,” which is usually press code for gang in New Zealand.

Kaikoura is a small coastal town about 180km north of Chritchurch on the east coast of New Zealand and a favourite setting-off point for whale watching tours.

Reports in the media about the incident varied.


The Marlborough Express‘ report says nothing about the visitors being holidaymakers and that the attack took place outside a pizza restaurant, emphasis ours

Five Christchurch men were assaulted in an attack by a group of up to 30 people on Beach Rd in Kaikoura early this morning, police say.
Two of the men were ”severely beaten” and another kidnapped, taken out of town and dumped on the side of the road.
Sergeant Barry Hansen, of Kaikoura, said the victims, aged between 19 and 20, were attacked about 12.30am.
Two of the group were severely beaten while another was kidnapped, driven out of town in a Toyota Hilux, and dumped on the side of the road, he said. The abducted man managed to walk back into town.
A ”sharp weapon” may have been used during the incident, he said…read it in full here

Whereas a NZ Herald report says it was a group of 4 holidaymakers that was attacked and that the victims were set upon as they walked back to their hotel.

The reports of the injuries are pretty shocking and we wish the victims a full and speedy recovery from their ordeal. Was this just another attack on a party of tourists in New Zealand, or is there more to this story than is being released to the media?

We also have an unconfirmed report that the men from Christchurch may have been Indian nationals.

Was there a racist element to this crime and if so why wasn’t that information released to the press? Were they residents of Christchurch, students perhaps or visitors from abroad?

The chances of finding out in the near future are pretty slim but no doubt when the thugs responsible are caught, and if the case ever comes to court, we may find out more.

Local people made their feelings known about the attacks, with some saying that the town couldn’t be recommended to tourists anymore and with hints that a gang may been responsible. Sadly Kaikoura, it seems, suffers from many of the problems that plague small town New Zealand.

Their comments were published on Stuff, emphasis ours

forest
Kaikoura is a small town surely those responsible can be found and made an example of. There should be zero tolerance to this sort of behavior. Find them and throw away the key harsher penalities have to be imposed otherwise no one is going to pay any attention and it will happen time and time again. This is not the image that New Zealand wants to portray the is a very real danger of allowing a society of yobs that will take over many towns in New Zealand. It is an epidemic that has to be stamped out sooner rather than later.

Tom m
it would appear that Kaiakoura has had its fair share of badly bred mogrel dog tuckers for a fair while now . I for one do not recommend the place to any tourists anymore.. If the cops do get this mob what will happen to them,, in short nothing, the government arent interested

Cchris
i lived in kaikoura and am well known there to.we never did things like that or our friends i just hope it wasnt a local gang.what gets me is that the police have yet to find 1 of the 30 people in the gang.are they crazy.how hard is it in a small town to find just 1.it has a small town reputation to gosip and the word travels fast.i live in oz now and yes its is nicer here but not all people are considerate.im shocked to hear that this has happened in such a beautiful small town.
Alcohol! ITS one of the worst drugs!

Yer i agree! No respect no hopers just drinking and fighting! while the government sells synthetic substances legally in dairies and lock up young good kids keeping outta trouble who just wana chill and not wanting to drink and why is it so normal for drunk to be complete assholes and its normal and excepted part of society! make alcohol illegal, come on and wake up, pathetic attitudes from the one eye nation! If those gang of kids were on the green natural! no anger no fights! logical????? stupid government! stop ya crap – - you sell alcohol and tax it! has anyone ever heard of someone overdosing on the happy backey! nope!!!!!

craig
I was in kaikoura today and this country is so full of uptight angry wee teenages with bad attitudes! Suppose the only thing to do is move to oz where most people are calm, happy and friendly! Let the animals in nz carry on with there minor insignificant angry lives. Harsh but the truth isn’t pretty
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