British Tourist Wishes He'd Been Warned About The Violence

Source Stuff.co.nz
"A British backpacker wishes he had been warned about the "violent undertones" of Christchurch after 11pm before he was stabbed four times at the weekend.

The 23-year-old from Yorkshire was in a group of English and Danish tourists who were attacked by a gang of young men about 1am on Saturday.

He was stabbed in the chest and the elbow and twice in the shoulder in the unprovoked attack in City Mall.

If the stab to his chest had not hit and broken a rib he would be dead, Christchurch Hospital doctors told him.

The rib deflected the knife and stopped it causing life-threatening damage to his lung.

Even after he fell to the ground the gang punched and kicked him, fracturing his cheekbone and breaking his nose.

Police central city area commander Garry Knowles has appealed for any witnesses or information about the attackers.

"These morons come into town and think they can attack people ... We are going to hunt them down," he said....."

For today's posts see: latest posts

Englishman Paul Speakman's Attackers Got 10 Years

from NZ Herald

"Four men who went on a violent rampage across the central North Island terrorising tourists have been jailed for 10 years each.

Rotorua District Court was told yesterday one of the men went on the violent spree so he could pay drug debts.

Another was high on P -- pure methamphetamine -- at the time of the robberies and had been using the drug since he was 16.

The men used crowbars to smash windows of the tourists' vehicles.

They 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", the court was told.

The four, who all pleaded guilty to three charges of aggravated robbery, are:

* Shaun David Austin, 24, a boner, of Te Aroha,
* Hayden Lee Growden, 28, a hydroblaster, of Te Aroha,
* Ben Joseph Atkinson, 21, a sickness beneficiary, of Paeroa, and
* Cameron Lee Ashby, 26, a labourer, of Paeroa.

In one of the attacks, early on October 12, British tourist Paul Speakman and his 12-year-old son Christian were asleep in their campervan in the Athenree Gorge, near Katikati, when the men set upon them.

The men threatened to drown Mr Speakman and his son if they did not co-operate.

Even when the pair did co-operate, the men continued their attack.

Mr Speakman suffered a cut to his face, which required stitches, and a swollen eye.

It was the Speakman's first night in New Zealand and they were contemplating settling here....."

Read the full article here: 10 Year Sentences for attackes on Tourists

"New Zealand has more coastline than the United States"

The above statement is often thrown around but is it true? According to the CIA World Fact Book New Zealand has 15,134 km of coastline, a lot less than the United States' 19,924 km. Australia, New Zealand's closest neighbour, has 25,760 km. Japan chalks up a pretty respectable 29,751 km but they're all left for dust by Canada with a staggering 202,080 km. That's a lot of fishing spots.

Coastlines
Canada 202,080 km

Indonesia 54,716 km

Greenland 44,087 km

Philippines 36,289 km

Japan 29,751 km

Australia 25,760 km

Norway 25,148 km

United States 19,924 km

Antarctica 17,968 km

Source CIA World Fact Book


For today's posts see: latest posts