Tourists Robbed At Kerosene Creek

A group of four "international tourists" have been attacked and robbed whilst swimming at Kerosene Creek, near Taupo on Monday night. Their car and a number of possessions were taken during an attack which has left them deeply shaken.

Information as to the tourists' nationality or country of origin seems to have been withheld from the press for the time being, no doubt to reduce the amount of exposure the story gets? (it's already appeared on sites around the world)  but the attack does bear similarities to the attack on a group of Chinese tourists in Te Paki, Northland, which leaves us thinking that this may have been a group of Chinese people too.

Local wary of parking at Kerosene Creek
Those interested in such things may like to familiarise themselves with the findings of a 2009 Safety Perception Survey carried out for Rotorua District Council. 400 local residents were questioned about their perceptions of safety in the area.

63.0% of respondents felt there are unsafe places to park a vehicle in...areas around Rotorua, an increase year on year - 61.5% in 2008, 67.1% in 2007 and 54.3% in 2006. Of those, the most common mentions included:

• Blue/Green Lakes (Tikitapu/Rotokakahi) and Okere Falls (62 responses each)

• The Redwood Forest car park (61 responses)

• Kerosene Creek (37 responses)

• Waipa (26 responses)

The locals obviously know where the unsafe places are but is this information being passed on to tourists?

One can only speculate if it was a copycat crime, but what is rather disturbing that the high profile arrest and punishment of the Northland offenders seems to have had no deterrent effect whatsoever, attacks on unwary tourists are still occurring in New Zealand, and if anything, seem to be more frequent.


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Attack on 3 Chinese Tourists, 'Reputation' Comments Commence

Labour's tourism spokesman Kelvin Davis has been swift in issuing a strong rebuke as part of a damage limitation exercise following the knife point robbery and assault of three Chinese tourists in Northland. At least we're not seeing the usual 'isolated incident' comment trotted out, so some credit to him for that.

Time to get tough on the causes of crime. Want to send out a really strong message to the community? catch those responsible and impose stiff sentences. In the meantime launch a honest campaign to warn visitors about the risks present in NZ so that they're not sitting ducks - savvy consummers are nothing to be afraid of. A false image makes visitors vulnerable, use incidents like these to highlight the dangers and tell people they need to be as street-wise in NZ as in any other Western country with a high crime rate.

The attack took place at Te Paki, at the foot of 90 Mile Beach a popular tourist location about 100 km away from the campsite at Ahipara where French Tourist Anthony Cressend was beaten up shortly after arrival.

Other recent high profile attacks in the region have included at least 2 sex attacks attacks at Haruru Falls near Paihia in the Bay of Isands - one an horrific sexual assault on a 27 year-old English tourist and the other a young Dutch couple on their honeymoon who were raped, assaulted and robbed kidnapped by men posing as police officers.

Keith Anthony McEwen, 30, and Christopher Mana Manuel, 27, the men who kidnapped and robbed the Dutch couple at Haruru Falls whilst posing as police officers were only sentenced to 10 and 6 year non parole periods respectively.

McEwen had previous convictions for a $300,000 burglary at the Kelly Tarlton museum in Waitangi, aggravated robbery, firearms and various other theft and dishonesty offences. Was his sentence sufficient for a repeat offender, should a three strikes and you're out rule be adopted in New Zealand? unfortunately the country already has the 'second highest imprisonment rate in the Western World.' the majority of it for Violence, Sexual and Property Crimes.

At Whangarei Falls two American men Patrick Dykstra and Kelsey McGinley were sleeping in what they thought was a safe location when 4 men dragged them from their vehicle beat them up and robbed them.

Tourist attacks are bad for business

from Voxy:

"The Far North community must send a strong message that it won't tolerate the type of cowardly attack experienced yesterday by three Chinese tourists near Te Paki, says Labour Tourism Spokesperson Kelvin Davis.
The three tourists who stopped to assist two men they believed had broken down were set upon in an abhorrent ambush

"The incident has left the group shocked and stunned, and is another in a string of attacks on tourists in the Far North over the last few years. Their faith in New Zealand has been shattered," Kelvin Davis said.
"These idiots just don't seem to realise that our culture tells us to care for our manuhiri not bash them, or that they are stuffing things up for family and friends involved in Northland's tourism industry.
"Someone will know who these guys are or would have seen their red or maroon station wagon with fishing rods sticking out the windows. Someone up North will know them, and for the sake of maintaining New Zealand's reputation in the eyes of both these and other tourists, the police need to be informed of their whereabouts.
"Tourism is New Zealand's biggest export earner. One in ten New Zealanders are employed because of the tourism industry, and it is vital in the job-poor North.
"The number of Chinese tourists visiting New Zealand has dropped significantly over the last year because of the global recession and the swine flu pandemic. We need to encourage more tourists to visit New Zealand and the Far North, so we can support our families and friends to make an honest dollar through the opportunities tourism presents.
"We can do that by demonstrating manaakitanga to manuhiri and by speaking out strongly and forcefully against those who disrespect this tikanga," Kelvin Davis said."

You may also be interested in:
4 International tourists (backpackers) robbed at gunpoint at Kerosene Creek

3 Chinese tourists robbed, beaten at knifepoint by men they tried to help

'Anthony Cressend attacked at Northland campsite'
'False image makes visitors vulnerable'

3 Chinese Tourists Robbed, Beaten At Knifepoint By The Men They Tried To Help

from New Zealand Herald 22 August

"Impressions of our country have been shattered"

"Police say three Chinese tourists who were robbed in the Far North at knifepoint by men they had stopped to help yesterday are "stunned and shocked" at the incident.

The attack happened on a stretch of gravel road which runs through Te Paki Reserves and farm land leading to Te Paki Stream and 90 Mile Beach, from State Highway 1F.

Detective Sergeant Trevor Beatson from Kaitaia police said the tourists had been hailed by two Maori men in a maroon coloured station wagon, who claimed they were lost.

When they stopped to help, the touring group was set upon by the two men who assaulted them, produced knives and then demanded money and property. Mr Beatson said.

"It was the worst possible thing that could have happened to them when they went out of their way to help these two men.

"They had come to New Zealand fully believing it was a safe place to holiday and now their holiday and impressions of our country have been shattered....."

Read more here: Chinese tourists robbed at knife point.

This type of crime is not an isolated incident, it comes just weeks after news of French man Antony Cressend's violent attack on a Northland campsite in Ahipara which is approximately 100km south of Te Paki at the foot of 90 Mile Beach.

Also in the news this week - the trial of 4 men for the brutal bashing of two innocent young couples in North Shore, (one couple was Russian) and the attack on teenager Blake Coleman who was scarred for life with a hammer in Palmerston North.

See also blog posts under the catergory: 'Attacks on tourists' and 'NZ not as safe as you think'

2 Bus Crashes, Korean and Chinese Tourists Killed and Injured

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2 bus crashes occurred this morning in the South Island: link for more information

• A Grace Tours bus carrying 13 Korean tourists rolled on the way to Milford Sound on state highway 94, Te Anau Downs. One person was killed and 4 were flown to hospital. The deceased person was later named as Kyungee Park, a Korean national with Australian residency.

• Another bus with 18 Chinese tourists on board rolled near the Highway Cafe in Athol on State Highway 6. 8 people were taken to hospital.

Icy conditions and freezing fog were cited as contributing factors in the crashes.

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