[Timbo]

British couple lose everything in van theft
16 October 2004

A British couple who converted a Toyota Townace into a mobile home for a six-month New Zealand holiday have lost everything to thieves.


Kelly Talbot, 23, and Mark le Moignan, 27, had locked their vehicle and gone to buy a book at K-mart.

When they returned 30 minutes later the van was gone.

They have had to rely on Hamilton's welfare agencies to provide a bed after losing all their possessions.

"All we were left with was $60," Ms Talbot said.

The couple, from the Channel Islands, are hoping security camera footage might identify the thieves.

The couple's surfboards, snowboards, wetsuits, digital video camera, ski passes, clothing, travel documents, photos, address books and food were in the van.

AdvertisementAdvertisementMr le Moignan has also lost his passport.

"We had our life in the van. Those things can't be replaced easily," Ms Talbot said.

The couple bought the van when they arrived in New Zealand in June. They added a bed and storage room and had a new engine fitted. Their plan was to tour the country in the van until November.

But those plans are now in tatters. They plan to stay in Hamilton for a couple more days in the hope some of the stolen items will be found, but will then go to Auckland to stay with a relative.

It's unlikely they will return to New Zealand.

"Everyone in New Zealand has been great," Mr le Moignan said.

"It's a few who have destroyed our party."

He said they had always taken care to make sure the van was locked and the curtains pulled when it was left unattended.

But they had not insured themselves against theft because they did not think it would be necessary.

Ms Talbot hoped someone might have seen their van being broken into and would call police.

The van, licence number WG7307, was stolen about 5pm on Thursday.


A very sad thing to happen anywhere, but just goes to show that there are scum in all corners of the world.

[StevieD]

Tut Tut - not nice is it? But let's put this into perspective.
A van being stolen - probably headline news. Don't get me wrong it is very sad what has happened to these people, but lets compare this to events a bit closer to home. (UK) I'm sure our bretheren in the US will find this all too familiar :(


14 year old girl shot dead travelling home from a fair in a drive by shooting.

Police trying to identify a young mans body that had been shot several times and then set on fire. (I've lost count of the number of shootings here lately :wah )

These are just 2 everyday events in what is becoming a completely lawless country.

The majority of crime now is down to one thing. DRUGS. Halt the drug menace, crime will fall.


I will still try and move to NZ for all of its advantages.

Steve

[Diny]

What a damn awful thing to have happen, I feel sick for that young couple.

It's true what you say about a stolen van versus the shootings in the UK, however, hearing stories like this just proves that indeed scum do exisit in all corners of the world. I know that I am guilty in getting swept away with all the good things our move to NZ will produce, hearing things like this make me realise that the same problems exsist the world over.

Diny

[Timbo]

I agrre that things have to be kept in perspective. The theft of a camper van would not make it into the local press here, let alone the nationals.
I was a little suprised to see that the couple did not have any insurance and also, that they say they probably will not go back to NZ because of what happened.
One event should not cloud judgment to that degree. They should try and put it behind them and find a way to carry on with there travels, if not now, then ASAP.

[veronica]

backpackers vans tend to be targets anyway, They are usually older, easy to break into and start and often have surfstyle clothes, digital cameras, sophisticated portable music equipment, passports in other words lots of saleable/usable goodies. Thats a real shame for them.

[Carol]

Yes it is awful.
But......
no insurance??????

Well........sorry but that was dumb. If it was their life it needed insuring!

We all learn from our mistakes I suppose.
I learned last year that if you leave a laptop vid. camera digi camera and your handbag in a car at Auckland Airport you are going to get robbed.

And yes....this is New Zealand - so thankfully they waited till I'd left the car and didnt shoot me first to get it.

I WAS insured but it was all the stuff on them that I missed most...my work.

Scum are everywhere...........

[Annierobrigado]

oh dear, but aren't those things NORMAL EVERYDAY things in NZ? why is there a need to steal these things? oh shucks, i sound positively geeky. i just cant fathom what goes on in brains of scum like them. you mean even if someone is in the car, and these scum know that that someone has a camera, laptop, etc in the car, they can just shoot away to get those items???

how often do you read about this in new zealand?

annie

[Carol]

not often.

That's why we are here.

but that's not to say it doesnt happen....


http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3068609a10,00.html

[evelien]

Horrible story. But as others said: these things happen everywhere (sadly enough).

We were in NZ last year on a five-week holiday. We went for a boat trip in the Bay of Islands. Made a nice photo of the two of us on top of a hill on one of the islands. To get a nicer picture, lay the bag aside. In it: our cell phone. Not locked or anything. No pre-paid. So anyone could take it and make calls to where-ever they liked on our expenses!

Naturally, forgot bag on hill-top. Discovered loss when we were on our way on the boat. Panic. Captain of boat telephoned to restaurant on island. Indeed, a girl had found the bag with the cell-phone, took it down the hill and left it at the restaurant for the owner to collect it!

Captain was also very nice. At the end of the day he went back to the island especially to pick up phone!

These are the people I love and the reason I want to come to NZ. In Holland this story wouldn't be true, just as in UK I guess.

:?

[veronica]

Another small story that dosen't involve valueables but of helpfulness is some friends of ours filled up with petrol on the way to Arthurs pass. When they stopped to take some photos an hour or so later they realised they had left the petrol cap at the garage. they phoned and the garage man located it and asked around for who was driving that way and the next person who was brought it out to them.

[Timbo]

Priceless!! :clap

[karltsmith]

In the same vein!

My wife and I came out to NZ on holiday in 1996 two years after we were married, to meet my friends and tour NZ. We spent a day at Milford Sound and booked a boat trip on 'The Red Boat'...less commercial than Fullers, smaller and also takes divers out. We stood around for a bit towards the end of the day waiting on the wharf before our trip was about to depart. 10 mins before our departure we turned up at the boat...alone.....no-one else in sight....gulp. First mate asked if we had booked and I said yes. He said "Oh you are the only people that have booked this trip and the last Fullers boat has left for the day......the booking office should have told you to rebook with Fullers...hang on I'll have a word with the captain" Any way he came back almost before he left..."capt says, if you've booked it we're going! I said " but you can't take out a 70' dive boat with only two passengers you'll lose a load of money I can't do that...it's OK really it is" Anyway they wouldn't have it....."Captain says please come aboard we will be depating in 10 minutes once the engines have warmed up" Off we went with a personal guide for a fantastic tour of Milford Sound. It's things like this that mean more than just money and for every bad experience you have it only takes one such event like this to restore your faith in human nature. I am pleased to report I have had many..many...such experiences in NZ!

Karl

[Timbo]

Thats spooky Karl. The same thing happened to us in Whitianga last March. We booked a two hour trip round to Cathedral cove reserve. Booking was made via the tourist info. centre in town. When we turned up at the jetty, we were the only two punters. Shane, the skipper, has kyacked over from his home across the otherside of the estuary, hitched the boat to the 4x4 and launched it just for us. He had even got his guide to come along as well. Although with hindsight, this was probably a health and safety thing.
We had a great 21/2 hour trip, with plenty of friendly banter etc. Shane reckoned he would rather be out on the water regardless of profit.
I do have to say though, that he promply went down in my black book after suggesting a little place to eat. "It`s about a fifteen minute walk" he says........1 hour later and we find the place...closed. We enjoyed the scenery though, and I know his heart was in the right place really.