Idyllic New Zealand

“The photos show breathtaking scenery, but as is often the case there may be some risk attached.

2 news articles from New Zealand in the last week bring this to mind.

1. We have a thread on the person who froze in the NH White Mountains this Winter; - contrast that with the 10 people who have died climbing in ONE National Park in NZ to understand that mountaineering always has a toll in lives.


Aussie climber 10th to die in national park in 4 months

31.03.2004
An Australian climber is dead after falling more than 1000m down Aoraki-Mt Cook yesterday.
The 22-year-old was one of a party of four men - two Australians, a Swede and a Briton - who were attempting to climb the east face of the mountain.
They were standing above the Summit Rocks about 8.30am discussing their climb to the summit 300m above when the man either tripped or slipped, said Constable Brett Simon of Twizel police.
They were not roped together.
"It was one of those tragedies of climbing," Mr Simon said. "They had a good level of experience and were not pushing it."
The trio intended climbing down to the man, but were advised by police not to do so as it was too dangerous.
A search and rescue team flew into the area and located the body about 10.45am.
Wind and cloud, as well as the altitude, meant the helicopter could not pick up the survivors from where the accident occurred.
The three climbed down the Linda Glacier until weather conditions improved enough for them to be airlifted out mid-afternoon.
The Australian's death is the 10th in the national park in four months.
A 27-year-old Romanian man died on Mt Cook last month after falling 200m from the Upper Linda Glacier.
Two New Zealanders and two Australians died in an avalanche on Mt Tasman on December 31.
Four Latvian climbers were killed on Mt Cook on December 10.
Yesterday, the coroner reviewing the Latvians' deaths said that had the group been wearing helmets some of them might have survived.
The four, including a father and his daughter, perished after they plunged 300m while climbing down the Linda Glacier.
Timaru coroner Edgar Bradley said there were two accidents that afternoon, the first when one of the Latvians, who was climbing alone, fell and slid down the shelf.
The second happened when one of the other three climbers was struck by failing rock or ice and pulled the others, who were roped to him, off the mountain.
- NZPA
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The other story is not of death, but crime in a country that is noted for friendly people.
Not Iraq or Pakistan, New Zealand.

............tough girls !!
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Tourists attacked at scenic spot

02.04.2004
By CLAIRE TREVETT
For their first night in New Zealand, American tourists Patrick Dykstra and Kelsey McGinley thought they would be safe sleeping in their car at the idyllic Whangarei Falls.
They were not to know that the waterfall, a popular spot for tourists, is a notorious troublespot - but they soon found out.
The 24-year-olds were woken by at least four people, including two teenagers, punched to the ground, kicked and then chased as they ran across fields to escape.
Their car was later ransacked.
The pair had come to New Zealand after travelling round Australia and were hoping for adventure.
They arrived in Whangarei about 10pm and decided to sleep in their rental car.
About 11.30pm, their sleep was interrupted by banging on the outside of the car.
They got out, thinking someone needed help, but were immediately attacked by a group of people, who punched and kicked them.
Police believed the attackers may also have used a bottle.
Mr Dykstra and Mr McGinley began to run across the sections separating the scenic reserve from a residential area, with some of the group in pursuit.
Mr Dykstra became caught trying to scale a barbed-wire fence and was beaten again.
Mr McGinley made it to a house and called police.
The beating left Mr Dykstra in hospital overnight. He was discharged with stitches in a large gash to his head, five stitches in his hand, bruising and several other cuts.
Yesterday, still in his hospital gown, he was ruing the decision not to find a backpackers' lodge. Mr Dykstra said they had no inkling they might be unsafe.
"We were surprised, certainly. We didn't expect anything like this, or we wouldn't have been sleeping in the car.
"We just assumed because New Zealand has such a big backpacker culture that it was safe, so we thought the waterfalls was an all-right place to sleep. We didn't think twice."
The New Zealand tour was an extension to their travels in Australia, where Mr Dykstra is based, studying law in Cairns.
Mr McGinley, a home renovator, had flown over to join him from their hometown in Kansas. Both were hoping New Zealand would offer up adventure and looked forward to surfing, tramping, scuba diving and blackwater rafting.
The beating had soured the visit.
Mr Dykstra said he had heard New Zealand was "beautiful, with lots of scenery and nice people".
"It's pretty disappointing. Everybody was nice in Australia and we were excited about coming over.
"I can't surf with this cut in my toe. I can't hike or do blackwater rafting. I can't do anything in water."
Several people had heard of their plight and rang to offer places to stay. Whangarei police booked the pair into a hotel and were sorting out another car.
A 33-year-old man and 36-year-old woman were remanded in custody and two teenage girls, aged 17 and 14, were given bail in the Whangarei District Court yesterday. All will re-appear on April 22 for a pre-depositions hearing.
Police were still looking for anyone else involved in the attack.
Whangarei Falls has long been a target for car thieves. Signs in the carpark warn people to take valuables with them and security cameras have been installed.
Last month, an Australian couple had everything stolen from their car after leaving it in the carpark for 10 minutes.
A German couple met with the same fate on the same day. In January, some tourists from Britain had their backpacks stolen from their car.
Three days later, a Dutch man interrupted a teenager who was breaking into his car.”