Advice for protecting my belongings?
Sep 17, 2017, 7:24 pm
#16
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Wellington, NZ
Posts: 31
I think the advice you've already been given covers it mostly, but if you end up leaving your gear in the car you don't want it to look like a tourists car, they are prime pickings for would be thieves. A dirty hi-vis vest, a pair of work boots and a couple scrunched up McDonalds bags on the back seat/floor of a car instantly moves it down the appeal ladder several rungs. Urban camoflage.
Store everything in the boot/trunk, and remove anything obvious marking it as a rental car from the interior.
Parking by the hostel will increase the risk, so additional camouflage as mentioned above will help.
Sep 17, 2017, 8:02 pm
#17
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Portland OR Double Emerald (QF and AA), DL PM/MM, Starwood Plat
Posts: 19,589
Tourists do get targeted for the obvious reasons (unlikely to return to testify in court, and more likely to have high-value stuff to steal). Hardly unique to NZ. Even the tourist crime rate is quite low compared to US or most of Europe.