It was a worrisome weekend for the manager of a Wairoa motor camp as one of her guests vanished without a trace.
"We were worried sick," said Riverside motor camp manager Sharron Solomon, after a guest at the camp disappeared without explanation, leaving behind his belongings. Hastings resident Richard Neil Palmer was due to check out of the Riverside motor camp at 10am yesterday morning after booking two nights. "He didn't check out, his stuff was still in his room and it didn't look like he'd slept in there," Mrs Solomon said. "He'd disappeared, so I rang the police."
Mrs Palmer reported her guest as missing and spent the day wondering what had become of the 50-something cycling enthusiast. "He's a really nice man," Mrs Solomon said. "I was quite sick over it. We all were."
Unbeknown to Mrs Solomon, Mr Palmer had ridden his push bike to Gisborne. On his return journey, Mr Palmer suffered a punctured tyre and was forced to hitchhike 20km back to Gisborne and check into another motel for the night.
Wairoa police were asking for information from the public with regard to the curious case of the vanishing traveller when he turned up last night - wet and tired, but unharmed.