On the West Coast, he just doubled the four day hitching lag time for future tourists thumbing a ride.
In his defence, he later said he was enraged after being abused by local motorists. North Island drivers, he claimed, were more hospitable.
Grey District mayor Tony Kokshoorn lent weight to these claims with a curt appraisal. "We don't want to see him anymore. West Coasters are very receptive to people. Our economy is reliant on tourism and we welcome people from all over the world with open arms but he is a bad apple. Good riddance. Goodbye and don't come back."
The tourist later admitted to stealing a sleeping bag, but still, perhaps Kokshoorn needs to work on his bedside manor, given he's a mayor whose coast is "receptive" and "reliant" on tourism.
Another wayward tourist who made headlines this week was Darius DeWet. And, if the question is why does South Africa not feature prominently in the America's Cup, the 20-year-old provides a few clues.
The Rainbow Nation youngster had gone missing with his 6.7m yacht Luna north of Gisborne after setting sail from Hawke's Bay late last week.
With scant experience, the skipper planned to sail solo to the Hauraki Gulf - with no working comms. When found by authorities, he seemed oblivious to the concerns, yet alone the full-scale search party. It's understood he's been urged to abandon his aspirational journey.
There we have it, a tale of two distinct, but equally colourful tourists. With the latter visitor, I reckon what New Zealand has lost in rescue costs, we've probably gained in translation. I say let him sail on.