KEY POINTS:
English honeymooners Steve and Katie Whiting should be enjoying the sights of Rotorua today.
Instead, the couple are considering cutting their honeymoon short and returning home to Devon after their belongings were stolen from their campervan in Auckland yesterday.
The jetlagged couple, who arrived in New Zealand on
Monday, were robbed less than an hour after they picked up their campervan for a three-week North Island honeymoon.
Mr Whiting said they decided to stop at Foodtown Downtown to get some groceries before heading south to Rotorua at about 12.30pm yesterday.
They parked in the underground carpark, as advised by the hire company, and spent about half an hour in the supermarket.
When they returned to the carpark things appeared normal until Mr Whiting unlocked the door and found their bags gone.
"I opened the door and there was a total look of amazement on my face," said Mr Whiting. "I looked at Kate and said 'where did you put our luggage?'."
"I was like 'God, where's it gone?'."
The stolen bags contained all their clothing, toiletries, books and presents for friends whom they planned to meet up with later in their honeymoon.
There were no telltale signs of a break-in. None of the windows were broken and the doors were still locked. While the couple still have their passports and travel insurance, they say it has put a dampener on what should have been a "trip of a lifetime".
"You get crime in any part of the world, we know that, but you read about New Zealand and it's all so great and wonderful," said Mrs Whiting.
Her views on New Zealand have changed and the couple are considering returning home, saying they are fearful that they might be robbed again if they continue on their journey.
Downtown Senior Sergeant Ben Offner said this was the third time tourists who had stopped to buy groceries had been targeted since Christmas, and it was an embarrassment to all New Zealanders. He is appealing to anyone with information to contact police.
In this case Mr Offner said there was little the Whitings could have done any different. But theft from cars was a big problem in Auckland City, and in many cases there were things that could be done to deter thieves.
In particular, items of value - such as GPS, laptops, sunglasses and CDs, should never be left on the seats where thieves can see them.
Mr Offner said people should remove valuable items from the car or place them in the boot, and always park in well-lit areas, preferably where there are security cameras or guards and lots of people about.