Jaunted - Christchurch

New Zealand's Safe, Isn't It?

amandak — 2008-04-18T10:00:01-05:00

Our usual mentions of the New Zealand city of Christchurch are about half-naked women riding motorbikes through the streets. Since that sounds somehow inviting, at least for male travelers, we're a little distressed to hear the latest news of out of Christchurch: Tourists with accents sometimes get picked on.

Last weekend, a group of Danish and English tourists got more than heckled--a bunch of local men beat them up, after teasing them by saying "They speak funny, they sound funny." Given how amusing the New Zealand accent itself sounds, it's a real pot calling the kettle black situation here, but tell that to the poor tourists who ended up in hospital.

In the otherwise peaceful town of Christchurch, it was definitely a surprise event, and the locals are definitely worried that their reputation as a safe place to travel is getting tarnished. If it gets worse we'll all need to learn Kiwi English before our next trip.

Related Stories:
· Tourists' Alleged Attackers Bailed [stuff.co.nz]
· Mixed Reviews on Bike Boobs [Jaunted]
· New Zealand Travel Stories [Jaunted]

[Photo: superciliousness]

Mixed Reviews on Bike Boobs

amandak — 2007-03-06T09:45:01-05:00

The fallout from the weekend's Boobs on Bikes parade in Christchurch, New Zealand, is all over the local papers there. And most of it's bad news.

First off, there are the school boys who skipped school to catch a glimpse of some nice breasts but got caught when they wound up in a photo on the front page of the local paper. One student eloquently said "It was worth it," while a grandmother of one of the boys added "They were not taking drugs or robbing banks." True.

But sadly the word on the streets is that the boys didn't really get to see much, anyway. Said several Christchurch men: "There were not enough girls and it was all over too soon." Apparently there were a few topless men, too, but the thousands of male onlookers weren't interested. Come on, Christchurch: if you're going to give us Boobs on Bikes, give us plenty of 'em.

[Photo: David Hallett/The Press]

Related Stories:
· Truants Caught at Boobs on Bikes [MSN]
· Crowds Less Than Titillated by Boobs on Bikes [Newstalk Auckland]
· Boobs on Bikes hit Christchurch [The Press]
· Boobs on Bikes Ride Again [Jaunted]

Boobs on Bikes Ride Again

amandak — 2007-02-27T10:34:27-05:00

Seems like those Kiwis just can't get enough of a good thing. It was only last August that the first Boobs on Bikes parade had some 30 porn stars (naked, of course) riding motorbikes around Auckland's city center, all to promote the Erotica Lifestyles Expo.

Now it's Christchurch's turn and Cathedral Square is the location for Friday's Boobs on Bikes. There have (again) been a number of complaints, but it seems that riding naked on a motorcycle is not illegal, and the parade needs no council approval because it's labeled "promotional" rather than "official." Police can only intervene if there's a "breach of the peace." That's possible if around 100,000 onlookers--the number who watched the breasts roll by in Auckland--get too excited.

[Photo: wonderferret]

Related Stories:
· Christchurch Police Urged to Stop Boobs on Bikes [Stuff NZ]
· NZ Appreciates the Human Form [Jaunted]