Australian Magazine Recalls Hitchhiking Issue After Backpacker’s Murder

by Shabana

Australian backpacking magazine Tourist and Traveler (TNT) has been forced to reprint this month’s edition. The reason? It contains a plug for hitchhiking in New Zealand, and the timing couldn’t be worse. On September 20, German tourist Birgit Bauer was murdered while on a hitchhiking holiday in New Zealand.

Brauer was stabbed to death in Oakura, after accepting a ride from Michael Wallace. Wallace has since been sentenced to life in prison with a no parole period of 18 years.

The magazine article was headlined “Thumbs Up – A Hitchhiker’s Guide to NZ.” In the wake of the murder, the magazine felt it had to re-examine the appropriateness of the travel information, and didn’t want to leave readers with a “false sense of security.”

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About the Author

Tim Shey
May 31st, 2011

It is tragic that Birgit Bauer was killed while hitchhiking. I have never hitchhiked in New Zealand, but I have heard that New Zealand is one of the best places on the planet to hitchhike.

I have been hitchhiking the United States for most of the last 15 years. I have met a lot of great people on the road. I had a book published in 2008: “High Plains Drifter: A Hitchhiking Journey Across America” (120 pages).