Australian Magazine Recalls Hitchhiking Issue After Backpacker’s Murder

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.”