Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

Overseas tourist in Northland offering cash reward for return of items

Imran Ali
By Imran Ali
Multimedia Journalist·Northern Advocate·
15 Jul, 2019 10:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

This motorhome hired by British tourist Robin Crowther-Smith was broken into and his laptop and passport stolen. Photo/Supplied

This motorhome hired by British tourist Robin Crowther-Smith was broken into and his laptop and passport stolen. Photo/Supplied

A British tourist had to cut short his week-long holiday in Northland after his rented motorhome was broken into and prized valuables stolen within 24 hours of his arrival.

Robin Crowther-Smith is offering a cash reward for information leading to the safe return of his laptop and passport that were stolen from the Arai Te Uru Recreational Reserve, south head of the Hokianga Harbour.

"Both of these items are priceless to me both personally and professionally, losing years of work and sentimental material on the computer,'' he said.

"And without a passport I will likely be unable to travel to two close friends' weddings in Spain next month.

"I am desperate to retrieve these items and I'm appealing to the good people of the area to help. We've been blown away by the kindness we've received since and my faith in these people has led me to ask you in the area directly."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Crowther-Smith and a friend flew into Auckland on July 7 and drove up to Whangārei in their rented motorhome.

The next morning, both went to the Waipoua Forest then on to Opononi where they stopped and went for a walk.

Upon their return 20 to 30 minutes later, Crowther-Smith said they saw the passenger's window smashed and discovered a rock inside the motorhome.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

His navy blue rucksack containing his British passport and a silver MacBook Pro 13 inch laptop was stolen.

He works as a script editor for a children's TV programme and said his laptop contained a lot of stuff he'd dearly love to get back.

Crowther-Smith said they secured the motorhome despite signs there were CCTV cameras where they parked the vehicle.

The friends planned to head north and explore Ninety Mile Beach and Cape Reinga later that day but were forced to cut their Northland holiday short and instead hire a rental car and head to Hawke's Bay and Wellington.

Discover more

Early rubbish dumping causes pig problems in Far North

15 Jul 08:00 PM

Northland news in brief: Harbour fatality named; farmer banned from owning cows

15 Jul 06:30 PM

Northland iwi's taonga returns after 38,000km journey

15 Jul 07:00 PM

He was to have picked up emergency travel documents from the British High Commission in Wellington yesterday afternoon and will leave New Zealand as planned on Thursday.

It was his first visit to the country and said Northland was the place he looked forward to exploring the most.

"We were blown away by how beautiful Northland is and how lovely people are. They were so kind, generous and welcoming... we were humbled.

"It's my first holiday in a long time so it's quite hard to take. The stolen items are completely useless to anybody but they are priceless to me and I am prepared to offer a cash reward for their safe return," he said.

Kaikohe police confirmed a report has been lodged but no arrests made so far.

Any information on the stolen items can be passed on to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or to Crowther-Smith on 0044 77531 90751 or robincrowthersmith@outlook.com.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

Premium
Opinion

Joe Bennett: Hungarian barman shares fears for future

04 Jul 05:00 PM
Northern Advocate

'Major concern': 200 children lack safe beds in Northland

04 Jul 05:00 PM
Opinion

Why being physically active is good for student learning – John Wansbone

04 Jul 05:00 PM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northern Advocate

Premium
Joe Bennett: Hungarian barman shares fears for future

Joe Bennett: Hungarian barman shares fears for future

04 Jul 05:00 PM

I visited Budapest last in the 1980s when it was under communist rule.

McKay leads Samoa's green transport with solar-powered electric catamarans

McKay leads Samoa's green transport with solar-powered electric catamarans

04 Jul 05:00 PM
'Major concern': 200 children lack safe beds in Northland

'Major concern': 200 children lack safe beds in Northland

04 Jul 05:00 PM
Why being physically active is good for student learning – John Wansbone

Why being physically active is good for student learning – John Wansbone

04 Jul 05:00 PM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP