By STEPHEN COOK
Ten days ago Sandra Sheene arrived in New Zealand in search of a better life for her and her family. She didn't receive the warm welcome she expected.
Within four hours of arriving at Auckland Airport, the English nurse and her two daughters Gemma, 8, and Hanna, 5, were burgled.
Mrs Sheene lost $9500 cash, passports, credit cards, cellphones and jewellery valued at around $1500. Worse, the burglary shattered the illusion of the country sold to her in travel brochures.
The opportunistic burglar struck while Mrs Sheene and her two daughters were taking a nap. Thinking her handbag would be safe in the lounge of her Howick home, she retired to the bedroom. On waking, she discovered her bag was gone. She had been asleep for only one hour.
"I couldn't believe it. This was the last thing I would have expected. I always thought I would be safe here."
Mrs Sheene suspects the burglar entered the house through the unlocked back door, saw the bag, grabbed it and took off.
While the bag, passports and credit cards were recovered a day later in Manukau, the money, cellphones and jewellery were gone.
"I've lost a lot of money - money that was to be for essential household items," said Mrs Sheene. "It's just very sad, but I suppose that is the way things are going, even here in New Zealand."
Herald Feature: Battling burglary
Bitter welcome: a migrant's story
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