Offers of help overwhelm robbed French pair

French backpackers Floriane Lesourd and Anna-Ael Mordelet. Photo / Steven McNicholl

Two French tourists who had their van stolen outside an Auckland supermarket have been overwhelmed by the generosity of Kiwis wanting to help.

The Herald has been inundated with phonecalls and emails from people from all over the country offering money, accommodation, flights and vehicles to the two women.

Anna-Ael Mordelet, 29, and Floriane Lesourd, 28, from Rennes, in Brittany, who are in New Zealand on working holiday visas, had their Ford Econovan stolen from Scotland St, near the New World supermarket in Freemans Bay, just after 4pm on Saturday, January 28.

Apart from the van, which they owned, Ms Mordelet and Ms Lesourd also lost $1500 in cash each, their clothes, passports, sleeping bags and cameras. They had hidden the money - earnings from working as waitresses - in the van while they popped into the supermarket for supplies. The women, who are staying at a backpackers hostel, now have to go to Wellington to get new passports.

Offers of help have poured in since the Herald ran a story about the women's plight yesterday. All emails and details have been forwarded to the women.

Ms Mordelet said they could not believe so many people wanted to help them. "It's just incredible for us ... thank you so much!"

Readers were touched by the women's story, with many feeling that the theft would put New Zealand in a bad light internationally.

One reader wrote: "I think we're all sick of reading these stories. How crazy that a campervan can be stolen from a supermarket carpark. I guess we will need security cameras everywhere to deter this type of criminality. It's terrible for the country.

"I'd be happy to pay for their flights down to Wellington. Just drop me a line and I can book them. No acknowledgment necessary."

The Herald also received a telephone call from a North Shore pensioner who said her house was "nothing flash" but she would be happy to put the women up.

A Wellington man said he owned a house in Auckland that Ms Mordelet and Ms Lesourd could stay in.

He would also lend them a car to drive to Wellington, where they could stay with him while they sorted out their passports. He even offered to take them to the French Embassy, which was near his house. staff reporter