Hello to all
Sadly here in Auckland, New Zealand we have had a case of a British woman by the name of Grace Millane, Essex, UK, go missing and not return to the hostel she was staying at.
Would it please be possible for us all, including that of Airbnb itself, to remind the wider community and Guests wherever you are travelling and staying of the importance to communicate and let others, including your Hosts, know where you are going, who you are meeting up with and who you are staying with where possible and when you will be home.
Families, loved ones, friends and Hosts do care and worry about you all.
Meanwhile those who have family and friends travelling please take comfort knowing there are private homes and places they are welcome to stay where they can stay that are affordable and feel safe wherever they plan to travel to.
Thoughts are with all of you who have lost loved ones who have gone missing.
Who is Grace Millane? British backpacker missing in Auckland Author NZ Herald , Section National, Publish Date Friday, 7 December 2018, 10:25a.m.
She was on the trip of a lifetime, now the world is holding its breath as mystery unfolds into the disappearance of the British backpacker in New Zealand.
Grace Millane was last seen on Saturday night in downtown Auckland, the day before her 22nd birthday.
Her family raised the alarm two days later after she stopped responding to their messages. Prior to then she had been in contact daily.
The "bubbly", "outgoing" artist and advertising graduate from Essex, in the southeast of England, was travelling solo for the first time.
Her brother Michael told the Herald she was six weeks into a year-long overseas adventure.
She started her trip in South America, spending four weeks travelling as part of a group itinerary.
A month ago she hiked with the group to the Inca citadel Machu Picchu in Peru.
Once she arrived in New Zealand about two weeks ago she travelled around the upper North Island.
Can someone tell me how to pack for a year away please???— MillaneGrace (@MillaneGrace) October 22, 2018
Just last month she visited Cape Reinga with a group of fellow travellers.
Back in Auckland, Millane was booked into Base Backpackers until December 8.
The last known image of Grace Millane, taken at 7.15pm on Saturday night at SkyCity in Auckland's CBD. Photo / File
Prior to starting her OE, Millane graduated from the University of Lincoln in September with a Bachelor of Advertising and Marketing.
She described herself as having a "real passion for advertising".
At university she was vice-captain of the hockey team.
In 2016 Millane spent three months as a lifeguard at Camp America Spruce Lake in Pennsylvania.
She was also a talented artist, and in 2015 had one of her pieces exhibited in the London Mall Student exhibition.
Her millionaire property developer father David Millane is due to touch down in Auckland today as fears for his daughter's safety continue to grow.
New Zealand Police had been in "contact constantly" with the family, her brother Michael Millane said.
She was due to spend another two weeks in the country.
Michael said he was not sure of her travel plans in New Zealand, but he knew she had a flexible itinerary to travel around most of the country.
Grace Millane graduated from the University of Lincoln in September with a Bachelor of Advertising and Marketing. Photo / Supplied
While she was travelling alone, Michael said she had made a lot of friends.
"It is a really hard situation for the family at the moment," he said.
Millane's disappearance has the world watching, with headlines in dozens of media outlets from the UK, Europe, the United States and more.
A post by her brother had been shared on social media almost 40,000 times.
Missing British backpacker Grace Millane was six weeks into a year-long overseas trip of a lifetime. Photo / Supplied
Thousands of other posts have been shared on social media pleading for information about her, and people have been tweeting under the hash tag #helpfindgrace.
UK charity the Lucie Blackman Trust, which supports British victims overseas, had taken on the case for the family.
The charity had put out an "urgent appeal" for any information about Millane.
Police yesterday released a new photograph showing the last known sighting of Millane.
The blurry image - taken from CCTV security footage - showed the young woman dressed in a black dress and white shoes, with her brown hair down.
The image was captured on Saturday night, about 7.15pm, in downtown Auckland near SkyCity, police said.
It is the last time anyone has seen Millane, Detective Inspector Scott Beard said.
"Her family member is coming out - obviously, they're distraught. They're on the other side of the world and they haven't heard from her."
Beard said there was no evidence of foul play at this stage and police were speaking with people at the backpackers Millane was staying at - including those she was with on Saturday night.
A post put out by Grace Millane's brother Michael, after she failed to respond to their messages. Photo / Supplied
He would not confirm what was left at the room, but said her belongings remained there.
Millane, who has been in New Zealand for about two weeks, has travelled to the Bay of Islands since arriving.
She was due to leave New Zealand in about two weeks, police said.
More than 20 police staff are on the case, he said.
Police would not comment on her bank account or cellphone activity.
"The longer this goes on, the more worrying it is. At this stage we're hopeful we will find Grace."
Beard said they were still trying to get in touch with a number of people she had been with on Saturday night.
Anyone with sightings or information about this case is encouraged to contact Auckland City Police on 09 302 6557.
Grace's body was found yesterday afternoon at the Waitakere Ranges.
We have had the most lightening strikes and rain during the time that she would have been left there which is an abhorrent act to do to anyone.
The offender has appeared in Court this morning and due to our Laws has applied for name suppression despite the fact that the Judge ordered it not to be granted.
Quite frankly, I have serious concerns as to whether the creep who did this has also undertaken other offences to other backpackers and people in general who have the right to know who he is so they to can be able to report what they may have been subjected to.
He lived in Queen Street where there are a number of hostels and may well be other people he has targeted and committed offences against that may not yet have been reported.
Please bring this to the attention of anyone you know who has stayed or frequented the area
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12174120
A judge has addressed the grieving family of slain British backpacker Grace Millane, saying "your grief must be desperate".
And the accused was labelled a "scumbag" by a person in the public gallery as he appeared before the court for the first time.
The 26-year-old appeared in Auckland District Court after the discovery of Millane's body yesterday in the Waitakere Ranges
He walked into the dock at the Auckland District Court today wearing a blue boiler suit.
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The Millane family was in court for this appearance.
Judge Evangelos Thomas started the hearing by addressing the family.
"All of us hope that justice for Grace is fair and swift and ultimately brings you some peace," Judge Thomas said at the outset of the hearing.
"That will not be happening today. There will be no judgment today."
He said there would be a number of procedural issues which would need to dealt with.
More than a dozen members of the press were also in court for the hearing, including several journalists from British television news stations and newspapers.
The public gallery was filled with dozens of people for the appearance.
The man's lawyer, Ian Brookie, said: "A lot has happened in the last two days."
He sought interim name suppression for his client based on fair trial rights, which was opposed by police, the Millane family and the press.
Judge Thomas declined the application for name suppression, however, Brookie instantly appealed the decision which automatically imposes a 20 working day suppression under New Zealand law.
Brookie added he has had "very limited disclosure" of evidence from police.
The barrister also opposed the several applications from the world's media to film the accused.
Judge Thomas told the defendant: "As you will know the allegations that you face and the background to them have been the source of much media coverage over the last eight or nine days.
"This is your first appearance, there are a number of media here wishing to cover the hearing."
The judge said the opening principle was for open justice and granted the media applications.
"If you do go to trial it will be some time away, a lot of water will have passed under the bridge."
Judge Thomas also said the man, who did not apply for bail, was going to be a "high-risk remand prisoner".
Judge Thomas remanded him in custody without plea to the High Court on January 23.
As we expected, there's always a poor, poor me upbringing lurking in the background that had to come out in the media sooner or later in relation to the offender, HOWEVER, it's totally unacceptable to blame one's upbringing when millions of others across the globe have equally as challenging upbringings and do NOT commit crime or stoop the lowest of lows and murder people.
The man accused of murdering British backpacker Grace Millane was estranged from his family, according to his grandfather.
The 26-year-old was arrested and charged last week with the murder of Millane, 22, whose disappearance sparked a huge police hunt, which culminated in her body being found in Auckland's Waitakere Ranges on Sunday.
The man appeared at Auckland District Court on Monday, where he was granted interim name suppression.
The accused's grandfather said he was struggling to comes to terms with what his grandson had been accused of.
He told Stuff he helped raise him when he was a boy for a time.
His father and mother split up when he was young and he "helped bring him up because his father wasn't in a settled relationship", the grandfather said.
The 26-year-old was best man at his grandfather's wedding when he remarried about a decade ago.
The accused "loved his sport" but in more recent times he'd been "at a bit of a loose end".
"He was a nice kid, but he sort of fell out with everybody, which is what happens with broken up marriages."
His grandfather had loaned him a couple of hundred dollars in mid 2016, which he didn't pay back. The family hadn't heard much from him since.
He added he was worried about how the allegations against his grandson would affect the wider family and declined to comment further.
A female relative of the accused, who would not be named, said he'd spent time living in Australia, where his mother lived.
