A drunk Australian woman who allegedly bashed her travel companion at a Bannockburn camping ground left her victim stranded then flew to Queensland - just 40 minutes before police issued a border alert.
Constable Craig Gibson, of Queenstown, said the women, both from Capabala, in Queensland, were intoxicated after drinking at the camping ground early on Sunday.
About 7am, the argument turned physical and the 40-year-old woman assaulted her 59-year-old companion, he said.
The pair then reconciled and began driving to Queenstown, the next destination on their itinerary.
At 8am, about halfway through the trip, the younger woman stopped the car in the middle of the Kawarau Gorge and ordered the victim out, leaving her "on the side of the road with her suitcase", Const Gibson said.
The younger woman then sped back to Christchurch in the pair's rental car and caught a plane to Australia at 3.15pm on Sunday - just 40 minutes before police had issued a border alert on her.
In the meantime, the victim hitchhiked to Queenstown, where she contacted police and was immediately treated in hospital for facial injuries "consistent with a fairly severe beating ... bruises and lacerations consistent with a reasonably serious assault," Const Gibson said.
After receiving victim support counselling and a night's accommodation in Queenstown, the victim flew back to Australia yesterday morning.
Const Gibson said the assault did not meet the threshold for extradition but the offender's elderly father lived in Central Otago, meaning there was a strong possibility she would come back to New Zealand.
"We have all the necessary details to form a strong prosecution against the offender and we'll be waiting for her if she tries to come through the New Zealand border," he said.
