Frenchman throws epic tantrum during hitchhike

A French hitchhiker who flew into a rage after spending four days unsuccessfully trying to thumb a ride out of a small New Zealand town pleaded guilty to criminal damage on Tuesday.

Cedric Claude Rene Rault-Verpre admitted destroying road signs out of frustration at being stranded in the South Island tourist destination of Punakaiki for so long.

Bemused locals in the tiny settlement of less than 100 people accused the tourist of acting like a "spoiled millennial".