We used to see them all the time: mainly young people, with their thumb out, trying to hitch a ride to the next town.

We called it hitchhiking and kiwis used it to get around their country, and it was a great way for foreign backpackers to see beautiful New Zealand.

I remember as a kid, my parents would regularly pick up hitchhikers around this time of year and I even remember them coming to stay for a day or two at our bach in Opoutere in Coromandel or Te Ngaere Bay in the Bay of Islands as part of their trip.

What a great way to see New Zealand or any country, see it cheaply, and get beyond the usual tourist traps.

But is it just me or don’t we see as many hitchhikers anymore?

Is it because cars are cheaper, either to buy or hire?

Is it because New Zealand is now too dangerous?

Or is it just because Generation Snowflake is too scared?

Or their paranoid parents don’t let them after that murder all those years ago of the two Swedes?

In fact, it does seem it does still happen: a friend of mine had a couple of young Germans to stay over the last few days – a boy and a girl – at the start of their hitchhiking trip around New Zealand.

One of their mums had rung from Germany a couple of months ago and asked if it would be safe, and he didn’t quite know what to say.

In the end, he said it’d be fine, as long as they took precautions – hitchhiked only during daylight hours; accept the ride only if it looked safe; and so on.

Was he right? Is it safe to hitchhike these days? I don’t know why, all my hitchhiking has been overseas, mainly in Mongolia, where I’ve had a fantastic time.  And I’d tell anyone to go hitchhiking around Mongolia. But, weirdly, I reckon I’d hesitate about New Zealand. I don’t know why.

What do you reckon?  And what are your hitchhiking stories, either now, or in the good old days of the 60s, 70s and 80s – or before?

Taking your calls this morning on hitchhiking or anything else on 0800 80 10 80. Or your texts 92 92.