A father has described being pushed twice during a family outing in North Hagley Park, saying his wife recalled the other man telling them to “go back to your country”.

The man told chrislynchmedia.com he was visiting the cherry blossoms with his wife and their 15-month-old son on Saturday when the incident unfolded.

“As parents, it is very upsetting to think that something like this could happen while we were simply spending time together as a family in a public park,” he said.

Police are investigating the alleged assault, and Hagley Golf Club has condemned reports of racist behaviour towards a family.

The father said their son had toddled a short distance onto the grass, and his wife went to bring him back while he waited with the pram between the golf course and the cherry blossoms.

He noticed a man yelling and running towards him.

“There had been no prior interaction or argument between us. At first, I thought he might have been yelling at somebody behind me, so I looked behind me, but there was nobody there.”

He said the man stopped some distance away but continued yelling and swearing, warning that they could be hit on the golf course.

His wife then told him the man had initially shouted at her when she went to retrieve their son.

A short time later, the father said he approached the man as he walked past, wanting to explain that their toddler had simply wandered onto the grass and his wife had gone to bring him back.

“As soon as I said, ‘Hey bro,’ he slammed his golf equipment onto the ground. He began screaming at the top of his voice and charged towards me, pushing me.”

The father said he stood his ground when the man came towards him again, and the man continued swearing and threatening him.

“He then gave me a very forceful second push, which caused a significant and sudden movement of my neck.”

He said his wife most clearly recalled the words “go back to your country” during the confrontation.

“I felt that the comment was directed at us because of our background, and it made the experience even more disturbing.”

People came over from the cherry blossom area and spoke up in response to the man’s behaviour, he said.

“Everything happened very suddenly. I was shocked that this had happened while I was simply out spending time with my wife and young child.”

He said a local radio presenter and another man checked on the family afterwards, but he was too shaken to think about collecting contact details.

The father said he photographed the man after the confrontation and had supplied photographs and video to police through their evidence portal.

He said the investigating officer had told him efforts were underway to identify the man.

The father had previously undergone cervical disc replacement surgery in October 2025 following an earlier neck injury, making the sudden movement of his neck particularly concerning.

He said his doctor had assessed his symptoms as a whiplash-type injury and discussed the psychological impact of the incident. He had been advised to take anti-inflammatory medication and monitor his symptoms.

“At this stage, I do not want to speculate about the extent of the injury until I have been properly assessed.”

In a statement on Facebook, Hagley Golf Club condemned the reported behaviour.

“Hagley Golf Club is upset at reports of racist behaviour towards a family on our golf course.”

The club said its executive committee would not tolerate such behaviour and was working to investigate, identify the person responsible and take steps to trespass them from the course.

Police confirmed they received a report about 1.45pm on Saturday, September 12, concerning an alleged assault a short time earlier in which one person allegedly pushed another twice.

Police said the reported circumstances surrounding the alleged assault had been recorded and were being followed up. Enquiries remained ongoing.

The father said he wanted the person involved identified and dealt with appropriately. He also hoped speaking publicly would encourage others, including immigrants, to speak up about threatening or discriminatory behaviour.

“New Zealand is our home, and I want my family to feel safe here.

“No family should have to experience this kind of physical aggression or hostility because of where someone comes from.”