UPDATED 5.08pm: A French hitchhiker who admitted damaging a road sign and stealing a $1000 sleeping bag has agreed to cough up four-thousand dollars for his wrongs and leave the country. 

LISTEN ABOVE: NZ Herald reporter Kurt Bayer speaks to Larry Williams

27-year-old Cedric Claude Rene Rault-Verpre has appeared at Christchurch District Court.

At his appearance, he admitted shoplifting a sleeping bag, worth $1000, from an Auckland Kathmandu store on September 9.

He admitted throwing a stone at a road sign at Punakaiki after becoming frustrated at being unable to hitch a ride, but disputed causing three-thousand dollars worth of damage to the sign.

Judge Brian Callaghan had remanded him on bail until October 4 for a disputed facts hearing at Christchurch District Court.

However, after meeting with the his lawyer, the Frenchman agreed to pay the money so he could bid the country adieu.

Outside court earlier in the week, Rault-Verpre said in an outburst that made international headlines that New Zealand should be renamed "Nazi Zealand".

Rault-Verpre's disastrous four-day wait for a lift out of Punakaiki landed him in court.

Motorists have spoken of their shock after being allegedly abused by Rault-Verpre during his attempts to hitchhike out of the small West Coast town.

His epic West Coast meltdown appears out of character for the globe-trotting traveller, who hails from Villeneuve-Loubet in the south of France.

His profile on social networking site Couchsurfing.com is full of positive encounters with people who have put him up, including several Kiwis during his New Zealand stay.

He's variously described as being tidy, friendly, and talkative. All of his 80 references are positive. He lists 73 countries that he has visited, including New Zealand.

But he told his new host that he thinks some Kiwis are racist.

"In the North Island he was fine. But he reckons down here they're odd and racist. He was angry he couldn't get a ride but was shocked when he was told to go back to where he came from," the man told Fairfax.

Rault-Verpre is reported as being surprised at how his story has gone global and thinks it is a "joke".

The owner of the damaged signs, Fulton Hogan, is seeking $3000 reparation, an amount Rault-Verpre is disputing.

A replacement for the major sign at the entrance to Punakaiki was being ordered and would be installed in coming weeks.

A police spokeswoman said people should not hitchhike or accept rides from people they don't know.

"If you do decide to hitchhike, police strongly advise you not to travel alone."

-Additional reporting by Kurt Bayer of the NZ Herald