MOTORCYCLISTS Willhelm Nel and Marais Meyer are schoolfriends from George in South Africa. They were disappointed by what they described as a lack of respect for property. Photo Sigrid Christiansen
Vandals have again ruined the grass at Te Kūiti’s Awakino Hill rest area.
Last Monday, residents woke to find deep tyre marks caused by drivers doing doughnuts at the green space, which overlooks the township and is popular with travellers.
“This is tragic,” said Te Kūiti man Terry Bradley, who lives nearby. He said it had been happening regularly.
He felt “annoyed and disappointed.”
“I didn’t really want to make a big public thing of it, but after so many times [of the drivers] doing it, I thought, eventually, ‘look, they’re not going to stop.’
“They’re going to keep going. Someone’s got to call them to account.
“To showcase what these guys are doing in the name of fun; it’s just destroying our town … it’s just sad they think this is a fun way to spend a night, just to trash something. People think this is entertainment?”
The damage irritated tourists as well as locals.
Motorcyclists Willhelm Nel and Marais Meyer were passing through the town with plans to ride along scenic routes further south.
The King Country News spoke with them as they enjoyed a picnic lunch and took in the views.
The old schoolfriends said they were now New Zealanders but hailed from the South African city of George, five hours from Cape Town.
They did not appreciate seeing the damage.
“It’s sad that people are not having respect for other peoples’ property,” Willhelm said.
“I come from a big city. [I wanted] to escape all the other nonsense in the big city and come to a smaller place; and then you see this.”
Marais agreed.
“I hate it.
“It’s just heartbreaking, really, because it costs the ratepayer money to be able to fix it.
“Well, you don’t have to really fix it.
“You can let it stand like that, but it’s not good.”
Local Terry Bradley wants someone to take action.
“This needs two things: bollards to stop vehicles [driving] on here and police actually impounding some vehicles, when they find out who it is that does it.
“That will stop them doing it. Someone’s got to call them to account.”
Exactly who that someone might be, is not clear.
Waka Kotahi, rather than Waitomo District Council, is responsible for the upkeep of the land.
When this newspaper contacted the national transport agency, they said they prioritised road safety issues in their maintenance programme. They did not plan to install bollards or otherwise protect the rest area lawn.
A member of the community has maintained the rest area for three or four years without payment.
