Rena - Waihi Beach

photo Mike Hill

The media are pretty fickle when it comes to a story - containers and debris on Waihi Beach seemed to be the go for a while there. However once the clean up started and the beach was cleaned up promptly by salvors, the WBOPDC and volunteers the story seems to have died.

The clean up still continues with areas such as Orakawa, Bowentown, Shelley Bay, Matakana Island and Motiti all needing work to be done to get them back to their pristine condition yet the story and Waihi Beach to have fallen off the radar since.

Its amazing what you read and hear about the effect of the containers on Waihi Beach - one news report said Waihi Beach was open again after a week - yet it was only ever closed for 2 hours after the initial containers were washed up on the beach. Within 2 days people were back picnicing and swimming on the beach - yet this received no coverage - it seems good news is not newsworthy.

To find Waihi Beach www.waihibeachlodge.co.nz/map.html