Volunteers restore vandalised Moanataiari lookout

Vandals trashed a new lookout in Moanataiari, snapping the picnic seats, scrawling graffiti, and toppling mānuka trees, but within days, the Thames Environmental Alliance had already rallied to repair the damage.
Daniel Miller was alerted to the vandalism on September 28, and believed it occurred the day before. He said it was frustrating to find such “senseless vandalism” of a project built through hard work and enjoyed by the community.
“It wasn’t just done on a whim either,” he said. “The table was solidly built and would have taken considerable effort to smash.”
When Daniel arrived at the lookout to scope out the damage, he found all four picnic seat planks snapped and thrown down the hill. The table top had also been graffitied with marker and burn marks; a number of mānuka trees next to the table had been pushed over; and a water container left to water the plants had been emptied and thrown down the hill.
A fence at the car park had also been pushed over.
But despite the extent of the damage, repairs began almost immediately.
A community member – who wishes to remain anonymous – donated the materials needed to fix the table, and on October 8, Daniel – who has been driving the Thames Environmental Alliance’s Moanataiari track project – hauled them up to the lookout and completed the repair.
The project started one year ago with volunteers clearing the entrance to the Moanataiari Link Track.
Overgrown with tree privet, tradescantia, morning glory, honeysuckle and more, the group removed rubbish and weeds, spreading thick mulch, and planting.
The track has since been officially handed over to the Department of Conservation, which has installed signposts and a boot washing station.
“We encourage everyone to enjoy and respect the area, keeping it tidy and free of litter,” Daniel said. “We plan to have more working bees in future to continue our weed control work and native planting – anyone interested in helping out can sign up for updates on our website and follow us on Facebook.”
The lookout can be accessed from either the end of Moanataiari Creek Road (at the mountain bike track carpark) or Waiotahi Road (via the Waiotahi Track).
DETAILS: If anyone has information about this or any other vandalism incidents they can contact the TEA on its website www.tea.org.nz or email cuppa@tea.org.nz