An unholy plague of pesky rabbits have been cleared from a historic Northland graveyard after their numbers started threatening the safety of visitors and the graves.
Northland Regional Council biosecurity officers have come to the aid of Ngawha's historic St Michael's Church. Its graveyard was being significantly damaged by large numbers of burrowing rabbits.
Ngawha man James Edmonds contacted the regional council in desperation after rabbit numbers built to a point where they were threatening the safety of visitors and the graves themselves.
Mr Edmonds - whose parents and grandparents are buried at the church - said during the past 10-12 months a rabbit infestation got to the point where dozens of deep rabbit holes dotted the graveyard at the historic 19th century church.
Both the church and its graveyard were built to commemorate the July 1845 Battle of Ohaeawai and subsequent making of peace, and the area is the final resting place of many local Maori and European.