Inspirational: Letters, 30 December

The Bay of Plenty Times welcomes letters and comments from readers. Here you can read the letters we have published in your newspaper today.

Our cruise shuttle had to stop

This is in response to the photo of cruise passengers boarding public transport.

The photo shows these people boarding a tour of the town, for which $25 is being charged. The Princess Line also transports people to the city for $15. Other shipping lines don't operate any service for their passengers.

We at Fancy That and Indigenous Trails have provided the free shopping shuttle for all the cruise ship passengers to the Tauranga central business district for the past three years.

This year we have been forced to cease this service because of council and its controlled organisations.

We would like the public to understand that this directive came from council CEO, who has been totally unreasonable at the only time he has been approached to assist with the continuation of our free shuttle service.

It has been suggested that if we were to charge for the service and give Tourism Bay of Plenty 10 per cent commission, the council would be happy to support the service through the i-Site on the port.

We have contacted Mayor Stuart Crosby to no avail.

It appears the council are protecting the i-Site's 10 per cent commission and will go to any extreme to avoid competition when they should be helping businesses succeed.

D J CAMPBELL, Tauranga

Intolerant 'fitties'

I am visiting Tauranga currently and taking every opportunity to climb Mauao.

Thank you for strategically placing seating so that old codgers like me can rest frequently.

I really appreciate all those friendly people who say hello and offer encouraging words to me.

I have survived a quadruple bypass and a valve replacement and use a walking stick, so must look like a cot-case to others.

I note also that many of the "fitties" are not so friendly and look disparagingly at me.

My message to them is: Remember us in 50 years' time.

I do hope that they can climb better than I can then.

Do remember that many of us may not have run up and down mountains, but be sure as hell have carried heavy packs up and down many mountains in former, fitter times.

PS: Thank you, Tauranga, also for those beautiful mosaics around the central business district.

TONY FISHER, Lower Hutt

Inspirational boys

Two brothers, one mum - how inspirational (December 24.)

The Robinson brothers, Jackson, 11, and Henry, 16, how motivational are you guys.

To donate your Christmas money plus a week's wages, $260, to the SPCA which was desperate for help was something to admire and a lesson for a lot of us.

After a year of complaints about the Mount Hot Pools' 40-year-old corroded pipes needing replacement, when more restoration work was required, and extended time by six weeks and still complaints when completed, Jackson and Henry you showed us what life was really about and that too many of us complain about very little that really does not hinder our lifestyle.

Many of us should think what it would be like to be living in parts of Christchurch.

How strong are those people.

The Mount is paradise, even if we have leaky apartments and an old pool that required repair.

These boys have shown there is a way over every problem and probably would say "pool administration, well done under difficult circumstances".

Ms Robinson, you described your boys' generosity as "pretty cool".

Pat yourself on the back, too, because you are also "pretty cool" - you raised these boys.

R STEWART, Mount Maunganui