Mysterious kiwifruit wash up on Pāpāmoa Beach

Many kiwifruit washed up on Pāpāmoa Beach.

People walking along Pāpāmoa Beach were met with a fruity mystery today when they discovered hundreds of kiwifruit strewn along the sand.

A beachgoer at Pāpāmoa East said she was surprised to find kiwifruit find strewn across the high tide mark this morning.

She found about 40 kiwifruit in a 20-metre radius, and said it was like that across a large area of the beach.

“It appears to be a recent event, as some of the kiwifruit are still in good condition.

“They vary in size from quite large to very small. None of the kiwifruit have stickers on them. It’s a mystery.”

Many kiwifruit mysteriously washed up on Pāmāmoa Beach.

The kiwifruit harvest does traditionally not start until the end of next month.

A Bay of Plenty Regional Council spokesperson said the council did not have any reports about the kiwifruit and as it wasn’t technically pollution it wouldn’t expect to get any.

Last month, Zespri warned growers in a letter that kiwifruit quality had worsened, and they could be in for a $35 million-plus hit due to “much worse” fruit quality than what was expected in the season’s final shipments.

Zespri’s concern about New Zealand fruit quality has been growing in recent seasons, as severe labour shortages in the sector and weather events continue to take a toll.

The fruity find comes after devastating weather lashed the region causing slips in Maungatapu where a house on Egret Ave was destroyed.

It also caused damage to Tauranga Domain after contractors dismantled the stage and equipment from the cancelled One Love Festival.

A train was also derailed and a bridge was washed out, both in Te Puke.