Quirky jandal fence should stay - opinion

LOST SOLES: A fence of jandals at Mauao has been taken down after complaints by the public. PHOTO/JEANNIE OVERALL

Jandals are an iconic part of summer life in the Bay. I don't know where I would be without mine.

They are a staple of my summer wardrobe and seem suitable for most summer occasions and activities.

I must say, the people who complained about the fence need better things to do with their time.

Anita Moran

It seems only logical that we pay tribute to our humble jandals.

At some point during the festive season rows of odd, worn jandals were attached with cable ties to a fence at the top of the ramp leading to the start of the uphill track and base track on Mauao.

However, the fence of jandals lining the entrance to Mauao's walking tracks had been removed after complaints from the public.

According to Tauranga City Council park ranger Mark Ray, some people saw the fence as rubbish rather than a tribute to our beautiful summer and our iconic footwear.

After cutting the jandals down, Mr Ray had two bags "chock-a- block" full.

I must say, the people who complained about the fence need better things to do with their time.

Here in New Zealand we are quite fond of fences adorned with strange items.

After doing some searching on the net, I came across a website which stated: "in New Zealand, attaching large collections of everyday objects to fences is something of a national obsession".

Wanaka has its bra fence where women leave their underwear, Pakowhai in Hawke's Bay has its shoe fence where people can trade their shoes, even our neighbours in Rotorua have a fence lined with hubcaps which have been found on the side of the road.

There are several famous fences around the world, with one of the most iconic being the padlock fence in Paris.

Couples go out of their way to visit the attraction, fasten a padlock to the fence and throw away the key.

I'm not suggesting that our jandal fence could have turned into an attraction, but it certainly would have been a talking point among locals and visitors.

Mount Maunganui resident Jeannie Overall said she was disappointed the fence had been taken down, seeing it as classic kiwiana. "We invented the jandal, so it's iconic."

I agree. Sometimes we need a little bit of quirkiness to brighten our day, and this could have been it.