Richard Moore: People who litter are rubbish

100 per cent Pure. That's the slogan that's meant to grab overseas visitor interest and boost New Zealand tourism.

Well, I reckon that's 100 per cent Pure Bollocks and here are three examples - all only a short drive from where I live.

Recently I went down to have a cycle around the roads near the Kaituna Cut. It is a lovely little spot by the river and when it's whitebaiting season the place is usually choc-a-bloc.

It was a warm sunny day and what was I greeted by as I drove in to the parking area? Was it a clean, green bucolic scene? Nup, it was half a truckload of household rubbish that had been dumped there.

Some ratbag was too lazy, and cheap, to take the goods to the Te Maunga station and instead decided the side of the road was good enough to dispose of his garbage.

Whoever you are, you should be ashamed, although the chances of that type of person feeling embarrassed about anything are pretty low - just like them.

In the same area was a waterway that stank to high-heaven.

I could smell the stream and stopped to take pictures.

The waters were dark and looked dead. The pong of cow effluent was eye-watering. I'm sure it had nothing to do with the large sheds set back off the road aways, but if any council officer passes that way ...

Then, on Good Friday, I was strolling down Papamoa Beach enjoying the sunshine and the sound of the waves when I saw the worst collection of abandoned bottles, cans and rubbish I've seen in my eight years walking along the sands.

There were dozens of the things. Many of the bottles were broken and just left in the dunes, and wood was still smoking from where they had a fire.

Interestingly this must have been the leftovers from a party that the police broke up.

It seems two mothers had thought it okay to buy alcohol for their little darlings and a group of friends, aged between 14 and 16, and allow them to party at night on the beach.

The police turned up, seized the booze and sent the messy beasts on their way.

Now the mothers, and I do use that term very loosely, were given a bit of a talking to by the folk in blue about their irresponsibility and providing drink to minors.

Anyway, while those women should have their parents' licences revoked, another couple and their kids showed there are still decent people around.

Well done to Megan, Dave, Yasmin and Veda who took time out from their family walk to collect all the rubbish left by the teen ratbags on the beach and put it into a pile for easier collection.

Their efforts also made the beach safer as the broken bottles were a big danger to not only people, but also dogs being walked down there.

I reckon we need a littering and dumping blitz in our area.

I get fed up with seeing people dropping rubbish out of their car windows at the Arataki shops and mindlessly dropping cigarette butts or papers near the shops. For goodness sake, you pigs, there is a bin only metres away. Ignorant adults make for ignorant kids who think nothing of unwrapping an iceblock or lolly and dropping the wrapper on the ground.

They'd likely be the first to say they are proud to be Kiwis, but if that was the case then surely they wouldn't pollute their country?

A month-long crackdown with instant fines from both the police and council by-laws officers would be the way to go.

I WANT to thank the good folk at Metlifecare Greenwood Park for the chance to speak to their residents about the Rena and show them my digital exhibition of the disaster.

Many of the residents are not able to get out much and it was a pleasure to let them see what had happened and answer their questions.

Also it is a good reminder to me that some of our best minds reside within elderly heads and we can learn a lot by listening a little to them.

richard@richardmoore.com