Thirty volunteer collected an estimated 4 cubic metres of rubbish, much of it recyclable, from the roadside between Te Haumi and Opua. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Thirty volunteer collected an estimated 4 cubic metres of rubbish, much of it recyclable, from the roadside between Te Haumi and Opua. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Thirty volunteers from all over the Bay of Islands gave up Saturday morning to pick up bottles, cans, fast food wrappers, coffee cups and car parts, much of it flung out the windows of cars along State Highway 11.
The clean-up, organised by Bay Beach Clean, targeted 6km of highwaybetween Te Haumi and the Opua turnoff and netted an estimated 4cu m of rubbish in less than two hours.
Most of the trash found could have been taken to a recycling station without charge.
The volunteer clean-up followed a public outcry over the state of SH11 sparked by a first-time visitor's impressions on social media and revelations that contractors' clean-ups had been suspended over health and safety concerns.
Twelve-year-old Larsyn Kempthorne, of Kerikeri, finds part of a car in the bush near Opua. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Kerikeri's Jess Adams and sons Aryc, 10, and Larsyn, 12, at work on SH11 near Opua. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Jeffrey Reihana of Waitangi brought music to the clean-up and a yoke to carry the mountains of rubbish he pulled out of the bush. Photo / Peter de Graaf
"Zero waste granny" Jane Banfield of Paihia at work in the gorse. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Mandy Cowie of Kawakawa makes sure she can be seen by passing traffic. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Off-duty police officer Rob Drummond of Kerikeri finds yet another beer bottle. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Abby Hight of Haruru Falls, left, and Adelaide Proctor-Bennett of Opua. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Amanda McClelland (Paihia) helps Adelaide Proctor-Bennett (Opua) up a roadside bank near Te Haumi. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Clean-up volunteers, from left, Michele Ashby (Oromahoe), Robin Harper (Opua), Bob Glen (Haruru Falls) and Debbie Pakinga (Paihia). Photo / Peter de Graaf
Thirty volunteer collected an estimated 4 cubic metres of rubbish, much of it recyclable, from the roadside between Te Haumi and Opua. Photo / Peter de Graaf