Waimarama Beach is a busy place in summer. There's no room for vehicles in the mix of people relaxing, swimming and simply enjoying a day out. Photo / NZME
Waimarama Beach is a busy place in summer. There's no room for vehicles in the mix of people relaxing, swimming and simply enjoying a day out. Photo / NZME
Feet are fine but it's time for tyres to get off the sand.
For years camping at Haumoana was a family tradition. Six blissful weeks of sleeping in a tent while the sea lulled me to sleep, swimming and roaming the beach.
There were a few vehicles onthe beach, but Haumoana Beach wasn't the sandy drawcard that Waimarama and Ocean beaches are today.
Also back then, not every man and his dog had a quad bike or a motorbike. They certainly didn't have 4-wheel-drives and the Holdens and Valiants of the day were not built for beach driving.
Waimarama-based Hastings District councillors Sophie Spears and Bayden Barber are calling for something to be done about the number of vehicles on the beach.
I think vehicles should be permanently banned from all beaches.
Kiwis love the beach. Not just in summer either. Winter walks along the beachfront are good for the soul.
Come summer, a day at the beach is, for many families, a frequent day trip.
It's doesn't cost anything to get in, there's room for the kids to play and the stunning Pacific Ocean to swim in.
The last thing parents or caregivers need is to be on constant alert for vehicles hooning up and down the beach. An outing to the beach is meant to be relaxing. The only smells should be the briny and maybe some fish 'n' chips, not petrol or diesel fumes.
Children don't play on the roads because they know the roads are a place for vehicles and bikers, so drivers should not be playing in their vehicles on the beach.
There will be a beach driving ban in front of Waimarama surf from Labour Weekend until April 1.
Linda Hall is assistant editor at Hawke's Bay Today.
Why not extend the ban to cover the entire beach and all other beaches in the region?
There will be people who get themselves in a tizzy about a ban of course. People who don't like being told what they can and can't do no matter what the consequences might be.
However, the majority of people would respect the ban and understand why it was in place.
Unfortunately, as a council spokesperson said in Gianina Schwanecke's story in yesterday's paper, changing bylaws is complex and requires consultation with the community "which all takes time".
Surprise, surprise — many things to do with the council takes time.
Let's just hope time doesn't run out for a beachgoer this summer.
