Napier’s Park Island fairy garden vandalised on first day of school holidays

“Trolls” invaded a fairy garden in Napier’s Park Island only hours after it had appeared, but the actions of bystanders and visiting children have kept the magic alive.

Vandals threw two fairy houses in the creek on the first day of the school holidays. They were two of about 20 structures built by members of Napier Menzshed and set up around the park for families to find.

Napier Menzshed secretary Ross Girvan with a fairy house that was tossed into the stream by vandals on the first day of the school holidays. It has since been relocated and nailed down. Photo / Paul Taylor

The installation will run for the school holidays from April 13 to April 28.

Jon Barrett, Napier Menzshed manager, said he was not upset, just disappointed and it was a shame some children could have missed out on the fairy garden because of the actions of others.

“Within two hours of opening there were reports of a couple [of fairy houses] floating down the creek,” Barrett said.

Fortunately, Napier Menzshed had made extra fairy houses - just in case - and they could quickly be set up again in different locations.

Unlike the other fairy buildings, the structures thrown into the creek had not been nailed down, but they had since been relocated and secured.

“It’s unfortunate, but this sort of thing happens,” Barrett said.

Vandals threw two fairy houses in a creek on the first day of the school holidays, two of about 20 structures built by members of Napier Menzshed. Photo / Napier Menzshed

“The trolls were lucky the fairies didn’t come out of their houses and throw them into the stream. They would have been a little indignant.”

Heartbreakingly, he said this kind of event could be discouraging for the volunteers who made them. Some members of Napier Menzshed were in their 80s and 90s and it wasn’t always easy for them to get out and set up the houses again.

Bystanders rolled up their trousers to help save the Park Island fairy houses from the creek after vandals threw them in. Photo / Napier Menzshed

Barrett acknowledged the actions of bystanders, including children, who got involved to help.

“We were buoyed by those people who rolled up their trousers and got into the stream to save the fairy houses,” he said.

“A lady got her children to paint rocks with hearts and place them outside the fairy houses.”

Jon Barrett and others at Menzshed encouraged children to get involved by painting pinecones or rocks and placing them around the fairy garden. Photo / Napier Menzshed

He said he and the others at Menzshed encouraged other kids to get involved in similar ways, for example by painting pinecones so members could enjoy the little surprises while showing their grandchildren around.

“That’s why we do it, it’s for the kids.”

James Pocock joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2021 and writes breaking news and features, with a focus on environment, local government and post-cyclone issues in the region. He has a keen interest in finding the bigger picture in research and making it more accessible to audiences. He lives in Napier. james.pocock@nzme.co.nz