Bounce is back at Maunu Primary School after stolen trampoline returned

Maunu Primary School students from left, Nikhil Supershad, Emma Bradley, Oliver Teale, Aayden Mitchell, Shaye Johnston, Taj Roberts and Reanna Stratton with Deputy Principal Claire Turton.

The bounce has been restored to Maunu Primary School playground with the return of a trampoline mat and springs.

Thieves took the mat and springs overnight on Sunday leaving staff and students in disbelieve and then anger that someone would steal from their community.

Students at the Whangārei school were left peering into an empty hole where the sunken tramp has been for at least 20 years providing students with playground memories.

But an appeal for the return of the gear through the Northern Advocate may have been enough to prick somebody's conscience.

One of the first students arriving for school yesterdayspotted the neatly folded mat and springs in a box just outside the school in the bus bay on Maunu Rd about 7.30am.

School caretaker Adrian Lamb has reassembled the trampoline and reinstalled it in place at Maunu Primary School. Photo/ John Stone

The student alerted caretaker Adrian Lamb who was surprised with the return.

He got to work and had the trampoline back in action for the lunch break much to the delight of students.

Emma Bradley said she had learnt the real meaning of "You don't know what you have until it's gone".

"We really appreciate what we've got here now. It looks like someone has owned up and brought it back after seeing how unhappy we were," Emma said.

For Aayden Mitchell the return of the trampoline was making her feel "really happy".

And Oliver Teale who said it was just wrong to steal from kids was glad someone had owned up and returned their trampoline.

"They might have seen the paper and actually felt bad."

Deputy Principal Claire Turton said the trampoline was custom-built so the tramp mat and springs would have been unlikely to fit a standard trampoline.