Terrorising teens force woman out of her home

By MEGAN LACEY in Rotorua
Mud-hurling youngsters have forced a Ngongotaha woman to move out of her home - just three months after she moved in.

Operiana St resident Patricia Freeman is packing up and moving out of her unit, fed up with being tormented by the unruly and foul-mouthed troublemakers.

Attracted to the house because of its peaceful location, she is now afraid of being at home in the afternoons.

According to Ms Freeman, at least 20 children congregate on the path outside her unit each day and throw mud.

"The mud hits like bullets ... I'm quite scared of the whole thing."

Ms Freeman's house, windows, lawn and fence are covered in the hard, dried substance that the youths roll into balls.

Tourists kayaking along the Waiteti Stream have also fallen victim to their mischief.

Ms Freeman said she used to enjoy hearing the children having fun outside. She would even let the smaller children, some aged as young as two, sit on her verandah and watch the older kids play in the stream.

"I got on well with them. I enjoyed the laughter," she said.

But when the school holidays arrived and the weather got warmer, the older kids came on the scene and the harmless fun turned into a nightmare.

More children started hanging out outside from morning to night, yelling, swearing, fighting, pelting mud and smoking cigarettes.

The episodes have been a strain on Ms Freeman both emotionally and financially.

Too afraid to spend nights at her home, she stays in a room at the Waiteti Trout Stream Holiday Park.

Park owner Michael Cairns is aware of the problem and lets her have the room in exchange for duties around the holiday park.

When The Daily Post visited Ms Freeman, two young children were playing in the stream.

When asked why they were not in school, one said he had been expelled and the other said he was playing truant.

Minutes later one of the children took a fish caught by a man fishing on the bank, swore at him, slapped the fish against the fence and threw it back in the lake while the man stood dumbfounded.

Mr Cairns, who also owns the Waiteti Lakeside Lodge, said he had been experiencing the same trouble during the summer period for years.

Last week, a group of British tourists staying at the lodge had mud thrown at them while kayaking down the stream.

"I've had tourists come back in tears. They've had mud flung at them and been tipped out of boats.

"It's a problem that needs to be sorted," he said.

Ngongotaha Community Constable Joe Cairns said he understood the troublemakers had come into Ngongotaha from Western Heights and Koutu.

He said the hot weather sometimes brought in "undesirables" from out of the area.

"They are the ones abusing the residents. They are not from Ngongotaha or Waiteti because most of the locals know those kids.

"They are outsiders coming in and getting a bit bolshy and throwing mud."

Mr Cairns said police would be increasing their patrols in the area. He urged anyone that had problems to contact police immediately.

"We have had a few issues in the past but this is the first I've heard about the latest complaints."

He also suggested residents petition the Rotorua District Council to close the walkway if the problem persisted.

"It would be a pity if that happened because it is such a nice area down there."