Suspected to happen in the early hours of Saturday night, among the graffiti are two large tags as well as a verbal shot at Sigley; Find your own wall please, thanks!
Michelle Sigley's mural was defaced over the weekend. Photo / Supplied
She thinks she will have to white wall over the graffiti and then start it all over again, pushing back the estimated finishing date to around February.
"The worst thing is because it is writing you have to cover it with many layers. I was hoping to have it finished before Christmas, but that won't happen."
She said the mural represented the connection between land and sea through the Whanganui River.
"The hands and the rope represent the river, with this side (the whale) representing the whale and the other side representing the inland nature."
A kahawai, kingfisher, stingray and another whale are set to fill the top half of the wall.
With all the building owner supporting and providing painting supplies for the mural, Sigley was unsure why someone felt the need to deface the project.
"I know they are disgruntled because I'm painting over what was there before, but that has nothing to do with me."
She said it was frustrating that a lot of time and effort doing a community service could be ruined so quickly, but said it wouldn't stop her.
"The amount of people sticking up for them is ridiculous. It hasn't fully put me off. You get flack for doing anything."
Sigley anticipates it will cost an extra $500 and a number of weeks to correct and finish the mural.
