Estuary edge tidied
Volunteers from the Christchurch Yacht Club and members of the Avon Heathcote Ihutai Estuary Trust (AHIET) recently joined the city's Coastal Park Ranger team to remove a huge variety of old lumps of concrete, bits of brick and general rubble from the shores of the estuary between the Mt Pleasant Yacht Club and the causeway across McCormacks Bay.
The morning's work around low tide was a success, with the team of 14 volunteers removing 14 tonnes of rock. Wheelbarrows and a 4WD were used but plenty of heavy lifting and carrying was also needed. In some cases, pyramid-building techniques were used, with people hauling on ropes to drag some of the larger boulders to the road edge for later removal.
The offending rubble appears to have come mainly from old road or tramway construction material, with the larger rocks being brought to the surface and rolled out by fishermen looking for bait.
Dubbed the Rocky Rubble Roundup, the event was a response to safety concerns about rocks damaging craft and injuring people using the estuary for water sports and recreation.
The estuary trust, Christchurch yacht clubs and other estuary users are pleased that this dangerous material has been removed. It has made the area safer, improved the look and made it better for wildlife.
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