Waimea Weekly
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Wednesday 11 June 2014
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Vigilante attacks bike tracks A vigilante who is wrecking mountainbike tracks in the Richmond Hills as revenge for blocking a small section of walking track, is putting riders at risk and needs to stop before there is a serious injury. The damage started after Easter and has continued since then with jumps and ramps being destroyed and logs being placed across tracks creating serious hazards for mountainbikers. Nelson Mountainbike Club member Mike Brien, who is helping the Tasman District Council build
a network of tracks in the Richmond Hills, says one of the jumps was destroyed three times leaving two metal waratahs exposed and pointing upwards. “If a rider approached that jump and saw something was wrong and hit the brakes at speed they could go over the handle bars and impale themselves. Someone is going to get seriously injured if this doesn’t stop.” Mike says a number of other jumps and a see-saw have also been repeatedly damaged and some of the logs that have been
dragged onto the tracks have been placed on blind corners or where riders are travelling at speed creating a very real danger. The vandalism appears to be retaliation directed at mountainbikers after they cleared a tree that had blown down across a mountainbike track and put some of the wood onto an adjacent walking track. The person has left two notes pinned on trees beside the damaged jumps and ramps saying: “Mountainbikers, you cleared your pathway but blocked our walkway. Doesn’t
make for good relationships. Do the right thing and unblock our walkway. Shame on you.” Mike says he has posted his own notes, directed at the person responsible for the damage, saying “can we talk about this” but he hasn’t heard back. The land is owned by the Tasman District Council and is a shared-user area and Mike wants to encourage a good working relationship between mountainbikers and walkers.
Aussie declares love for NZ
Kevin Cross is about as much of a Nelsonian as you’re likely to get he’s lived here since 1972, been a police officer in Nelson for 21 years, donated his time to various charity groups and raised his child here. But the Australian born-and-raised real estate agent has taken delight in winding up his Kiwi mates at every opportunity over the past 40 years. “I always support the Wallabies against the All Blacks and I’ve often been told to be careful or I’ll get deported,” he jokes. But today Kevin will have to hand in his dirty yellow jumper and buy himself a shiny black one because he’ll swear allegiance to his adopted country and become a New Zealand citizen. He says he’s decided to do it because Nelson is his home, although he reckons he hasn’t had too much support from his friends. “I’ve probably got 379 people who have tried to discourage me and who have tried to send me back. But I am proud to become a kiwi. I’m looking forward to it.”
SOON-TO-BE-KIWI: Aussie real estate agent Kevin Cross is finally becoming a Kiwi citizen after 40 years of living in the region. He says one of the benefits is that his mates won’t be able to threaten him with deportation any more. Photo: Simon Bloomberg.
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