WEATHERBOMB

The Day The Te Puru Burst Its Banks;.... An edited version of a story I did for the Coromandel Chronicle
It was a classic weather bomb , thunder lightening, and hours of torrential rain, the like some of this little seaside village had never seen before. In the early hours of the morning on June the 20th 2002 with the tide working against the river it could no longer contain its waters. Full of logs and brown mud just on high tide this once pretty docile little river burst its banks. The water, mud and debris flowed through the roads streets and many properties each individual riverlet making its own way to the sea.

At this stage unbeknown to the Villagers this flood was different from others in that it carried with it the hidden menace of 1080. Weeks before this village had been informed that by DOC that a 1080 drop was taking place in the hills behind the town. Along with of course the normal platitudes about the safety of the Village water supply and with the reassurance that all care would be taken. The Te Puru river is the villagers water supply.

When daylight arrived the locals were out in force inspecting the damage many with their dogs. Gary Masters was walking along the beach when he noticed 30 or 40 stinking hairless carcases which he identified as possums and he established that they had come out of the Te Puru River and had been left behind by the receding tide. Further along the beach Gary found a dog that was squealing like a pig, he did his best to help it but it was almost demented and it broke free and swam out to sea. He never saw the dog until next day when he found it dead under a tree on the same beach. After a search, carrot baits and dead carcases were found on many properties and streets so a trip was made to Thames and then to Hamilton to buy up all the muzzles available.

It was to late for Alan Lowden and his Wives little dog. They saw it eat what the thought was a piece of pumpkin its started yowling and crawled under the house where they couldn't reach him and died many hours later in agony. It was too late for others as well, Grant Smith lost his dog and so did Mr Johansen. These dogs tested positive for 1080 poison and another died at Whakatete Bay that was never tested. With the amount of bait left lying around the town and on peoples properties we a lucky there wasn't a child poisoned as well.

Did these poisoned carcases wash out of the forest and into the towns water supply or as many of us have observed "poisoned animals seek out rivers and streams in their distressed state".
Did all these poisoned baits wash out of the forest and into the stream that was the village water supply or were they dropped into the stream during the aerial drop.

So what has changed since then? Huge stockpiles of 1080 to be used up I believe. While those who have vested interests in promoting 1080 continue to have a louder voice than the anti's, the practice will continue. Some on the forum here make some valid points about the need to control pests, but in my opinion, the end result does not justify the means. Maybe in years to come the 1080 debate will parallel the "agent orange" debacle.
On that note - I got "Dustoff...." for Xmas. Enjoyed the read, and had bought "Hunters and the Hunted" earlier. I should be a bloody expert soon, if only I get off my arse more!!

Right on "lentil" I am glad you enjoyed the read.

Working on a bumper sticker for DOC vehicles.

"1080 HAS NEVER BEEN FOUND IN ANYBODYS WATER SUPPLIES....HONEST"

I did not know about the 1080 after that flood. Intresting but sad reading. That flood was pretty bad. I came there and did a couple of days work following it.

So you didn't drink for a couple of days?:ORLY:

We could do with a weatherbomb now minus the 1080 of course.

This quite an interesting read. Fears for rare birds after 1080 drop | Stuff.co.nz

Bill Wallace is a really nice guy.He takes some amazing pictures of wildlife,but I guess there won't be many pictures from around there.:(

Here is a pic of the 2004 Feb Floods after the weather bomb.Attachment 33165