Who tramped 20km to vandalise a hut with swastikas?
Police are investigating the “senseless” and “sickening” vandalism of a restored backcountry hut on the West Coast, which was smashed up and daubed with swastikas.
Kirwans Hut, near Reefton, is only accessible via a 20km journey along an advanced level tramping track and had been restored last year by volunteers.
The Department of Conservation (DOC) reported the vandalism to police after being alerted to it by a hut visitor in January.
Paint that had been stored on site was used to paint swastikas on the roof, external walls, water tank and toilet. The toilet was also broken, guttering smashed, the boardwalk broken and a “general mess” was made inside.
DOC Western South Island operations director Mark Davies said the damage was senseless, sickening and extremely disappointing for DOC, the Backcountry Trust, which upgraded the hut, and trampers using the facility.
“The Backcountry Trust reroofed Kirwans last year as one of their Jobs for Nature projects. Four people did the work over four days with around 200 hours of labour in total. I know the team was particularly proud of how well the hut came up through their efforts,” Davies said.
“Kirwans is a popular hut and used a lot over summer. Our DOC team put in a great deal of effort in the lead-up to Christmas to ensure it was accessible.”
Not only will repairing the damage be costly, but it will take rangers away from other essential work as they clear it up, he added.
Kirwans Hut sits on a 40km advanced tramping loop in Victoria Forest Park, which takes an estimated two to three days to complete.
The DOC website states: “The walk up to Kirwans Hut is one of New Zealand's classic overnight tramps... There are some incredible historic relics to be seen in this area including the Kirwans Reward mine, an aerial ropeway and the Lord Brassey stamper battery. The well-formed track up to the hut was originally hand crafted by miners.”
Reacting to pictures of the damage posted on social media, one Reefton local commented: “I am freaking furious at this stupidity! ... If you have any info please pass it on this is not OK and should not be tolerated.”
Police asked anyone with any information about the vandalism to call them on 105 or go online to 105.police.govt.nz and cite case file number: 240116/7979.
Kirwans Hut remained open and all facilities were usable.
Poll: Should we be giving the green light to new mining projects? 💰🌲
The Environmental Protection Authority announced this week that a proposed mine in Central Otago (near Cromwell) is about to enter its fast-track assessment process. A final decision could come within six months, and if it’s approved, construction might start as early as mid-2026.
We want to know: Should mining projects like this move ahead?
Keen to dig deeper? Mike White has the scoop.
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53.4% Yes
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46.6% No
A riddle to start the festive season 🌲🎁🌟
I'm a fruit. If you take away my first letter, I'm a crime. If you take away my first two letters, I'm an animal. If you take away my first and last letter, I'm a form of music. What am I?
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post if you know the answer and the big reveal will be posted in the comments at 2pm on the day!
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Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
‘Tis the season to not get scammed ...
As Christmas gift shopping moves increasingly online, scammers are ramping up their activity across the country.
Dunedin’s Investigation Support Unit is seeing more and more people fall victim to scams and other fraudulent activity, particularly on Facebook Marketplace.
There are a few ways to avoid the scams and keep yourself safe doing online trades this holiday season, says Southern District Service Delivery Manager Senior Sergeant Dalton.
🔒 “A good first step when looking to purchase something on Marketplace is to check when the seller’s Facebook profile was created. If it’s very recent, there is a higher risk that they have just created this account for a one-off fake item.”
🔒 Another important step is to make sure the seller’s profile name and bank account name match up. “We’re seeing a lot of scammers claiming their bank account name is different because it belongs to their partner or family member - that’s a huge red flag."
🔒 “When you’re selling, never trust a screenshot anyone sends you showing that payment has been made. Check your own bank account to make sure a payment has gone through."
🔒 “Quite frankly, it’s best for all parties to agree to pay, or be paid, for items in cash and in-person. Ideally in a public place with CCTV coverage."
🔒 "If you’re buying a car, check Carjam.co.nz to see if it’s stolen or if there’s money owed on it.”
A reminder: Suspicious activity can be reported on 105
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