In the dumps

Bastion Point has a proud history and it is a tourist hot spot. But some people are using it as a tip, writes Valerie Schuler.
Bastion Point is one of Auckland's prime tourist destinations. Hundreds of visitors, cameras in hand, tumble from bus doors to soak up the splendid views of Waitemata Harbour.
But just a few metres  from the  pruned  roses of the Michael Joseph Savage Memorial, lies something more akin to a rubbish tip.
On a Sunday afternoon, the old gun emplacements on the cliff's edge are littered with broken glass, condoms and drug paraphernalia left behind from the night before. Heavily graffitied walls and the stench of urine  add to the dire atmosphere.
Leesa Clarke, who lives at Mission Bay and often visits the lookout, says it is an embarrassment for Auckland.
"It should be cleaned more often, or something should be done to stop people drinking up here. What on earth will visitors think?"
Indeed, the words "revolting and yuck" are not how you'd expect tourists to describe the picturesque views. But  these words echo around the concrete structure. Canadian tourist Kirsten Williams says: "There're these gorgeous views and you turn around to see that revolting mess. It's just not what you'd expect and makes you wonder what goes on here at night."
The Eastern Bays Community Board says it would like to address the problem, but Bastion Point is administered by Ngati Whatua and is out of the board's area of responsibility.
"From what I've heard, it's been like that for a long time," says chairman Colin Davis. "It makes you wonder what kind of message visitors take home. It's a shame, because the rest of Bastion Point is so well looked after."
Although Bastion Point is locked at night, there's nothing stopping people walking up. The gun emplacements can be reached via a grassy bank opposite Tamaki Yacht Club, where "boy racers" often congregate.
Mr Davis says other parts of Tamaki Drive  have become less of a problem since liquor bans were imposed, but   the bans  don't appear to be doing the trick at Bastion Point.
The land is administered by a joint reserves board consisting of four Ngati Whatua and three Auckland City Council representatives. Ngati Whatua look after the gardens and the council is responsible for rubbish and security.
Rubbish bins are cleared daily, as is loose litter throughout the park. But rubbish around the cliff face is cleaned only weekly. "This area is considered a bush and natural area, which has a lower service level than the area of open space," says the manager of parks services, Mark Bowater. The council says there have been no complaints about people drinking at Bastion Point in the  past year.
But Ngati Whatua chairman Grant Hawke says it's been going on for years. "It's been discussed many times. Ideally, we would like to fill the bunkers with concrete and keep the viewing platform, so people can't go in there. But they are historical, so we can't do that."
Mr Hawke, who chairs the reserves board that looks after Bastion Point, says he will raise the issue again. "There must be a new surge of people going up there. Management should take into account keeping the place safe and clean."
The council says it will do a "snapshot" audit of the area near the bunkers and more cleaning will be done, if required.
Past the Point
Bastion Point's gun emplacements were built during the "Russian Scare" of the 1880s to defend the city in case of attack. More gun emplacements were added during World War II.
Michael Joseph Savage Memorial was built in 1941 to commemorate New Zealand's first Labour Prime Minister.
In the 1970s, Bastion Point was the focus of a long Ngati Whatua occupation, protesting against the alienation of Maori land. The significant occupation lasted more than 500 days. The Government returned Bastion Point to Ngati Whatua in 1988.