containers are on the ship and it's estimated that in ideal weather conditions about six will be able to be removed a day. At that rate it will be into the New Year before all containers are off the ship. However, 20 were removed on day two of the container removal process.
Again it is an incredibly difficult task and from one who gets sea sick in a dingy on Tauranga Harbour, I really felt for the guys swinging from a basket, dangling from a crane alongside Rena attempting to remove the first container. They eventually hooked one off and on to the waiting barge Sea Two. One down, 1279 to go. However, I believe there is another larger barge on its way from Singapore that will speed things up.
There was also more good news over the week, this time for our tourism operators.
The majority of our beaches have now been reopened to the public and with the summery weather we have had this week it's good to see people heading back to the beach. Last Saturday morning the Mount cafes were very busy, particularly on Marine Parade. The ocean was like a millpond and there were large groups of boarders out enjoying near-perfect conditions.
It was amazing to think that just a few kilometres off shore lay a 47,000-tonne container ship stranded on a reef with more than 1000 containers on board.
One aspect of the Rena disaster has actually been good for our local economy.
It has brought in large numbers of salvage workers to the area who are booking out our hotels, eating in our restaurants and drinking in our bars.
So from that point of view it has been good for business. It means that the hotels and restaurants are using local suppliers for product, so business is good for many in the food and beverage industry.
The tourism industry is worth $450 million each year to the Western Bay of Plenty economy and employs about 10 per cent of people in the Bay.
More than 3.5 million visitors come to the Western Bay of Plenty each year, many from Waikato, Auckland and the wider Bay of Plenty and we definitely don't want them put off by the recent events.
Our beautiful beaches are just one of the many attractions that draw people to our area. On a summer's morning there is nothing better than a walk around or up Mauao ... just for starters.
We have some fairly major sporting events heading our way soon. The annual Tin Man Triathlon is on the first Sunday of December and draws hundreds of athletes. That's followed on January 8 by the annual Port of Tauranga Half. Both these events are centred in Pilot Bay and are worth a lot of money to our region. Then there are the surf-lifesaving competitions and the annual ocean swim series.
Then there are the cruise ships. Already we have had quite a few visits with many more to come. Those passengers who choose to stay locally just love our region and in particular our beaches and the view from the top of Mauao ... pity we don't have a compass at the top, though.
With Tourism Bay of Plenty mounting a campaign to promote our region over summer we can also help by spreading the word that we are open for business. Thankfully the oil has been recovered, the containers are being removed and the beaches are back to normal.
I know I have said it before in this column, but well done to the hundreds and hundreds of volunteers who painstakingly crawled along the beaches on their hands and knees and helped pick up the tiny particles of oil.
This is the first time volunteers have been asked to help with the clean-up of an oil spill in New Zealand and our beaches certainly reflect the dedication and commitment of those volunteers.
