Sole man blue after fence removed

LOST SOLES: A fence of jandals at Mauao was been taken down after complaints by the public.PHOTO/JEANNIE OVERALL

The man who created the controversial jandal fence at the base of the Mauao walking track is disappointed complaints led to it being taken down.

The jandal hanger, who only wanted to be identified as Carl, said the removal of the jandals happened last year as well and he could not understand why.

"I have just had a double knee replacement so I need the exercise, so rather than walk up and down aimlessly I walk up and down [the beach] and pick the rubbish up."

Carl, in his 60s, said he stayed at the popular camping ground in Mount Maunganui for three months each summer.

"I find all these lost soles there. It was quite funny, one morning a woman was walking past as I was hanging them on the fence, and said 'oh is this where all the lost souls go'.

"We monitored it quite regularly, the number of people who stopped to pose and take photos and add their own jandals to the fence.

"What a waste, why not put them on the fence up there? Mount Maunganui is a summer place and there is nothing more summery than jandals.

"I was going to try a bra fence, but there was never enough bras on the beach and there is a bra fence [in the South Island], I would have thought that is more offensive than a jandal fence."

Carl said he approached the park ranger who removed the jandals and said he was told they looked "scruffy" and there had been complaints about the fence. "But people walk past and they smile, the hundreds of people who walk past there do love it and think it is a good idea."

There were about 150 jandals on the fence this year. Last year there were 250. Carl said he would start to put more jandals on the fence again this year if he knew council would not take them down.