Firefighters attended another burnt-out car incident on the beach near the Waipaoa River mouth on Sunday. The car was fully involved when they arrived. Photo / Murray Robertson
Firefighters spent several hours on Saturday afternoon putting out a fire in driftwood and grass at Browns Beach at Muriwai.
Fire and Emergency NZ was alerted at 2.15pm.
Crews from the Gisborne brigade, Eastland Fire and Manutuke volunteers were mobilised.
A helicopter with a monsoon bucket was also called in.
“It’s not clear how the fire got started,” a senior firefighter said. “It started near the railway line.”
The fire covered a large area and the crews were there until early evening putting it out.
* Fenz sent an appliance to the mouth of the Waipaoa River early Sunday morning in response to a car fire.
It happened around 2.15am.
“The dumped vehicle was fully involved when the crew arrived and the car was burnt out,” a senior firefighter said.
“Yet another one. There’s been so many of this type of fire recently.”
The car was reportedly stolen. Police were notified.
“One pump and one tanker responded to a beach driftwood fire at the end of Centennial Marine Drive, near the Waipaoa River mouth, about 5.25pm on Sunday. The fire measured about 20 metres by five metres.
* Fire crews from Eastland, Patutahi and Gisborne stations responded to a fire near the Champagne Pools at the Rere rockslide about 1.30pm on Sunday.
The fire covered an area of about 20mx40m and firefighters were on the scene until about 4.20pm.
A pygmy sperm whale stranded on a Gisborne beach on Friday morning was euthanised as it was not well enough to be refloated.
Department of Conservation staff, local iwi members, members of the nearby surf life saving club, about 30 members of the public gathered on Waikanae Beach, near the Ōneroa carpark, on Friday morning to help the animal.
In a statement, DoC operations manager Tairāwhiti Matt Tong said the three-metre whale washed up alive but in poor condition about 9.15am.
“Sadly, considering the best interests of the whale, the decision was made to humanely euthanise it to minimise its suffering as it was not in a condition where it could be successfully refloated,” Tong said.
It was understood members of the public tried to refloat the whale before DoC and iwi members arrived, but it kept returning to the beach, he said.
“This is not the outcome we were hoping for but was the kindest course of action. Euthanasia is always a last resort and is never easy for those involved.”
Tong said it was uncommon for whales to wash up on the beaches around Tūranganui-a-Kiwa, and this whale had created large interest from members of the public.
“We want to thank those who responded to this stranding and offered their help. We also want to mihi to whānau of Rongowhakaata and Ngāti Oneone who led much of the response and tangi processes for this taonga.”
Luxury cruise ship Scenic Eclipse 11 made its maiden visit to Eastland Port on Sunday and went to dock for the day to complete the second cruise ship visit of the season.
Owned and operated by Scenic Yacht Cruises, the impressive ship made quite a sight as it slipped into Turanganui-a-Kiwa Poverty Bay from Tauranga at around 10.30am and docked at Wharf 7 at 11am.
Sea conditions were almost completely calm and the weather was ideal.
The ship, which was built in Croatia, is only a year old, carries a capacity of 228 passengers -186 were on board for the Gisborne visit.
Scenic Eclipse 11 cruises the polar landscapes of east Antarctica. glides through the waters of the South Pacific and Asia, and is equipped with state-of-the-art technology to “deliver unrivalled experiences”, according to its promotional material.
“It sets a new benchmark for ultra-luxury cruising.”
A spokesman for the ship’s agents said Sunday’s visit was a perfect day.
“The passengers who came ashore went for a trip on Wa165 (steam strain), and they went cycling and on walks around the city.”
Scenic Eclipse 11 sailed for Napier at around 10.30pm on Sunday.
The National Geographic Orion returns to Gisborne on Tuesday for the third of 20-plus cruise visits over the season which ends in March.
Gisborne District Council’s Three-Year Recovery Plan has been recognised as the best in local government at the Taituarā (backbone) Community Plan Forum in Auckland.
Gisborne won the 2024 Great Consultation Document competition and placed fourth overall out of 45 councils nationwide for the full 10-year plan document.
The competition, held once every three years, celebrates excellent practice in the design of long-term plan consultation documents.
Council director of engagement and Māori partnerships Anita Reedy Holthausen said in a statement the national accolade highlighted the council’s commitment to delivering meaningful, impactful information to its community.
“It is especially significant given the challenges our region has faced in recent years.
“Our winning document reflects the priorities of our community and ensures our recovery journey aligns with the aspirations and concerns of the people of Tairāwhiti.
“This achievement builds on the council’s success with the What’s the Future Tairāwhiti [WTF] document, which won the Great Consultation Document Competition in 2018.
“This win feels especially meaningful and representative of a strong community partnership and our collective resilience.
“We’re incredibly proud to have developed a document that reflects where our community is in terms of recovery.
“This affirms the value of our ongoing commitment to reflect our community’s voice in everything we do.
“This award is something all of Tairāwhiti can celebrate and we all thank the community for their ongoing engagement.”
Operation Apron uncovered 230,600 cigarettes, 110kg of tobacco smuggled from China.