If the borer had not been holding hands, the old dojo, the former home of the Dannevirke Judo Club, would have fallen down years ago, a local contractor believes.
The sports club has relocated and Tararua District Council levelled the site to allow for the sale of land with a rural outlook, behind the now empty camping ground manager's house on Christian St.
"There's not a lot of substance to the old place," contractor Ernie Christison said. "Just half a dozen hits and it was all over. The only materials we were able to recycle was some of the roofing iron and some totara corbels."
Built of totara and rimu, much of the timber was borer-ridden.
With a new relocatable manager's house sited amongst the camping spots and cabins at the lower Domain, the council has put the previous home and the additional section on the market. Now the old dojo has gone, tenders can be called for the picturesque building spot.
