Seats which mysteriously appeared on footpaths in central Whangarei yesterday were being removed by the Whangarei District Council - but not without acknowledgement that someone went to considerable trouble to provide pedestrians with places to rest their legs.
The council was removing five pairs of seats, from the junction of Bank St and Rust Ave, the Bank and Water Sts intersection, the Potter Home, Bank St, the Whangarei Club on Rust Ave, and outside Eco Solutions, Bank St.
The seats, which looked like ones from a bus, had been fitted to metal stands securely fastened to traffic light standards or other permanent roadside poles and attached to the footpath with nailed clips. Signs on them said: "Love it here."
Nicole Jones tried the seats at the Bank St-Rust Ave junction and said they might be better to use in summer than in winter rain. Hannah Mitchell and Sonya Seutter enjoyed the novelty at the corner of the Bank and Water Sts. But council community services department manager Owen Thomas said access was blocked at traffic lights for pedestrians and the disabled.
The council didn't know who put them there. He said residents keen to do such "creative" things should see the council so it could be done safely.