Many of the plastic ducks were blown ashore at the start of the race. Photo / Ron Burgin
Many of the plastic ducks were blown ashore at the start of the race. Photo / Ron Burgin
People whose feathers were ruffled at the thought of 520 plastic yellow ducks being released into the Hatea River and left to drift in and out on the tide for as long they withstood the elements can relax.
Martin Barry, the organiser of the Whangarei Special Olympics' awareness and fundraisingcampaign on Saturday, said he and other supporters could vouch for the fact that over 500 of the ducks were retrieved on Saturday afternoon and Sunday. The wind conditions and a receding tide meant most of the plastic ducks were washed on to banks as soon as they were released near the Whangarei Aquatic Centre.
Mr Barry said he had cleared the drop with Northland Regional Council and Whangarei District Council staff before the event.
He later spent hours wading and crawling through the mud and mangroves picking up stranded ducks.
Mr Barry said he had cuts and bruises on his hands, legs and feet to prove the bright yellow attention seekers were less harmful than the cans, bottles and other rubbish along the Hatea River bank.
A fleet of small craft and people wielding nets from the river banks also helped gather up ducks that stayed afloat.
Punters had paid $5 to back their duck to be the first past the Town Basin. The gimmick raised $2200 towards getting the 38-member local Special Olympics team to the games in Dunedin in late November.
