Every cloud has a silver lining

Ahipara-based tour company Sand Safaris lost one of its buses on 90 Mile Beach on Tuesday afternoon but at least one presumably local person saw a silver lining.

As the low tide turned and sweeps began reaching the bus late in the day, he emerged from the vehicle, clutching something in one hand. Asked by Houhora's resident police officer, Senior Constable Tracee Knowler, what he had helped himself to he replied, "Just a sandwich."

The bus came to grief as it was heading south from a trip to Cape Reinga, apparently hitting a deep hole below rocks immediately north of The Bluff.

The driver and passengers disembarked unharmed and were delivered to Kaitaia aboard a bus operated by another local company. By the time police and the Northland Age arrived, there was no sign of anyone apart from a handful of onlookers.

The Northland Age understood the vehicle was floating when two local men arrived on the scene.

They advised the driver to get his reportedly elderly passengers off before it was pulled out into the surf, and/or rolled, in which case they might have been in danger of drowning.

Sand Safaris owner Sara Kennedy (who could not be contacted yesterday) said in response to comments on the Houhora police Facebook page that the bus was being salvaged on Tuesday night, without damage to the environment.

Senior Constable Knowler did not expect any damage provided the vehicle was removed reasonably quickly. There was no sign of oil or diesel leaking while she was there.

"It is no different to all the other vehicles that use the beach daily," she said.

"If it becomes an issue then I'm sure the council has charges it can bring."

Ms Kennedy said the driver was a local man with more than 20 years' experience, who had fallen victim to a high tide and a "disappearing bluff area with a hole. It's a dangerous beach".

"We are truly gutted but everyone is safe and sound, so that's all that counts," she said.

"My husband and I were devastated as it's his baby."

She also offered "a big thank you" to Senior Constable Knowler, while another contributor to the page said the hole had deepened lately.