Carnival spirit as town waits for release

Members of the armed offenders squad move into position at the Shell Petrol Station in Papakura. Picture / Paul Estcourt

In Papakura, the traffic lights uselessly change colour on streets almost bereft of human life.

The life that usually rattles in the town is now waiting on its outskirts, many in work uniform. They had to leave cars and belongings in the town after police evacuated the area, so escape is not an option. Most have been there since just after 10am and will not leave until about 3pm.

On Coles Cres, a side road just south of the Shell Roselands Service Station, there is quite a festival atmosphere.

Ben Watson was there from the start, filling in his day off work. Fortuitously, he and a friend had just popped into the liquor shop before noticing all the police. They found a vantage point on the side of the road to watch, swigging at their cans.

Brothers Jonathan and Cameron were waiting outside Woolworths for their mother when the police told them to move. They ended up in Coles Cres with no idea on which side of town their mother was.

They can see the Shell station between some buildings and every time an armed offenders squad officer moves there are whoops of delight from them and three other youngsters.

"This is the most exciting thing in the whole of Papakura for about 50 years," says Jonathan.

"Yeah, he's probably right," says adult Tony Clarke.

The police loudspeaker carries messages for the holed-up man for blocks and every time it starts everyone falls silent.

The rumours are rife. One person has heard he has a bomb on his back "but the police reckon it's just clothes". Another person has heard the man has a hostage and has chained himself to the LPG tank.

Up on Great South Rd, about 50 people sat under trees to escape the sun. Most were displaced workers, others were people caught out in the midst of the minutiae of life.

Cory Robins, from Waiheke Island, was lying in the orthodontist's chair when the police arrived and ordered them out.

His new braces were about half way on and there are still a few metal blocks missing and a loose wire.

Peter Goodwin had popped into Blockbusters to change a few fluorescent light bulbs "and ended up spending a lovely day off in Papakura".

Others are less impressed. Mike, a commercial real estate agent, was on the phone when he had to get out.

"Look at how this has paralysed Papakura and Takanini, and the sheer losses of that. If the police had acted more decisively from the start, we wouldn't be here now."

The Papakura Fire Service have given a full cooked meal to the emergency services and the media.

Police and the Fire Service delivered water and drinks to the waiting throngs on Great South Rd.

Margaret Glasgow, who has lived in Papakura for 63 years, became an instant heroine when she opened her home so people could use the toilet.

The residents came out in force - Mrs Glasgow took yoghurt for a mother and her baby, another appeared with a box ofice cream and biscuits.

When a policeman announces they will be allowed to leave in about 15 minutes, there is clapping.