Tauranga Harbour, December 20

On Tuesday, after overindulging at a scrabble club Christmas lunch, I walked along the foreshore of Tauranga Harbour. What a glorious sight it was, with Mount Maunganui very impressive across the sparkling water. I came upon a small group of people in whiter boiler suits, painstakingly cleaning the sand and rocks of oil, spilt from the wreckage of the Rena, just beyond Mount Maunganui. Apparently there are only a couple of places where it has come right into the harbour. The affected rocks were being taken away to be cleaned and would be replaced the next day. The sand is so white and sparkling. It would be disastrous if it is spoilt. Young people were doing their best to stay upright on their sail surfboards. The red sails looked spectacular skimming across the harbour. All this only about three minutes drive, or ten minutes walk from the centre of Tauranga.