Hauraki Herald, March 20 2009

Groups combine to clear area for picnics

By Jill Cleave

Waihi Rotarians got their hands dirty for a good cause on a recent Saturday.

The Rotary club and Waihi Walkways group combined forces to make progress on another of the walkways planned for the town.

Walkways co-ordinator Ruth Ordish said this is the second year the group has worked with Rotary on the walkways.

"We were delighted to have their help clearing the public reserve area by Victoria St Bridge," she said.

Mrs Ordish said this time last year weeds in the area were so high and dense a house could have been hidden among them.

"Since September the Department of Corrections teams have worked there reducing the vegetation to something more manageable," she said.

The group discovered there was a flat area suitable for a mown picnic area with specimen trees hidden beneath the weeds.

The combined forces removed stones and rocks and cleared more vegetation with a scrub bar and mulched the grove of Totara trees planted last year.

Mrs Ordish said Sel Baker provided his ride-on mower with great results.

"We now have the beginnings of a lovely picnic spot beside the beautiful Ohinemuri River," she said.

Waihi District Walkways Inc. PO Box 241 Waihi New Zealand

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