Keen-eyed kiwis demand solitude; Reefton's dogs not welcome
The kiwi, it seems, are not taking visitors. Particularly not the four-legged kind with opinions.
A short stretch of bush track on the outskirts of Reefton has been declared a strictly dog-free zone, with two separate signs going to some lengths to make the point. One is yellow. One is red. Both say no dogs. Neither is mucking about.
The signage, which informs walkers that 'Kiwi live here', has been in place for some time, though local walker Moira Trelawney, 71, said she still saw the occasional border collie sneaking past on a slack lead. 'People read the sign, look at the dog, and decide the sign means other dogs,' she said. 'It does not mean other dogs. It means their dog.'
A Department of Conservation spokesperson confirmed the signs were 'quite literal' and that the kiwi population in the area was 'doing nicely, thank you, provided nobody brings a labrador through'. Asked whether the signs could be made any clearer, the spokesperson said they had considered a third sign but worried it would 'start to look like nagging'.
Reefton local Trevor Eames said he remembered when you could walk a dog anywhere in the bush and nobody said a word. 'Mind you, that was 1974,' he conceded. 'Different bush. Different dog. Different kiwi, come to think of it.'
The signs remain in place. The kiwi remain unseen, which is, by all accounts, the entire point.
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Reader Letters
Garry (Halswell)
Back in my day, dogs and kiwi got along just fine. Nobody needed a yellow sign to tell them how to keep out of trouble. Now it's all 'no this' and 'no that'. Bloody ridiculous if you ask me.
ropeable_dave
mate that's not what they said
comedy_barry
At this rate, we'll need a sign telling people not to bring their pet armadillos and flatmates. Geoff's got a flat kid's scooter. Should we ban that too?
time_warp_victor
Let's just blame everything on 1974. Different dogs, different kiwi. Different weather too, mate.
tired_in_riccarton
Why can't people just follow the bloody signs? It's not that hard.
Freelancer_Joe
We've got too many rules for signs and none for good common sense. Let's be honest.
couchgremlin
Lol
Nature_Nell
The kiwi aren't about to have a flat, they're just demanding a bit of peace. Let them be!
sensible_sis
No, Trevor. Different bush, same rules. People have always needed directions or we'd all be walking our munted pets through kiwi habitats.