Boulders thwart elderly whitebaiters

Video: Dilemma of the elderly whitebaiter

The much-lauded walkway extension past the Waiwhakaiho River has opened the areas to thousands of new users but closed it off to one of its oldest.

Brian Lynch, 75, has been whitebaiting at the river mouth since his grandfather John Dravitski taught him how 67 years ago.

Now not as sprightly as he once was, he says the new boulder-reinforced southern bank is too difficult to clamber down and elderly whitebaiters are missing out on their possies.

He wants the New Plymouth District Council to consider creating an access way for those less than limber fisherman and other people such as surfers and families who want to access the river side.

"It just seems pretty tough that after spending all this money on the walkway to not be able to access the rivermouth from the south side," he said.

The shore is currently accessible through one path near the main car park and many people find it easy enough to clamber down the rock wall.

But as a sufferer from rheumatoid arthritis and owner of two steel replacement knees, Mr Lynch says another two access points would help ensure the elderly could access the riverbank safely.

"I mean, I will have a go at getting down there, one way or the other, but it would be easier to have a place with rock stairs."

But at this stage the New Plymouth District Council has no plans for any new access points to ease the pressure on Mr Lynch's knees.

"That is because we weren't aware of a need for it," council spokesman Anthony Wilson said yesterday.

"If people tell us what they would like then we will look at the feasibility of doing it but at this stage we have not planned for it because we were not aware of the need."

Mr Wilson said if people were concerned about access to the river the best place to start was to contact the council's call centre.

- © Fairfax NZ News