Birdlings Flat residents are seeing the funny side after constantly being called on to rescue vehicles stuck on the beach.
Despite warning signs, visitors keep getting stuck on the sprawling pebble beach, leaving locals to play rescue crew.
Birdlings Flat resident Jan Daffin told Morning Report visitors were ignoring warning signs and driving new and expensive 4WD vehicles onto the beach.
“Previously we had a wee sign that used to say ‘$50 if you go down and get stuck’.
“But I think what happens is there’s a wee little strip of shingle and it looks like there is tyre tracks in it, and people drop from a very solid car park, down a wee runway, and all of a sudden they hit this shingle.”
Daffin said this was when people began to panic, and instead of stopping to get help, they tried to accelerate their way out of danger, which only made the problem worse.
“Invariably, it’s always the exact same spot they get stuck.
“We got this fabulous new sign that the council put up for us and it literally says ‘stop, loose shingle ahead’. It says only 4WDs can go down there if you’ve got low air pressure and you’re experienced.”
For residents, when the weekend rolls around, it means it’s time to get the shovels ready to dig out vehicles.
“The dog barks and you think ‘right, someone is coming down’. You get the knock on the door, and people are stuck.
“They’ve got these brand new fandangle 4WDs that can do anything. They can’t. The electronics get so confused.
“The best one was a $280,000 Mercedes, it just stopped dead. The car actually deactivated itself because it was so confused. They had a little emergency button that they were pushing and it went through to Germany.”
Daffin said her husband disagreed with her stance to help the stranded visitors, saying they should leave the stranded vehicles on the beach.
rnz.co.nz
