New picnic table for Tanners Point

The new picnic table for Tanners Point. Supplied photos.

Fifty hours of labour and dedication has seen two Tanners Point residents complete a stunning new picnic table for the area.

Retired cabinet/furniture maker Graham Taylor was ably assisted by local handyman Bernie Wills in constructing the four-metre table, which will sit out on the esplanade reserve at the end of the Tanners Point walkway.

It's all part of the Tanners Point Pestfree & Walkway Project, which has been working since 2003 to transform the area into a beautiful scenic reserve.

Bernie's wife Heather says the developments were a natural extension of the group's conservation efforts.

'Out of improving the environment came the need for walkways to enjoy the area. A lot of our ground is just peat, so the more people who walk on it, the wetter it gets. So over the years we've built a lot of boardwalk.”

Of course, it's nice to have somewhere to sit down at the end of a walk, hence the picnic table idea.

'They've put a lot of time in. Graham is a master craftsman, and he was so particular,” says Heather.


Volunteers loading the picnic table for transport

Some of the costs are hoped to be recuperated from a fundraising function on January 29.

'The MG Car Club is having an anniversary rally, and wanted to go to a café for lunch. But none of the local cafés were able to cater, so we volunteered.”

Heather says it will be a barbecue lunch, serving up good classic Kiwi food to about 45 people. But she adds, a contribution from the council would be most welcome too.

The group are hoping to get the table set up today as soon as tide and weather conditions are suitable, with husband Bernie wading along the coast with picnic table in a dinghy behind him.

Once he arrives at the site, several strong men will help unload the craft and plant the table in the ground, where it will hopefully get a lot of use in the coming months.

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