Kush For Toheroas Causes Collisions

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30177, 8 July 1963, Page 10

Kush For Toheroas Causes Collisions

(New Zealand Press Association)

XVCKLAHV), July 7. There were two head-on collisions when more than 2500 vehicles streamed on to Muriwai Beach today to seek toheroas. One collision also occurred on Saturday night, when 700 vehicles were on the beach. Mr Irvin Maurice Clark, aged 40. of R.D. 1, Kumeu, who was in one of the cars, was taken to Middlemore Hospital suffering from a broken right leg end concussion. His condition tonight was fairly satisfactory. Other occupants of the vehicle? were treated and discharged from the Auckland Hospital casualty department.

A motor-cycle and a motorscooter collided head-on while travelling on the beach about 2 p.m. today. The scooter rider, Howard Vivian Kitching. aged 15, of 203 Godley road, Titirangi, suffered concussion. He was admitted to the Auckland Hospital, where his condition tonight was not serious A beach inspector said the crowd, numbering more than 20,000, treated the toheroa beds “very harshly,” leaving thousands of dead and dying toheroas on top of the sand People dug many small toheroas and left them on top of the sand instead of digging them back :t. There they were crushed by cars, trodden on, or eaten by seagulls in their thousands. The inspector said this was fatal for the conservation of the shellfish.

He said that people went on to the beach with an attitude of “we must get our limit.”

“More than- a million toheroa have been taken off the beach since the opening of the season, apart from those that have been killed.’ he said. “If this continues for the rest of the season the beds will be in a sorry state ”

From six miles up the beach to more than 16 miles, the sand looked today like a newly-cultivated garden, and parked cars made it appear like a crowded fairground. This week-end was the first in this year's two-mouth season.

Cyellst Injured.—A cyclist, Poto Kati Heather, of 10 Renwick street, suffered head and leg injuries in a collision with a car in Lincoln road, near ’he Black Horse Hotel, about 340 p m on Saturday He was admitted to Princess Margaret Hospital.