Mangawhai rogues reminisce on ‘the big dig’ anniversary
From left, Jim Wintle, Ian Cameron and Noel Foster were part of the big dig.
The big dig lasted four days.
There were 40 machines at the dig.
This aerial shows the northern entranced closed, stagnation in the estuary and the southern entrance funneling the flow.
Thirty years ago, Mangawhai locals gathered at dawn in opposition to the regional council, Department of Conservation (DOC) and central government for a major excavation project to save their town. While widely criticised by authorities as foolish and futile at the time, their efforts are now recognised as having changed the history of Mangawhai for the better. Jim Wintle, Ian Cameron and Noel Foster remember …