On 18 February 2024 a walk at the south end of Waikawa Beach brought a sad sight: one or more heavy vehicles had been on the beach doing 'donuts'. Round and round they'd gone, creating roughly ploughed up ridges and pits of sand.
But wait, what's that white blob over on the left, encircled by the donuts?
It's a native, declining Kororā | Little blue penguin, that's what. It looks in great condition, except that it's dead.
Which came first, the donuts or the penguin? Who knows. But honestly, the beach is not a vehicle play space. It's a place where wildlife lives and rests. It's hardly a coincidence that this dead penguin is encircled by donuts.
