FROM THE EDITOR

So the two big Radio New Zealand masts in Titahi Bay have finally come down. A group of 50 gathered last week to watch the remaining 200 metres of the big mast topple over. It wasn’t a funeral, but it was a rather eerie occasion, more like the last rites.

The masts had to go. Rust and age had rendered them dangerous. Radio New Zealand acted responsibly in demolishing them quickly.

However, it is undeniably the end of an era. The Porirua skyline seems a little bit emptier, especially without the big mast, once New Zealand’s highest structure.

Our story on page 7 includes comments about the masts from residents. One in particular hit home.

Sian Mercer said she grew up in Plimmerton and could always see the masts.

‘‘Watching it coming down actually made me emotional. [It’s] so strange that you can have such a connection to something that meant very little,’’ she said.