Campers cut down trees for sea view

A scenic campsite in Marlborough was seemingly not scenic enough as some campers have chopped down trees to improve the view.

Rangers planted the trees about a decade ago as a windbreak at the popular Robin Hood Bay campsite on Marlborough’s east coast, north of Blenheim.

Department of Conservation community ranger Chris Wootton said the team was gutted to find the trees cut to stumps at two spots this week, apparently for a sea view.

‘‘We take great care of this campsite on behalf of the public and our rangers are upset that people have cut the trees, seemingly for their own self-interest,’’ Wootton said.

‘‘The trees are actually there to serve the campers. If you camp there in a mean southerly, it can be quite harsh. It’s a windy spot.’’ Rangers made inquiries with campers in the area but the culprits appeared to have moved on, Wootton said.

He urged anyone with information to contact the south Marlborough DOC office.

Marlborough conservation workers had 59 campsites and more than 60 backcountry huts to maintain.

‘‘Vandalism or damage does happen from time to time. Just now I had a call about another incident, some graffiti on the rocks at [nearby] Monkey Bay.’’

Other regional DOC offices also struggled with vandals and thieves, people illegally lighting fires and dumping rubbish at DOC campgrounds. The Lee Valley swimming hole near Brightwater, south of Nelson, was strewn with broken beer bottles and toiletry rubbish in 2009, in a series of attacks on the area.

Last year someone stole a castiron pot belly stove from the remote DOC-owned Barbers Hut, west of Blenheim. Marlborough rangers appealed for help from the public to catch the thief, unsuccessfully.

But some generous members of the public had donated two pot belly stoves to replace the stolen one, Wootton said.