Special fountain deserves much greater prominence in Dunedin

GIVEN the proposed, longoverdue upgrade of the central city, it may be timely to consider a strategic reuse of the almost hidden and underappreciated fabulous Wolf Harris fountain.

This is currently located in an obscure part of the Dunedin Botanic Garden and has historically been in several locations, including the Queen’ Gardens and the South Seas Exhibition site.

It was completely out of sight in storage for many years, which is a pity.

A perfect site for it would be at the Frederick St/George St intersection. A rethink of traffic through the inner city is pending and introducing such a beautiful Victorian structure to a city which trades on its heritage would be a huge visual amenity and look stunning floodlit at night. It would not be a big spend to relocate it.

This fountain was gifted to the city at the end of the 19th century and deserves to be seen in the 21st.

Jeff Dickie

Woodhaugh

Helping hoiho

‘‘IT’LL have to be a short call,’’ said Jim this morning. ‘‘I’m off to feed penguins’’.

Jim and other volunteers are feeding yelloweyed penguin fledglings in the softrelease pens in the Catlins.

These youngsters were removed from their nests for fattening at Penguin Place because their parents couldn’t find enough food.

Their chicks were starving — without intervention, they would have starved to death. Now, fat and healthy they’ll soon head out to sea. But will they find enough food? We can only hope.

Our endangered yelloweyed penguins are in crisis; their numbers on the mainland have plummeted. Lack of food is clearly a significant factor in the Catlins; parent birds normally pop out for the day to fish but this season they’re away for up to three days.

A marine reserve in the Catlins can only help our beloved hoiho and other marine life. Without it, we may as well say ‘‘byebye penguins’’. What an absolute tragedy that would be.

Jan Johnstone

Balclutha

Lime scooters

FUNNY, even peculiar, how the ‘‘naive’’ Dunedin City Council (ODT

editorial, 26.2.19) were so handsoff in regard to the Lime scooter footpath invasion, yet the donkey rides along John Wilson Ocean Dr were given a thumbs down. True, Lime scooters don’t drop ‘‘youknowwhat’’ like donkeys do. Scooter riders will be slipsliding away to the hospital emergency department, brakes or not, once winter arrives with sleet, hail and frost.

Jim Moffat

Caversham .....................................

BIBLE READING: They replied, ‘‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved — you and your household.’’ — Acts 16:31.