Brian Rogers Rogers Rabbits www.sunlive.co.nz

It's a year on from the wrecking of Rena and as our cover shot shows, plenty has changed since that disastrous morning in 2011.

Sun Media flew over the wreck on Astrolabe again this week, to bring you these most up-to-date pictures of the scene, to mark the anniversary of the Rena stranding. Not much remains on the reef, as the photos show. Brave salvors are still perching themselves on seemingly impossible platforms to painstakingly hack away at the rusting and twisted remains.

We salute their tenacity and courage. The remains of this wreck could roll or collapse at any time. It's a far cry from that first morning, when SunLive broke the news to the world of the shipwreck.

We were the first media boat there, long before the exclusion zone was imposed. As we sidled alongside the huge container ship, the crew waved and smiled from the railings, some calmly sipping coffee.

It was clear from that first day, this ship wasn't going anywhere in a hurry. I remember calling the scene back to the office and trying to convey the enormity of the problem. This was going to be a major. It seemed incomprehensible then, and still does now, that a ship could be run at apparently full speed onto the only reef for miles.

As the true impact of the stranding started to sink in, literally, the bureaucracy swung into action. Or in some cases, inaction.

We laughed at the irony of being banned from within miles of the wreck. As small boat operators, we are constantly under threat of being run down by these monstrosities of the sea – sometimes they pass within metres of us around Tauranga harbour – yet this was probably the safest ship ever to be close to; it wasn't going anywhere! If ever there was a ship neutered of its threat to small vessels, it was Rena in those first days.

However the situation deteriorated with every storm and every lurch of its teetering cargo. We watched in horror as every day, there was a new threat. The oil. The wreckage. Containers, cargo, junk and garbage, littering our pristine beaches. The long months of clean-ups.

Anyway that is now history, as they say. We salute those who have worked so hard to right the wrongs. To clean the mess. To help the wildlife and get our bay back. We flip the finger to those who stuffed around, played bureaucratic PC games and fiddled while Rome burned.

Rena brought out the best and worst in human nature. One of the great upsides was seeing a great community pull together to overcome adversity.

We hope lessons have been learned, and we are incredibly thankful that no human lives were lost.

My personal thanks to the Sun Media crew, who worked long and hard to bring the Bay, and the world, the best coverage of an unforgettable event.

Feedback on trains

Thanks to those who responded to David Dalton's idea last week on passenger train services. There's a couple of letters on the subject in this edition.

Also for the flurry of phone calls from people backing the notion that if we have to put up with a train track though the central city, we should at least be able to use it for passenger services.

Coincidentally, this week Cr Bill Faulkner reveals in his column that the railway bridge is nearing replacement; and the answer could be a new crossing nearer the harbour bridge. Check it out this week, page 37. We won't hold our breath, but what a great result it would be to rid the city of this obnoxious impediment!

The railtrack, that is.

Crazy that in this age of technology, carbon crisis awareness and high fuel costs, we have less rail opportunities than decades ago.

Parting Shot

The final word, thanks to rabid reader Tony, also on the subject of trains. The following supposedly an exchange of correspondence between a customer and the Irish Railway Company.

Gentlemen: I have been riding your trains daily for the past two years, and the service on your line seems to be getting worse every day. I am tired of standing in the aisle all the time on a 14-mile trip. I believe your transportation system is worse now than that enjoyed by people 2000 years ago.
Yours truly, Patrick Finnegan

Dear Mr. Finnegan, We received your letter with respect to the shortcomings of our service and believe you are somewhat confused in your history. The only mode of transportation 2000 years ago was by foot.
Sincerely, Irish Railway Company

Gentlemen: I am in receipt of your letter, and think you are the ones who are confused in your history. If you will refer to the Bible and the Book of David, 9th Chapter, you will find that Balaam rode to town on his ass. That, gentlemen, is something I have not been able to do on your train in the last two years.