I am a Bay of Plenty local,When I decided to get active and fit I thought I would use my maunga (mountain) as inspiration. So this week I headed to Mauao and enjoyed a challenging climb to the summit. It was beautiful and the people I met along the way were friendly and encouraging.

However when I saw people ignoring the signs and orange net barriers proclaiming ‘Track Closed' and forging their way upward my success at reaching the top faded a little. Apart from their safety being potentially compromised, what damage could their careless feet be doing to such a sensitive spot of our mountain? Respect the mountain, preserve it for future generations, don't ignore clearly posted signs.

L Lamb, Tauranga