Letters: Warning signs are still being ignored

Dear Editor, This letter is in response to the front page story the other day about the dangers of swimming alone at Avaavaroa passage in Takitumu despite the many signs around the beachside.

If Tourism and the tourist operators were to see the matter from the
point of view of the visitors, they would see that it is no wonder
that our visitors are confused.

The current signs are wishy-washy, that state words to the effect that
"Watersports are not recommended", yet on the other hand, the area is
festooned with signs galore advertising various water sports, mainly
swimming with the turtles.

What started with one tour operator, Charlotte Piho, whose work was
celebrated with her photo images beamed onto the Sydney Opera House,
led to copycat operators, to the current stampede of operators to cash
in at $89 a pop.

To top it all off, there is now a fairly recent sign for reef walking
- which activity is or should be a no-no - because as far as I am
aware, walking on a reef [any reef] is damaging to the fragile coral
ecosystem.

If Tourism really wants to be clear, the signage should say
"Dangerous rips. Water sports prohibited without supervision" or
similar.

Concerned citizen