Masterton Host Waipoua Lions members, Ross Bonnett and Rod Field, with the remaining wood. PHOTO/SUPPLIED
JAKE BELESKI
A mysterious case of vanishing wood at Henley Lake has left Lions Club members perplexed.
The Lions were given the all clear from Masterton District Council to salvage some of the logs that had been felled, which would later have been raffled off for charity.
The Masterton Rotary Club has also salvaged some of the logs.
Derrick Field of the Lions Club said they were baffled as to how the logs had disappeared.
“We took a couple of trailer loads away over a week ago, and when we got back on Saturday just gone we were given a warning that it looked like some had disappeared.
“There were only about a dozen rings left of the five trees.”
He said there was about a cord left behind, most likely made up of the ones that were too big for the culprit to handle.
They were expecting to have at least four times that amount when they returned to move the next load.
“We’d cut most of them part of the way through and it looks like somebody got in there with a trailer — they were pretty heavy loads, and it’s a bit of a mystery.
“It wasn’t split up on-site — it was taken away in rings from what we can tell.”
Mr Field said he suspected there would have been a vehicle involved in moving the rings, as it was the best part of 50 metres to carry them and chuck them over the fence.
“It’s pretty annoying because we had planned on raffling them off — it’s a complete mystery as to who stole them.
“We turned up and there wasn’t much left . . . it would have been quite an exercise.
“One of our people went past about and noticed the logs were disappearing — some bugger had got in before us.”
Mr Field said they would like the logs returned if possible, as they would be going towards charitable causes and helping the community.
look for some guys with a ute ha ha lol
As soon as I saw that wood sitting there, I knew it was going to be stolen. I even mentioned it to my kids as we walked past. Prime blue gum is very expensive,enough to motivate a night time raid by some dishonest individuals.