Spilled Rena cargo makes it to Gisborne

By Sophie Rishworth of the Gisborne Herald | Thursday, February 16, 2012 10:47

Robin Broadstock, 8, Fiona Bryant and Keanu Sadlier, 8, with a packet of egg-fried rice coated in a sticky oil-like substance that was found on Turihaua Beach near Gisborne.

Dave Thomas

Two packets of egg-fried rice found on a Gisborne beach have been traced to a container that fell off the grounded cargo ship Rena when it split in two on January 7.

The ship ran aground off Tauranga more than four months ago on October 5, 2011. Since then more than 100 containers have been lost to the sea after heavy swells and its precarious position on rocks made the ship's cargo unstable.

During the past week items have been washing ashore along the East Coast, with debris found on beaches from Pouawa to Wainui, north of Gisborne.

Fiona Bryant and her nephew Keanu Sadlier, 8, found a packet of rice sitting among seaweed while they were walking along Turihaua Beach on Saturday.

It was coated in sticky oil on both sides.

Writing on the package could be seen through the thick tar-like substance and the product was a Sun Rice brand.

Mrs Bryant's sister found another similar packet the next day.

The Gisborne Herald sent pictures to Sun Rice and a spokeswoman confirmed their products were in two containers on board the container ship, until they went overboard when the Rena split in two early last month.

The thousands of pre-packaged meals from Thailand were en route for New Zealand shelves but are now floating out at sea.

This meant the rice packets took five weeks to float down the eastern coast of the North Island to Gisborne.

Civil Defence emergency manager Richard Steele said as well as the rice, small bags of milk powder and plastic containers had been found washed ashore at Makorori and Wainui beaches.

Yellow foam, which could be insulation from some of the containers on board the Rena, had also been found at Pouawa.

The first sign of debris hit East Coast shores in November. It brought parts of containers, insulation and milk powder to the tip of the Coast around Lottin Point and Hicks Bay.

Gisborne District Council regional on-scene commander Louise Bennett said people would be on the beach today and tomorrow to look for more container waste.