That Wānaka Tree is joined by Wānaka Shark
From reporter Debbie Jamieson:
That Wānaka Tree is world famous but the shark swimming around it may elevate it to new social media heights.
No-one knows where the shark, or to be precise the shark’s fin, came from and local social media posts have divided opinion in the small town.
Posting on Facebook on Monday, Joanne Young said April Fools was over and the stationary fin spoiled the lake's beauty.
“Can it be removed?” she asked.
But Jess B Clark called for the “weed tree” to be removed instead, while Kieran Kaiwai suggested someone jump in and tackle the shark.
Others suggested it would need Department of Conservation and Otago Regional Council involvement involving a lengthy report and an 80% rates rise.
Tony Vial suspected it might be the work of a random Sharks supporter, before adding his own “Go the Warriors”.
Todd Jeremy Owen said he had seen the fin in other spots, including Lake Hawea.
"That Taniwha is way older than that weedy willow,” he said.
Tracy Sarah Jones looked forward to seeing the next 20 million lonely tree shots accompanied by the great shark fin.
While Amanda Waldo had another ominous warning for regular lake users.
"If the duck itch doesn’t get you...” she wrote.
For now, the big questions are unanswered. Will the shark remain? And will it ruin the perfect shot of #thatwanakatree?
Poll: If we want to reduce speeding, what do you think actually changes driver behaviour? 🛻🚨🚓
In the Post's article on speeding penalties, the question is asked whether speeding fines are truly about road safety, or are they just a way to boost revenue for the Crown?
What do you think? Should speeding motorists receive speeding fines or demerit points?
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37.1% The sting of a fine (Money talks!)
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62.9% The threat of demerit points (Nobody wants to lose their license!)
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
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Love potatoes? We will give away free copies of the May 2026 issue to readers whose potato recipes are used in our magazine. To be in the running, make sure you email your family's favourite way to enjoy potatoes: mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, by March 1, 2026.
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