We make no apology for the following report being an update from July 2013 – after we noticed the same suspicious character sneaking around the Bridge Pool last weekend with rubbish on his radar. The amount he collected is a reflection of how much anglers protect and cherish their pristine river environment. OK?
Above photo of a well known vehicle regularly seen lurking around the Tongariro Pools collecting the rubbish left behind by anglers. Have a good look inside. There is hardly any room for a driver – the legend – Didymo Dave. How many other anglers would bother to tidy up the river banks and remove rubbish left by tourists? Read on – we found one…
NOW THE BAD NEWS:
We promise this will destroy your ‘stereotyped’ view of local Maori fishos.
Above photo of Didymo Dave with Dave Timu from the tiny Maori village and marae at Korohe – about 2 km east of SH1 on the Waimarino River. Dave fishes the Bridge Pool all year and is well known locally for something else entirely.
But first I want you to hesitate and consider what flashed in your mind from the photo of Dave Timu linked to a bad news story. OK? We have all been guilty of “stereotyping” the locals for abusing the fishing rules. Did Dave fit your mind’s image too?
As this is the BAD NEWS story, I promise it will surprise you. Throughout the year Dave Timu is often seen collecting other anglers rubbish left behind along the river bank at the Bridge Pool. Much of this are the take-away coffee cups. Think about it. When was the last time you noticed a local Maori drinking latte?
Nearly all the river bank rubbish is left by that other larger group – aka Pakeha anglers. 
Now have another squiz at the photo of the two Daves above. On the right side is some black plastic rubbish bags. Dave always takes one to put any of their rubbish into plus anything left by others… Surprised?…
The reason Dave Timu collects the rubbish is even more fascinating. He says that if he is often seen fishing at the Bridge Pool and any rubbish is left there he knows who would be blamed.
So he takes a black plastic bag with him to tidy up and remove the rubbish left by others to protect his own reputation.
…. Now have another look in the back of Didymo Dave’s wagon. I wonder how many locals would be prepared to collect the rubbish of others – in their own time, unpaid! – just to protect and enhance our river? Turangi has some quite amazing public spirited folk where you least expect it.
That’s what makes Dave & Dave local legends.
This was in response to the story from Twizel (South Island’s replica of Turangi) on TRM Facebook – where they had up to 90 volunteers cleaning up their canal… All we have is Didymo Dave.