The residents of a home hospital in a Coromandel peninsula town can now safely cross the road, after years of pushing for a pedestrian crossing to the beach.
The new pedestrian crossing outside Whitianga Continuing Care. Photo: Supplied / Shine Herfindahl
The pedestrian crossing on Buffalo Beach Road, right outside Whitianga Continuing Care, opened on Thursday.
Resident Laurie Griffiths, 98, said she was excited to use the new route to visit the beach with her two sons and their children.
"All their children have to come see grandma and have to come see the beach so it's a very important crossing.
"Lots of children will be using it, believe me," said Ms Griffiths.
She was happy she would no longer have to dodge the cars to get to the other side.
Whitianga Continuing Care's business and care manager Kylie Hill said some residents - with wheelchairs, walkers and walking sticks - made the maiden crossing yesterday and loved it.
But, she said, "It's been a long road".
"Around 2004 we had a resident here at the time that was very instrumental in trying to get things to happen in the community and she started writing to the local paper at that time about the need for a crossing, especially across from the home here, to cross to the beach safely."
Due to the staff and residents' persistence they've managed to get it across the line, Ms Hill said.
"It's so much more safer for us... there's great curbing there.
"A lot of our elderly are quite slow with their mobilisation so less anxiety trying to get across that road is great," Ms Hill said.
Yesterday's maiden crossing was organised by 'Fred the local ferry man', the son of a resident.
"We held up a bit of traffic along the way but everybody was very happy," Ms Hill said.
