File:Waiwhetū Stream 04.jpg

English: The Hutt Valley was fortunate; it rained steadily for four days last week, but in other parts of the North Island, there was torrential rain and wide-spread flooding - thanks to a "cheap" parting shot by the same Cyclone Debbie that had caused such destruction in Queensland Australia a couple of days earlier...!

The Waiwhetū Stream - a small waterway that starts in the eastern hills of the Hutt Valley approximately 15 kilometres from here - was never-the-less carrying an awful lot of water by the time it reached its estuary and a high tide backed the Stream's waters up even higher as it attempted to flow through the industrial suburb of Seaview...

Not so long ago, this stretch of waterway underwent a massive clean-up to rid it of toxic wastes and heavy metals that local Industries (including the nearby railway workshops) had dumped in to it for many years. But in spite of the murky-looking waters in this Image (which is largely caused by silt and street run-off), the results of that clean-up have been very, very pleasing...!!!

Never-the-less, efforts continue to beautify the Stream. Vast amounts of noxious weeds have been removed by a voluntary group calling itself "The Friends Of The Waiwhetū Stream"; this Group have also planted large numbers of Native Trees and Grasses along the banks...

The future for this small waterway is looking very, very bright...!