Whangarei

  • : Function ereg() is deprecated in /home/ghostbikes/site/includes/file.inc on line 649.
  • : Function ereg() is deprecated in /home/ghostbikes/site/includes/file.inc on line 649.
  • : Function ereg() is deprecated in /home/ghostbikes/site/includes/file.inc on line 649.
  • warning: Parameter 1 to phptemplate_field() expected to be a reference, value given in /home/ghostbikes/site/includes/theme.inc on line 171.
  • : Function ereg() is deprecated in /home/ghostbikes/site/includes/file.inc on line 649.
  • : Function ereg() is deprecated in /home/ghostbikes/site/includes/file.inc on line 649.
  • : Function ereg() is deprecated in /home/ghostbikes/site/includes/file.inc on line 649.
  • : Function ereg() is deprecated in /home/ghostbikes/site/includes/file.inc on line 649.
  • : Function ereg() is deprecated in /home/ghostbikes/site/includes/file.inc on line 649.
  • : Function ereg() is deprecated in /home/ghostbikes/site/includes/file.inc on line 649.
  • : Function ereg() is deprecated in /home/ghostbikes/site/includes/file.inc on line 649.
  • : Function ereg() is deprecated in /home/ghostbikes/site/includes/file.inc on line 649.
  • : Function ereg() is deprecated in /home/ghostbikes/site/includes/file.inc on line 649.
  • : Function ereg() is deprecated in /home/ghostbikes/site/includes/file.inc on line 649.

In a short period of time, two ghost bikes have appeared in Whangarei, a northern New Zealand town. They were installed for road safety advocate Fred Ogle and travel agent and athlete Lynley MacDonald.

A local father of four wanted to take a stand and make motorists more aware of cyclists.

From an article about Fred Ogle's bike:

Mr Branson, a keen cyclist who rides from Raumanga to work at The Warehouse, was browsing an American mountain-biking forum on the internet when he came across the idea of ghost bikes several months ago.

"I remember thinking `I hope I never have to do that', but if someone did come off, I would do it."

Even though Mr Branson didn't know Mr Ogle, he'd seen him out riding before and wanted to create a ghost bike for him.

"I'm always mucking around with old bikes in the garage, so I just painted one of mine white. I wasn't quite sure where the accident happened, but after talking to some neighbours I worked out where it was."

But not long after chaining his ghost bike to a power pole, Mr Branson got an email from Maungatapere cyclist Mike Eagles, who told him the lock had been broken and the bike smashed in the middle of the road.

"It was pretty disappointing, but I just made another one," he said.

"It's kind of multi-purpose - memorial plus statement plus awareness."