Neighbouring farmer Chris Mulholland said windows in the Serpentine Diggings church were smashed, a coal range wrenched apart and a fire extinguisher stolen, which was later recovered on the roadside. "It’s another consequence, it's not getting away from the vandalism of the [buildings] but there's lots of other consequences of what they're doing." "So it's quite dangerous if you shoot a sign, they're not looking half a kilometre behind the sign, but they're still shooting at it." "Vandalism of any type is always disappointing, but when it’s on our iconic heritage sites it’s devastating. The Serpentine Diggings, on the Rough Ridge Range, was one of the most isolated goldfields and townships in Otago.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 20, 2026 16:02 UTC