The Department of Conservation in providing the car parks didnt take into consideration the isolation of the area. It quickly and literally became a feeding frenzy for the less lawful of the community. There were constant break-ins for cars left in these car parks whilst their owners were taking the 30 - 45 minute walk around the thermal area.

A constant local embarrassment with two or three  break-ins per week reported locally and sometimes nationally. Things came to a head in 1991 when a jeweller had $200,000 of jewellery stolen from the boot of his car.

Outraged local solicitor Jeremy Nash decided something needed to be done

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