Department of Conservation staff will be up on the Old Man Range this week with water blasters and a commercial graffiti cleaner to remove names and drawings that have been there for up to 40 years.
Inscriptions such as Tapanui Motorcycle Club, 1982, Nissan Patrol, K. Jackson and B. Skilton will be washed off.
The rock stands in the heart of the Kopuwai historic reserve at the summit of the Old Man Range.
‘‘It's a wahi taoka, a special place, and for these reasons, the removal of graffiti is vital,'' said Anita Middlemiss, Doc's Central Otago programme manager visitor assets/historic.
The area is of significance to local papatipu runanga and a watea will be offered to ritually prepare the site. It is expected the job will take a couple of days. Previous trials with the cleaning materials gives Doc confidence that all the graffiti will be removed.
Miss Middlemiss said the graffiti-painting behaviour was completely inappropriate in a wahi taoka or any reserve.
‘‘It is also considered an offence under the Reserves Act and punishable by imprisonment or a fine,'' Ms Middlemiss, said.
