Photo: Google MapsA power outage in Te Anau today has been blamed on a pair of birds "tampering with" network equipment. A "massive boom" followed by the smell of burning plastic left an area of the town without power this morning. Te Anau Signs co-owner Sue McMurtrie said she was halfway through an email when she heard the explosion about 10am near Sandy Brown and Caswell Rds. A PowerNet spokeswoman this afternoon confirmed the fault was caused by a pair of birds which "tampered with" network equipment, causing two fuses to blow. Ms McMurtrie earlier said she was concerned about her business not being able to run until the power was restored.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 31, 2021 02:37 UTC