Riversdale marae building destroyed by fire overnightSUPPLIED Motu Wairaka Marae at Riversdale burnt down in the early hours of Sunday morning. Nobody was injured in the blaze at the woolshed that is now home to Motu Wairaka Marae at Riversdale Beach. All that Riversdale Volunteer Rural Fire Force firefighters could do when they turned up just after 4am was watch as the collapsed building continued to burn. Riversdale Volunteer Fire Brigade fire chief Glen Meredith said the woolshed's dry timber and lanolin-soaked boards went up "like a tinderbox". Family members had bought the old Riversdale woolshed 15 years ago with the goal of developing the marae.

Source: Stuff July 01, 2017 23:48 UTC