'Stupidity of muppets': Locals recover stolen wheels after online bragging

Author: Kelly Makiha,
Publish Date: Mon, 15 Jun 2026, 4:22pm

Several wheels were stolen from trailers parked at Boat Shed Bay at Lake Tarawera.

Security footage and “muppets” boasting on social media have led Lake Tarawera residents to take matters into their own hands and retrieve allegedly stolen wheels.

Thirteen wheels disappeared off five boat trailers overnight on Friday from the lakeside community near Rotorua.

Resident Norman Donald said he arrived at Boat Shed Bay early on Saturday morning while it was still dark and noticed one of the trailers “sitting on the decks” with no wheels.

“I thought to myself, ‘there’s something wrong here’. I had a look around, and there were others.”

Donald raised the alarm with George Gilmour, who owns local security company, Lake Security Ltd.

Gilmour told the Rotorua Daily Post he was contracted by private property owners at Lake Tarawera to do security work and alarm checks.

He operates several security cameras in the area and can monitor all vehicles coming in and out of Tarawera.

Gilmour said he checked security footage and saw a ute entering the Boat Shed Bay area on Friday at 11.19pm.

Gilmour said he was also passed information from “people knowing people” alerting him to a “boasting” social media post that allegedly showed the missing wheels.

He followed leads to a property where he believed the items would be.

Gilmour and two men whose wheels were missing went to the address.

He said the ute he believed had entered Tarawera the night before was parked in the driveway.

Thirteen wheels were taken off five trailers.

There were more than 30 wheels and tyres stacked up at the property, Gilmour claimed.

“We knocked on the door and they were a bit stunned.”

Gilmour said they told the people inside they did not believe the tyres belonged to them, and that they were there to get them back.

He said he told them police had been notified and security footage passed on.

“We said ‘we are going to take the tyres now’ and to expect a call from police.”

The three men loaded up their vehicles with the wheels and tyres and returned to Boat Shed Bay, where they matched them up to the trailers.

Another of the targeted trailers.

Gilmour said the other items they retrieved had been handed to police, along with security camera footage.

Gilmour said the incident showed the value of security cameras and the “stupidity of muppets” bragging on social media.

He said it was an eventful but rewarding weekend.

“I didn’t manage to get my lawns done.”

Rotorua Police relieving area commander Inspector Jamie Keenleyside said they were aware of reports of thefts involving trailer wheels in the Boat Shed Bay area.

“We are following lines of inquiry into this offending and will provide further details when they become available.

“We would encourage anyone who has been a victim of this offending to make a report via 105.police.govt.nz or by calling 105."

Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.