Mystery of giant metal post cemented into driveway solved after New Zealand teacher baffled by strange addition to her property
- Huge metal pole appeared at the entrance of the house of a New Zealand teacher
- She had no idea how it got there or the purpose.
The mystery of a giant metal pole found lodged in the driveway of a New Zealand teacher’s home without explanation has finally been solved.
Sophie Hucker from Tauranga came home from work last week to find the two meter high solid steel pole cemented into the ground, prompting her to ask online if anyone could help her identify what it was.
At first, she thought it might have been part of a basketball hoop that was mistakenly delivered to her house since it was wrapped in plastic, but when she tried to move it and couldn’t, she was stumped.
She spent days trying to figure out what it was, frustrated that she couldn’t even swing on it because it had square edges, and finally decided it was a trader’s mistake, though still baffled as to its purpose.
But she revealed Tuesday afternoon that she finally had an answer: It was, in fact, a ‘tradie oopsie,’ and, in fact, it was the anchor post for a gate that was supposed to be installed in a house down the street. .
Arriving home from school on Tuesday, teacher Sophie Hucker (pictured) got a big surprise: she found a two-meter post cemented into her driveway.
The ‘random gift’ (pictured) appeared on the fourth anniversary of his possession of the house.
Ms Hucker said the company contacted her Monday after seeing the story and thinking it was funny, but later realizing it was her job.
“They laughed about it and were baffled as to how they managed to get it wrong,” Ms Hucker told 1News.
He added that the company, which he declined to name because they were nice to the mix-up, sent out a notice and the post was removed Monday night.
“It’s a bit strange now that the post is gone,” he joked.
The mystery sparked a flurry of comments on social media and was featured in newspapers before Hucker discovered the answer.
The Taurunga City Council even banded together to seek CCTV and building approvals to no avail.
She had wondered if it was a ‘random gift’, as it appeared on the fourth anniversary of owning the house, but her mother thought it might be a tricky prank.
The teacher said that she had always doubted that theory because it would be very expensive and take a lot of effort.
The company that made the mistake filled the hole with cement and will refinish the surface to match the rest of the driveway.
They also retained the post once it was removed, although it was not known if it will be reused in its original intended destination.
The company has since removed the post and filled in the driveway (pictured)
