A long pole that mysteriously appeared in a teacher's driveway is gripping a New Zealand community, who desperately want to know who left it there.
Tauranga teacher Sophie Hucker arrived home this week to find someone had left a pole in her driveway, which she was shocked to find had been permanently cemented in.
"I was pulling in my driveway and saw this pole just in front of the garage. I thought, oh someone got it delivered here by mistake. But when I hopped out of my car to move it out of the way, it had been cemented in. I couldn't move it."
Hucker initially thought it was meant for a car port, but had been delivered to the wrong house. However, the neighbours told her they had not ordered any poles either.
"They were as surprised as me. They thought I was building something. Or maybe it was a basketball pole. I don't know what else you would do with it."
Thinking the installer of the strange pole would return, Hucker stuck a note on it when she went to work the next day.
"I didn't want to return home to more poles, so I left a handwritten note on it asking whoever it was to call me."
The culprit did not return. Inquiries to Tauranga Council have not produced any leads.
"They said it wasn't anything to do with them. Everyone is very confused."
After she asked a community board if anyone had misplaced the pole, hundreds of locals have become invested, clamouring for updates on who is behind the mystery.
There were suggestions it could be a cell tower, or used for pole dancing.
"It crossed my mind, but it's rectangular, so I'm thinking [it's] not the comfiest," Hucker said.
Others suggested calling the "pole-ice".
Her class is "buzzing" with ideas over what the pole could be for, and Hucker is certain it is not a prank.
"I would be flattered if anyone would go to that extent to prank me. It's definitely not one of my kids. Who would dig a hole and cement it in? A lot of work has gone into it."
With still no idea of how it got there, locals have stepped in with offers of help to remove it, so she can park her car.
"It will be a mission as they will have to get it out, grind it down apparently, and then there will be a hole that will need to be filled."
