No sooner had cyclists set off from the Clyde end of the trail than efforts began to remove protest placards on pontoons placed on the lake by members of Save our Lake Dunstan (Sold), and all traces of the protest were removed before the first cyclists arrived.
What transpired since has been an online war of words, with fingers pointed at various people for closing the protest down and for what many deem to be an attack on freedom of expression.
Bill Roxburgh, of Alexandra, said he believed the Otago Regional Harbourmaster Steve Rushbrook, who is based in Dunedin, had acted on the advice of people connected to the Central Otago District Council, the Cromwell Community Board and Old Cromwell calling him from 220km away.
"Other people were pulling the strings, he was just the puppet."
Mr Rushbrook told the Otago Daily Times he was not against the protest per se and was acting purely from a navigational safety perspective.
Mr Roxburgh said he was more concerned with the behaviour of the contractors brought in to clear the protest placards and what he witnessed while waiting for his wife and friends at the end of the bike trail opening.
His testimony also forms the basis of a complaint he lodged with the Maritime Safety Authority.
"I was waiting in Old Cromwell and saw the signs out on the lake.
"Two men on a jet ski arrived to tow the signs away that were apparently contractors employed by the harbourmaster."
Things quickly became ugly, Mr Roxburgh said.
"Me and other people on the shore were shocked at their abusive language and unsafe practice.
"They told people on the shore to f... off and f... up, they then towed the signs, a lady went out on her kayak and held on to the rope between the signs — she got told to p... off and
f... off."
Then things became unsafe, Mr Roxburgh said,
"The lady could not let go the rope because if she did the trailing signs on floating pallets could have tipped her kayak up and trapped her under the signage.
"These guys should have stopped towing the signs straight away."
He was on the fence as to whether he agreed or disagreed with the protest, but believed the clampdown had only made it a bigger story and had served to eclipse the opening of the trail.
"I am keen to know if these contractors had any experience, qualifications or an appropriate health and safety plan in place."
