A Northland man has been charged in relation to an alleged break-in at the Kaikohe Gliding Club that caused more than $250,000 worth of damage.

Kaikohe Gliding Club chief instructor Ken Tyler last month discovered the hangar at Kaikohe Aerodrome in a state of disrepair.

He likened it at the time to a “marina after a hurricane”.

Two Toyota RAV4s were missing alongside an $80,000 Kubota M8540 tractor/mower, 100 litres of diesel and petrol, batteries from the club’s solar power system and tools.

Mid-Far North area prevention manager Senior Sergeant Clem Armstrong said the club’s gliders were damaged in the burglary, with costs totalling $60,000 per glider.

“This equipment is essential to keeping the gliding club operational,” he said.

The Kaikohe Aerodrome, built in 1942 as a United States Marine Corps bomber base, has the largest grass airstrip in the Southern Hemisphere, with the gliding club responsible for mowing and maintaining it.

“This is a volunteer group who rely entirely on goodwill,“ Armstrong said.

“This has been a massive blow and has really hurt them.”

The volunteer-run club was left reeling after thousands in damage last month. Photo / Kaikohe Gliding Club

A 28-year-old man has been charged in connection to the burglary and is due to appear in the Kaikohe District Court on April 21.

Armstrong said the man faces 21 charges relating to a series of rural thefts in the Mangakahia and Awarua areas.

The charges include 12 of burglary, two of theft of a motor vehicle, intentional damage, unlawfully taking a motor vehicle, receiving and theft.

Police also found industrial drill parts worth $40,000, allegedly stolen.

Armstrong said the equipment had been imported from the United States by a local earth mining company.

The investigation is ongoing, with police looking at who else might be involved.

Tyler was happy to hear an arrest had been made but wanted to know where their $80,000 tractor-mower was as it had not been recovered.

The club had been well-supported amid the aftermath, with a member lending them a tractor and the Auckland Gliding Club lending them a glider for the winter.

They were also able to borrow a lawn mower.

“We’ll be flying in a couple of weeks, I’d say,” Tyler said.

“It’s looking good.”

Armstrong said reporting incidents helped police build a picture of what was taking place in an area.

“Please report suspicious behaviour and any vehicles of concern, including number plates.”

Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.