While the Mt Maunganui's beach clean up was been spectacularly impressive, it was clearly just a small battle in a much larger war.
In less than a day the cleanup crew managed to remove a thick black sheet of oil but with a change of wind or a current movement, it could all be back.
Another battle is raging just a few hundred metres away at Matakana Island, at the western entrance to Taranga Harbour.
This battle is being fought solely by determined locals.
Watch the video for Tristram Clayton's full report