Indholdsfortegnelse for February 2018 i Wilderness

THE WELLINGTON BRANCH of the Te Araroa Trust is concerned for the safety of TA walkers heading through the Tararua Ranges and is calling for upgrades to huts and tracks. Te Araroa Wellington trustee Debby McColl said the trust has become concerned from feedback from TA walkers, trust members, and other interest groups. Some huts in the ranges were regularly over capacity and there was a lack of campsites as alternatives, which created a safety risk on the often stormy tops. “The Tararua section of the trail is a serious endeavor and the weather can be appalling, so these basic health and safety issues need to be addressed,” McColl said. “Nichols Hut only has six bunks, but we’ve heard sometimes 12 people are trying to sleep in there because there’s…

A NEW SIX-BUNK HUT has opened in North Canterbury, thanks to a generous donation from a retired Timaru farmer. The new Waiau Hut opened in January and is in a sheltered clearing on the Waiau Pass Track, which is part of the Lewis Pass-Waiau Pass-Blue Lake route and on the Te Araroa Trail. Retired Timaru farmer Robert Birks approached DOC, offering to donate money to be used to build a hut two years ago as a way to give back to the tramping community. “I’ve been tramping for over 40 years and I’ve had many wonderful days in the hills. Now in older age with a bit of money behind me, I want to give something back,” Birks said. “I thought this would be a good way of displaying my…

FOR THE PAST MONTH, LIBBY BOWLES HAS BEEN BIKING AROUND THE NORTH ISLAND, speaking to school students about plastic in our oceans. The inspiration for her tour, which she calls Tread Lighter, came from a surprising source. One day at school in the UK in early 2017, Bowles was giving her students an impassioned speech about how they could change the world when a 10-year-old boy spoke up. “If you really love the sea, and you keep saying we can change the world, why aren’t you doing something about it?” the boy asked. “He had no idea what effect he had on me,” Bowles said. “I went home that night and realised that everything I said just sounded like a lame excuse, and actually, it is that simple to do…

 STRONG LEGS WILL HELP with the awkward slipping and sliding experience of river and off-track travel. But it’s only half of the equation. You need mobility to move through the awkward positions when your feet and knees twist and bend. Mobility involves moving your body through a range of motion, dynamic strength exercises and moderate stretching. If your muscles are too tight, the joints will be restricted and you could run the risk of damaging muscles, ligaments and tendons. IMPROVE YOUR MOBILITY TO BETTER HANDLE SLIPPERY SITUATIONS Try these exercises with twisting and sideways movement – move slowly and keep your knees bent and moving in the same direction as your toes: » Step your right foot out to the right. Then step your left foot across your right foot.…

IT WASN’T THE BEST text message to receive a couple of hours out from the planned rendezvous at the road end. ‘Radiator blown up. Getting towed to Palmerston North’. Awkward sentences, especially for a family who were taking their seven-year-old son on his first real tramp and were hoping things would go smoothly. It seemed like a fairly simple operation. Meet at Putara Road, in the north-eastern corner of the Tararuas, and walk three hours to Roaring Stag Lodge, arriving by mid-afternoon, in time to enjoy the sun on the riverbank. But tramping is all about coping with the unexpected, and a non-compliant car is just one of the many barbs that could be thrust at you. With no phone reception in the deep green depths of the Tararua foothills,…

“I tell everyone who’s single that if you want to meet the man of your dreams, head to a bush hut”- Sarah Child Walking side by side at an incredible location, gazing into a campfire under the stars – it’s probably not surprising that many relationships originate in the backcountry. For Wynne Morgan and Sarah Child, a chance encounter in the Orongorongo Valley changed the course of their lives forever. Morgan was a caretaker at a private hut; Child was staying at a hut across the valley. They met atop the only hill in the valley with cell phone reception and hit it off immediately. “When you meet someone, you just know,” Morgan says. “It was like that with Sarah – I knew it was going to go somewhere straight…

DURING THE LAST FIVE YEARS, tourist arrivals to New Zealand increased from 2.5 million to 3.7 million and are predicted to reach five million within seven years. Visitor numbers to popular national park locations reflect this growth and there is considerable pressure for further development, for both commercial operations and public infrastructure, such as toilets and car parks. Transport including gondolas, monorails, tunnels, boats and aircraft have all been suggested as a means of both managing and increasing the number of visitors. One positive example of effective visitor management is the recent introduction of a park and ride for the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. This is reducing congestion as well as social and environmental impacts. A revised General Policy should incorporate international best practice for managing the impacts of tourism. This…

BALMY WEATHER and meadows of Mt Cook lilies made a 25 day traverse of the Southern Alps feel like a holiday, according to Dulkara Martig. Martig was part of a quartet of women who traversed the Alps from Arthur’s Pass to Mt Cook Village in November and December. She said they only had to put on raincoats once, but they had to have a few 3am starts as the snow was too soft during the day in the alpine areas. “Because the weather was so nice, it was a lot less challenging than I expected,” Martig said. “When you take away the adversity that bad storms present, it makes for quite a different trip. It wasn’t so much an epic adventure – more of a great holiday.” The group only…

PRISONERS AND PEOPLE serving community service sentences are helping New Zealand reach Predator Free 2050 in a partnership between DOC and the Department of Corrections. The two departments have been working in partnership since 2015 and are looking to expand the programme this year. Chief probation officer Darius Fagan said community service workers were doing weed and predator control and track maintenance projects, while prisoners were building predator traps, growing native plants and even embarking on building projects for huts and other facilities. Prisoners were able to gain qualifications through the projects, such as carpentry and construction, Fagan said. Last year, prisoners built 300 predator traps in Otago alone. In Whanganui, prisoners helped replace a hut in Whanganui National Park as part of a construction course, while prisoners in Invercargill…

FIRST STEPS ARE NEVER EASY. After a long, involuntary break from tramping, we were desperate to get back into the mountains. As we browsed our maps, Klondyke Valley Track immediately stood out. The track profile seemed like the perfect fit for our unfit legs. A formed track led up a short, moderate climb, and ended in two alpine basins that promised adventure. Leaving our car near Rahu Saddle, we joined the well-defined track through a West Coast wonderland. The bush was surprisingly open in areas. Low shrubs usually present an insurmountable tangle, but in this case, we quite enjoyed a wider view with beams of sunlight cutting through the canopy high above. After two-and-a-half hours we arrived at the lower tarns and marshes. The neat shore of the tarns felt…

Our feet are without a doubt the powerhouse behind a successful tramp, yet we often ignore caring for them – to our peril. The following tips will ensure you have happy feet on every tramp. Develop the winning combination Everyone’s feet are different, so take the time to work out which combination of socks and boots work best for your feet. Some people swear by wearing two pairs of socks, others prefer one well-fitting pair. Once you’ve got it sorted, keep your tramping socks for just that – tramping – and find a different pair to wear in the garden. KEEP TOENAILS TRIMMED AND FILED Toenails that are overly long can get pushed into the nail bed, making for painful descents and the looming spectre of an ingrown nail. Get…

New Zealand once had six species of wren. Today, there are just two – the rifleman and the rock wren. CONSERVATION STATUS The rock wren (piwauwau) is endemic and classified as nationally endangered. Features At 10cm long and only around 16g to 20g, it is one of our smaller birds. It is dull green on top and grey-brown below, with yellow flanks. Females are plainer, being a dull olive-brown. This wren is somewhat ungainly, with long legs, feet and toes and its ‘roundshaped’ wings lead to it being a weak flyer. Call A very high pitched three note and a ‘whirring’ call. Nesting Breeding takes place over spring and summer. The birds build fully enclosed nests with a small entrance at ground level in cavities within natural features, such as…

 IN 2013, conservation minister Nick Smith and Devon McLean were trudging along the Abel Tasman Coast Track, talking over the static of a cloudburst. The objective is to secure more than 80 per cent of terrestrial biodiversity in a much safer state Abel Tasman National Park was in a sorry state: had the cloud lifted, the pair would’ve seen ranks of wilding pines choking the uplands, along with another 112 weed species. Stoats were scoffing the birds, goats were hoovering up the forest understorey, and Smith knew there was nothing he could do about it. Between Torrent Bay and Marahau, McLean, the manager of Project Janszoon, a philanthropic trust funded by Neal and Annette Plowman’s Next Foundation, presented Smith with a glimpse of the future of…

The influx of tourists, pressure for development, and a drive for greater iwi involvement in our national parks has led the Conservation Authority to begin a review of the General Policy for National Parks. The CA – the body that governs national parks and advises DOC – hopes to adopt a new policy by the end of the year. The policy sets out how the National Parks Act is interpreted, and is used to guide the national parks’ management plans. CA chair Dr Warren Parker says the parks have undergone significant changes since the policy was last reviewed in 2005 and it is looking at a more flexible approach to park management. The review doesn’t include any open public consultation, but Parker says people can email their views to the…

DURING THE LAST LOOK at the General Policy in 2005, I was on the Conservation Authority and wanted to ensure the policy reflected, aided and abetted the sound principles of the National Parks and Conservation Acts. These Acts give primacy to the protection of indigenous flora, fauna and geological features and outstanding scenery. In the National Parks Act, this protection cannot be compromised by people’s right to enjoyment and spiritual succour from the intrinsic values of these extraordinary places. In other words, recreation and commercial tourism (uses valued in descending order in the Act) are both subservient to biodiversity protection. So it has been for more than 100 years and so it should remain. When we last considered the policy and developed the Visitor Strategy 20 years ago, there was…

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THE FUTURE OF NEW ZEALAND’S largest farm is under review with the aim of improving conservation and recreation opportunities on the Crown-owned station. DOC is consulting on the future management of Molesworth Station through an online survey, which closes on March 31. The 180,787ha South Marlborough farm – about the size of Stewart Island – became a recreation reserve in 2005. The land has a number of tramping routes, including five huts and three campsites, but no formed multi-day tramping tracks. The station lies at the head of the Awatere, Wairau and Clarence rivers and rises to a height of 1347m at Island Saddle. Taking up a vast stretch of high country between Kaikoura and Murchison, it is about a three hour drive from Christchurch, Nelson and Blenheim. The Clarence…

SUMMER HAS ARRIVED, the sun is warm, the birds are singing and the bees are buzzing. Shouldn’t you see more beehives? My friend Darryn Pegram recently organised a sea-kayaking trip in Kawau Bay, north of Auckland. When we examined the map, I was immediately drawn to the name Beehive Island. ‘Another one!’ I exclaimed, to Darryn’s surprise. The Tararua Range’s famous Southern Crossing sports two rounded mounds known, appropriately enough, as The Beehives, and I also knew of some curious hillocks of the same name beside Lake Dive in Egmont National Park. That piqued my interest in other places with the same name. Beehive Island, also known as Taungamaro, proved to be a fascinating destination. At high tide, a skirt of blinding white sand surrounds the tiny rounded island, but…

Put heat, sweat and movement together and you’ve got the perfect environment for developing painful chafing. Think about your smalls Wearing moisture-wicking underwear goes a long way towards preventing chafing around your butt and thighs. Leave cotton undies at home, and wear merino or synthetic ones instead. Some people find that boxer or boyleg styles are more comfortable than regular undies. Avoid tucking it in It might be tempting to look smart by tucking your shirt into your shorts, but there are no uniform inspectors in the hills. A shirt tucked into a pair of shorts will direct sweat from your back down to your nether regions, so take the opportunity to let some air in and leave the shirt hanging loose. Check fit and seams Flat-locked or offset seams…

 I find soaking oats gives them a delicious soft and creamy texture. I often take a big batch of this recipe on long trips for a nourishing and filling breakfast. JUST ADD WATER AND SOAK OVERNIGHT FOR A FILLING BREAKFAST You can mix and match with the seeds, spices and flavours – a more decadent combo is cacao and freeze-dried raspberry powder. Once you soak the mixture, you can eat it as is, top with a sprinkle of sweetener, or warm it on your cooker for a delicious porridge. PROFILE Serves One Prep time 5min Soak time Four hours or overnight INGREDIENTS 1/2 cup rolled oats 2 tbsp coconut thread 2 tsp coconut milk powder (or any milk powder) 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds 1 tbsp sunflower seeds 2 tbsp loosely…

COMPLETELY ABSENT from the National Parks Act 1980 is the tangata whenua relationship with lands and waters encased within national park boundaries. According to the Act, national parks exist for their intrinsic worth, and public benefit, use and enjoyment. But these lands and waters are also the home of tangata whenua and their ancestors. Despite the lack of legislative acknowledgement, Māori tribal aspirations for caring for lands and waters are positively transforming modern conservation management. The review of the General Policy is an ideal moment for New Zealand to listen to the conservation visions of tangata whenua. There is already some inspiring work occurring within the existing law and policy. For example, the striking new Paparoa National Park Management Plan recognises that the Treaty of Waitangi provides the framework for…

IT IS IN OUR 13 NATIONAL PARKS where tension, or perceived tension, between preserving the natural flora and fauna and providing for recreation opportunities are most profound. Any review of the policy that guides the management of these areas is hugely important. When DOC offered to help finance volunteers to manage tracks and huts, it did so in a way that trampers and alpine enthusiasts at Federated Mountain Clubs, the hunters of the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association and the mountain bikers of Trail Fund NZ had to work together. The three entities created the Outdoor Recreation Consortium and successfully unleashed the capacity and willingness of volunteers. From such beginnings, we have found such common ground that we have formed the Backcountry Trust to continue this hugely successful work. This is…