Wilderness October 2017

THE IDEA TO pump more money into DOC to create a series of Great Day Walks and Great Short Walks was to help divert traffic away from hotspots suffering from overcrowding. By any measure, the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, Cathedral Cove, Hooker Valley and Roys Peak tracks would be deemed candidates for less, not more, foot traffic. Talk to the communities in these places and that’s what those most affected by the huge visitor numbers say. So what to make of the announcement that these four walks, among 14 short walks and five day walks, are to be granted ‘Great’ status? Surely this will only further highlight their appeal? A total of 30 such walks are planned, adding to the nine – eventually to be 12 – existing multi-day Great Walks.…

Get your photo published here to receive an Opinel No.5  folding knife worth $20. Learn more about Opinel at www.ampro.co.nz. Last Weekend submission criteria can be found at wildernessmag.co.nz…

ALWAYS WEAR TROUSERS WHEN BUM SLIDING GEORGE GUILLE SAYS he completed his climb of Mt Rolleston by bum-sliding down the Otira Slide (‘Rolling on Rolleston’, August 2017). Let me explain my experience as a warning to others. About 20 years ago I too climbed Rolleston and returned via the Otira Slide. I had shorts on and I slid down in fits and starts. There was plenty of hard snow. When the steep angle started to level off, I stood up and looked behind me to admire my feat. But what caught my attention was a line of fresh yellowish stains. I tried to look behind at my rear and leg tops but could see nothing. I walked the rest of the way out. The following day, I saw a nurse…

THE NUMBER OF Great Walks has more than doubled after DOC announced 14 Great Short Walks and five Great Day Walks. Conservation Minister Maggie Barry said the list included world famous walks and “relatively unknown gems” to draw tourists off the beaten track. The list includes walks that already attract tens of thousands of visitors, including the Tongariro Alpine Crossing (TAC), Cathedral Cove Walk on the Coromandel Peninsula, the Fox Glacier Valley Walk and the Hooker Valley Track in Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park. DOC has partnered with Tourism New Zealand to promote the walks to New Zealanders and overseas visitors. The walks were assessed by local DOC staff as being able to accommodate an increase in visitors. “DOC’s own research has shown tourists are looking for shorter, easier experiences and…

THE WATER QUALITY of one of the world’s most pristine lakes is under threat from an increase in the number of visitors. NIWA testing has found the water clarity at Blue Lake in Nelson Lakes National Park is among the highest in the world, with 63m visibility – almost optically pure. But senior DOC ranger Phil Crawford said this had led to a boom in its popularity and campers had been defecating near the lake and washing in the water. “It’s incredibly disappointing that people don’t treat it with the respect it deserves,” Crawford said. “Over time, that will inevitably have an affect on water quality.” The lake is also part of the Te Araroa Trail, which had seen a sharp rise in numbers. The number of hut nights at…

THE LANDMARK SIGN at Bluff, signalling the end of the Te Araroa Trail, will be corrected, after Wilderness reader Earle Hasse found the Cape Reinga and Wellington signs pointed in the wrong directions. The sign, which points to various landmarks, has Cape Reinga and Wellington around the wrong way (‘A curious sign’, September 2017), but Invercargill City Council, which was responsible for the sign, maintained it was accurate. It has since investigated the matter and council roading manager Russell Pearson said it needs some “small adjustments”. “I am unsure when and how this has occurred, but we will make some changes to get it as right as possible,” Pearson said. “We are planning to get this underway and, given the importance of the sign to the tourist photo opportunities, we…