Wilderness February 2018

THE UPCOMING REVIEW of the General Policy for National Parks is timely. The phenomenal increase in tourist numbers and the associated pressure and strain that has put on everything to do with our parks has caused no small amount of consternation among outdoor enthusiasts. We’ve invited experts in recreation, tourism, conservation and iwi perspectives to share their thoughts on the big issues facing our parks and how they should be addressed. You can read their opinions on p56. I am impressed with idea of preserving natural quiet, as advocated by conservationist Craig Potton. Natural quiet is the ambient sound of things not made by people – the likes of bird calls, the wind blowing through the trees, the tumble of rock fall, a glacier calving into a lake, a running…

Christmas poem I was delighted to receive a poem from my nine-year-old daughter on Christmas Day. We live at Island Bay, Wellington, and as a family we love walking in the nearby bush. I thought your readers might appreciate the poem, too. - Gillian Henderwood The New Zealand Bush By Molly Henderwood The tiptoe of the kiwi Wandering through the bush. The song of the tui Echoing through the trees. A little blue penguin Curled up near the beach. The excitement of the kea Running down the roots. The beauty of the fantail Brightens the morning. The New Zealand bush. No soap in streams Contrary to the advice in the article ‘Staying healthy on the trail’ (December 2017), it is not OK to use biodegradable soap to wash yourself in…

GET YOUR PHOTO PUBLISHED HERE TO RECEIVE AN OPINEL NO.5 FOLDING KNIFE WORTH $20. Learn more about Opinel at ampro.co.nz . Last Weekend submission criteria can be found at wildernessmag.co.nz…

More rangers this summer There are more DOC rangers on the beat at popular holiday tracks, huts and campgrounds this summer, as the department spends an extra $2 million on frontline staff. DOC director for tourism, recreation and heritage Gavin Walker said it was paying for an extra 6000 hours of staff time in the southern South Island alone. “People can expect to see more rangers than ever out safeguarding plants and wildlife, collecting fees, keeping the place tidy and advocating for the awesome nature people have come to visit,” Walker said. New era for Egmont National Park Following in the footsteps of Te Urewera and Whanganui River, Mount Taranaki is set to become a legal personality, jointly managed by iwi and the Crown. The status of Egmont National Park…

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…

HUTS AROUND THE COUNTRY Have been running out of water, as the country has been hit by a sweltering summer and tourism hotspots swell with people. Four huts in Aspiring National Park had empty water tanks in January, while other huts that had stream-fed water supplies were also out of water as the streams dried up. Colin Todd, French Ridge, Liverpool and Young huts were all listed as having empty water tanks, but DOC said alternative water sources were available nearby. Central Otago senior community ranger Annette Grieve said Aspiring and Siberia huts were also very low, despite being fed by streams, and campsites in the Haast Pass were having to get water pumped to them from nearby sources. Grieve said it had been an unusually dry summer and there…