Recent Comments
- Floyd Pond: A New Tararua Lake (9)
Joe Nawalaniec (29 November, 2019): Floyd the spoodle and I headed back in...
- Daywalk: The Kapakapanui Triangle (5)
Mike McGavin (26 July, 2019): Hi Sam. I haven’t been there for some...
Sam (25 July, 2019): Hello! Is there much of a view of Kapiti Island from...
- Daywalk: Walking the length of the Kaiwharawhara Stream (5)
Dod (29 June, 2019): I once managed to get to a portion you missed by...
- A Brief Question: Public Land Access Rights and DoC (4)
Alison Giblin (27 March, 2019): Can we apply for a Reserve to be made a...
- Trip: Kiwi Saddle, Studholme Saddle, Mackintosh Hut (2)
Siena (7 March, 2019): Hi, where exactly is the swimming hole from...
- Trip: Dawson Falls, Waiaua Gorge and Lake Dive Loop (2)
Lou (3 February, 2019): Hi we spent today up Kahui Track, I was wondering if...
- Daywalk: Pouakai Hut from Mangorei Road (3)
Colleen (5 January, 2019): The boardwalks are there to stop people damaging...
- A sad Tararua tale of the usual sorts of reasons (2)
Gazza (10 July, 2018): In some ways I think this highlights the benefits of...
- Thoughts on another Tararua rescue (3)
- The Commodification of Wild Places (1)
Wayne (1 January, 2018): What he said
- The absurdity of Ruataniwha (1)
A J Wilson (7 July, 2017): It also was a private scheme and the swap...
- Daywalk: Climbing Mount Taranaki from North Egmont (17)
Chris (25 April, 2017): Kia ora Mike, Thanks for your account of this...
- High Misadventure by Paul Hersey (my thoughts) (28)
William Bennett (11 April, 2017): Mike McGavin, thanks for Paul Herseys...
- Floyd Pond: A New Tararua Lake (9)
Author Archives: Mike McGavin
A fuller narrative of the Taranaki alpine tragedy
In 2013 I wrote briefly about the (then) recent alpine tragedy on Taranaki. A very detailed, and interactive, report about that event has now been published by Stuff. The article is sourced from multiple in-depth interviews with people directly involved. … Continue reading
Posted in musing
Tagged accident, egmont national park, link propagation, media, musing, news, search and rescue
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Pest Control and Social Licence
Lately I’ve had some issues with getting out tramping, mostly with life having been usurped by a couple of bundles of life experience. I expect the hiatus will end in time. Last Thursday 28th September, however, I went to a … Continue reading
Posted in musing
Tagged government policies, musing, pest control, predator free 2050, wellington
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Election Year 2017
This year’s been full of political promises around conservation, recreation and tourism. From time to time, over the last few years, I’ve written on DOC funding and spending issues. eg. on tourists and park access fees, on spending versus funding, … Continue reading
Posted in update
Tagged department of conservation, government policies, link propagation, politics
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The absurdity of Ruataniwha
I’ve not previously written here about the Ruataniwha Dam situation. Today’s decision in the Supreme Court, however, is highly significant. It’s not just significant for the Ruahine Range, but for the future of all Conservation Parks and Forest Parks in … Continue reading
Posted in musing
Tagged government policies, musing, ruahine, ruataniwha dam, stewardship land
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Media fanning the flames of regulation
Details are still thin, but it’s sad to learn of another death on Mt Taranaki. Not much detail has yet been released, except that an accident appears to have occurred somewhere in the vicinity of Ambury Bluff and Humphries Castle … Continue reading
Posted in musing
Tagged accident, egmont national park, media, mountain safety council, taranaki
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FMC’s new magazine website
Federated Mountain Clubs has, over the last short while, been quietly introducing its new Wilderlife website (think “wilder life”) . It’s a magazine-style website which, so far at least, revives much of the really good content that was previously only … Continue reading
The Tararua on TV
Even if you’re not into hunting, the latest episode of NZ Hunter Adventures (Ep 9, Series 3) is probably of wider interest. It’s viewable online on Choice TV’s website for the next 3 weeks, free registration required. The episode features … Continue reading
Floyd Pond: A New Tararua Lake
There’s an interesting report on Stuff this evening about a landslide in the upper Tauherenikau catchment of the Tararua, which has created a new lake in the catchment surrounded by the Dress Circle and Alpha. The new lake was reported … Continue reading
DOC’s Comments on Funding
Lou Sanson, Director-General of DOC, was on TV3/Newshub this evening. He was talking about the possibility of charging for entry to certain National Parks. The angle of the report from Samantha Hayes was that New Zealand should charge more for … Continue reading
Posted in musing
Tagged charging, department of conservation, government policies, media, musing, tourism
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Protecting Paradise, by Dave Hansford (my thoughts)
Before I launch into this, I’ll insert a word for one of the best presentations I’ve ever seen on how the world’s going, and the impact we’ve had on it. Less than a week before his death in May 2001, … Continue reading
Posted in reviews
Tagged book, department of conservation, government policies, pest control, review
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