Recent Comments
- A sad Tararua tale of the usual sorts of reasons (2)
Mike McGavin (10 July, 2018): Hi Gazza. Thanks for the thoughts. Yes the web...
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 (8)
Joe Nawalaniec (30 March, 2017): That’s looks pretty good. –...
- Rising hut fees, the price of being honest (20)
Allan Thomas (18 March, 2017): Make overseas trampers pay a $100 fine if...
- One Way Communication (12)
bernieq (2 February, 2017): Quite a few years ago (6, I think), I put the...
- A sad Tararua tale of the usual sorts of reasons (2)
Author Archives: Mike McGavin
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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It’s about the spending as much as the funding
Last March I expressed my views here on calls to add more charges in various forms to parks and their facilities, and particularly on differential charging for tourists. Recently this topic has been refreshed in media. It might be because … Continue reading
Posted in musing
Tagged department of conservation, government policies, great walks, media, musing, tourism
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Is this normal?
On Friday 22nd October, 2016 (last couple of paragraphs): Pouakai Hut Meanwhile, police also rescued two people who had got lost on the Pouakai track on Friday. The pair were reached at Pouakai Hut on Friday afternoon, and were walked … Continue reading
