Recent Comments
- A Storm Brewing in DoC Intentions (17)
Mike McGavin (17 May, 2012): Hi Margaret. Thanks for the thoughts. Following...
AlunJ (10 May, 2012): You can’t stop idiots being idiots. Roughplan...
- Daywalk: Up Mount Reeves (9)
John Rhodes (14 May, 2012): Hello Mike, pleased to see you’re...
- Heuristic Traps of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing (22)
- Trip: Howletts Hut via Longview and Taumatataua (7)
Roger Boshier (6 May, 2012): Very much enjoyed your Howlett’s Report....
- Kime Hut Replacement is Actually Happening (4)
Amelia (16 April, 2012): I guess at least it will be insulated and double...
- Claustrophobic bivy bags (9)
Craig (13 April, 2012): Mike, Yes there is less dew at higher altitudes but...
- Detecting a faulty baseplate compass (2)
Glen (5 April, 2012): While the Suunto/Recta “global needle”...
- A Storm Brewing in DoC Intentions (17)
Author Archives: Mike McGavin
Suggestion of Charging Overseas Visitors for National Parks
The Otago Daily Times has recently been pushing a story (parroted in the NZ Herald) about a suggestion of charging tourists for entry to National Parks in New Zealand. A further ODT story from the same day (last Thursday) briefly … Continue reading
Posted in musing
Tagged government policies, media, ministry of economic development, musing, news
4 Comments
GPSs and Cognitive Mapping, or lack of it
Late in 2010, I expressed some concerns about uses and perceptions of GPS receivers and similar technology. This article published in the New York Times (copied verbatim here if the NYT tries to force you to subscribe) refers to some … Continue reading
Tararua Range Hut-Bagging Board Game Experiment
A loose symbolic representation of The Tararuas? A few weeks back, in a comment, I alluded to a thought that the Tararua Hutbagging Competition concept could make an awesome board game. I’m thinking towards the more complex and strategic Ticket … Continue reading
A Crossing to Remember: A Tararua Southern Crossing in 1920
Several days ago, I noted that it’s almost 100 years since the Southern Crossing Track was completed, which is pretty cool. This, however, was only the beginning of a significant tourism venture for both the Otaki and Wairarapa regions. At … Continue reading
Posted in musing
Tagged book, government policies, history, media, musing, tararua southern crossing, tararuas, tramping
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Tararua Southern Crossing Track Centenary, March 2012
March of 2012 will be a quiet 100th anniversary in the Tararuas, in a sense. It might as easily be very windy and rainy. This March, if you’re attempting a Tararua Southern Crossing, or maybe if you’re competing in the … Continue reading
Posted in musing
Tagged history, media, musing, newspaper clippings, tararua southern crossing, tararuas, tramping
2 Comments
Not much to say
I won’t comment much about the recent tragedy to befall one of the Wellington-based clubs over the new year, except that my thoughts are with them and the affected families and friends.
Posted in musing
Tagged accident, media, musing, search and rescue, tararua tramping club
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Tramping Hut Users’ Survey
Howlett’s Hut is one of my favourites. If you follow this blog (yippee!) or perhaps if you’ve just stumbled upon it, there’s a reasonable chance that you’re a user of New Zealand’s Back-Country Huts. You might like to consider taking … Continue reading
Posted in musing
Tagged academia, department of conservation, huts, link propagation
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Rivers and Ropes and Mutual Support
I’ve written a little about river crossing techniques in the past, and I’m about to do so again. Before continuing, I’d like to stress that this post is not meant to be instructional in any way, so much as commenting … Continue reading
Posted in musing
Tagged federated mountain clubs, mountain safety council, musing, review, rivers
8 Comments
A Storm Brewing in DoC Intentions
There’s an interesting storm brewing in Canterbury over DoC’s decision to phase out paper-based intentions forms in favour of instructing people to use the AdventureSmart website instead, which either helps people to create their own intentions forms with their own … Continue reading
Posted in musing
Tagged department of conservation, media, musing, news, search and rescue
17 Comments
Te Araroa to open (officially)
If you’re in Wellington on Saturday December 3rd, you could pop over to Shorland Park, Island Bay at 10am for the official opening of Te Araroa—The Long Pathway. Te Araroa is a magnificent effort that’s been in progress for decades … Continue reading
