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)
Category Archives: musing
A sad Tararua tale of the usual sorts of reasons
I’ve held off writing much about the November 2016 accident in the Tararua, near Alpha Hut, where two people died. There hasn’t seemed to have been much new to write about which I haven’t already covered previously in this forum. … Continue reading
Another two too many in the Tararua Range
Two deaths occurred near Alpha Hut in the Tararua, in late 2016. I didn’t write about them at the time, but today Stuff published an article regarding the Coroner’s investigation. The men were attempting to walk the standard Neill-Winchcombe circuit. … Continue reading
Thoughts on another Tararua rescue
The Southern Crossing of the Tararuas has been in the news a few times lately. Shaun Barnett wrote this nifty description of the Southern Crossing for the April 2018 edition of Wilderness Magazine, although a feature on the Tararua Range … Continue reading
An interesting case of concessions in parks
The Taranaki Daily News has an interesting story about happenings in Egmont National Park. One of the guides there is concerned about fitness groups and personal trainers arranging summit walks up the mountain, allegedly illegally if they don’t have concessions … Continue reading
The Commodification of Wild Places
Tourism and commercial enterprise have been part of New Zealand’s outdoors for at least the last century. The Milford Track spent much of its history as a relatively high grade tourist attraction. For a time it was largely exclusive, and … Continue reading
Posted in musing
Tagged department of conservation, government policies, tararua southern crossing, tourism
1 Comment
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
Leave a comment
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
Leave a comment
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
1 Comment
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
Leave a comment
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
