Category Archives: musing

A sad Tararua tale of the usual sorts of reasons

Posted on 10 July, 2018 by Mike McGavinPrint This Post Print This Post

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 →

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Another two too many in the Tararua Range

Posted on 17 April, 2018 by Mike McGavinPrint This Post Print This Post

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 →

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Thoughts on another Tararua rescue

Posted on 31 March, 2018 by Mike McGavinPrint This Post Print This Post

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 →

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An interesting case of concessions in parks

Posted on 14 February, 2018 by Mike McGavinPrint This Post Print This Post

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 →

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The Commodification of Wild Places

Posted on 31 December, 2017 by Mike McGavinPrint This Post Print This Post

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 →

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A fuller narrative of the Taranaki alpine tragedy

Posted on 8 October, 2017 by Mike McGavinPrint This Post Print This Post

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 →

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Pest Control and Social Licence

Posted on 30 September, 2017 by Mike McGavinPrint This Post Print This Post

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 →

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The absurdity of Ruataniwha

Posted on 6 July, 2017 by Mike McGavinPrint This Post Print This Post

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 →

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Media fanning the flames of regulation

Posted on 29 June, 2017 by Mike McGavinPrint This Post Print This Post

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 →

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FMC’s new magazine website

Posted on 29 May, 2017 by Mike McGavinPrint This Post Print This Post

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 →

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