New laws proposed to control freedom camping are welcome but how will they be enforced away from the big towns?
By my own estimate Okarito hosts over 30,000 visitors a year. Their welfare and enjoyment are important to us as they provide a living for several small businesses. The community itself operates a small DOC campground and all funds generated fund community work like providing toilets and potable water for visitors. They also fund projects like restoring Donovan's Store, the oldest wooden building on the West Coast.
Over 99% of visitors treat our environment with respect, use the toilets provided and we hope enjoy their stay. As always, it is the ferals that cause all the aggro. They are often SKIMS, "single kiwi males", in old vans who hide in the carparks late in the evening.
Asking someone to move on is not a pleasant experience neither for the local nor the offending visitor. Who wants an argument with strangers just before bed - a poor nights sleep is almost guaranteed. But how else will the new law be enforced? Our local policeman is 30km and Council is 120km north at Hokitika. Perhaps I'm missing some innovative proposal in the legislation that will solve our problems
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Ducks aren't dumb.
Two pair of paradise ducks live in Okarito village. They are the originals or descendants of birds found as abandoned ducklings and lovingly reared by some of our "earth-mother" residents. All four are unnamed but still important sentries in the village.
Our ducks recognize faces, I'm sure, because they virtually ignore me as I potter about our garden on my daily chores. The old hen looks at me "oh him again" and carries on grazing. But strangers that pass are watched closely. If the strangers show interest then the "honk, honking" begins as the ducks show their suspicion and displeasure. Unsupervised young boys are especially a risk.
There are many other hazards. While the local canines are benign visiting mutts don't show the same respect but so far the ducks have survived. Then there are the cars, trucks, and camper vans that visit daily, some at speeds that threaten not only the ducks. One visiting boy racer in an act of defiance deliberately flattened five ducklings. A week later he flattened himself in a high-speed crash - UTU.
The four ducks tolerate each other except for the mating season when the peace is shattered by violent battles over territory. Eventually, after many fearsome feather pulling fights a truce is achieved along a boundary established around the main road intersection. Each pair nest high in rimu trees with the hen duck sitting, leaving the drake to wander aimlessly about waiting for the hen to make brief feeding visits.
Not all the ducklings survive despite our best efforts of care. Usually between two and six reach maturity. They are then shooed away by their parents and we never see them again.
Our ducks recognize faces, I'm sure, because they virtually ignore me as I potter about our garden on my daily chores. The old hen looks at me "oh him again" and carries on grazing. But strangers that pass are watched closely. If the strangers show interest then the "honk, honking" begins as the ducks show their suspicion and displeasure. Unsupervised young boys are especially a risk.
There are many other hazards. While the local canines are benign visiting mutts don't show the same respect but so far the ducks have survived. Then there are the cars, trucks, and camper vans that visit daily, some at speeds that threaten not only the ducks. One visiting boy racer in an act of defiance deliberately flattened five ducklings. A week later he flattened himself in a high-speed crash - UTU.
The four ducks tolerate each other except for the mating season when the peace is shattered by violent battles over territory. Eventually, after many fearsome feather pulling fights a truce is achieved along a boundary established around the main road intersection. Each pair nest high in rimu trees with the hen duck sitting, leaving the drake to wander aimlessly about waiting for the hen to make brief feeding visits.
Not all the ducklings survive despite our best efforts of care. Usually between two and six reach maturity. They are then shooed away by their parents and we never see them again.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Game animals
I never thought I would see this day. For some of us it is like the fall of the Berlin Wall. At long long last, the government has begun the process to treat our wild animals, deer, thar, chamois and pigs, as game rather than simply a pest to be exterminated if at all possible. There is to be a new Game Council that will advise DOC on wild animal management. They have yet to repeal the Wild Animals Act but I expect that will follow.
What a relief for the hunters and all credit to Peter Dunn for gaining this first step. The Conservation Act was drafted in the midst of a conservation campaign by Forest and Bird to get rid of the NZ Forest Service and Lands and Survey with their "multiple use" polices for NZ's wild lands. Several prominent "greenies" had major say in the wording of the Act and they made sure large mammals maintained their "unwelcome" status. The NZ hunter was left out in the cold with no say in the management of their sport and this reality is behind the negative attitudes many hunters have for DOC.
Hunting has become incredibly popular, to my surprise, and wild food feeds many rural families. A change of attitude by our government is very welcome, the only pity is I'm nearly past enjoying the benefits to come.
What a relief for the hunters and all credit to Peter Dunn for gaining this first step. The Conservation Act was drafted in the midst of a conservation campaign by Forest and Bird to get rid of the NZ Forest Service and Lands and Survey with their "multiple use" polices for NZ's wild lands. Several prominent "greenies" had major say in the wording of the Act and they made sure large mammals maintained their "unwelcome" status. The NZ hunter was left out in the cold with no say in the management of their sport and this reality is behind the negative attitudes many hunters have for DOC.
Hunting has become incredibly popular, to my surprise, and wild food feeds many rural families. A change of attitude by our government is very welcome, the only pity is I'm nearly past enjoying the benefits to come.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Boating and alcohol
I am the proud holder of a Queensland Government Marine Licence issued in 2006. This permits me to operate all recreational boats powered by a motor over 6hp. It is a lifetime licence. To obtain this licence I had to attend a full day of lectures and then pass both written and practical exams. As a matter of interest Jet ski drivers require the above plus an extra day of assessments.
Two lessons stuck in my mind. The first was that Australians have water police who check boaties leaving port. No licence or incomplete safety gear then back to port you go.
The second was a zero tolerance of alcohol if you are a skipper. If you cannot pass the road breath test while on the water then you loose your boat licence and your car licence. Ditto if you are caught over the limit driving your car you loose both licenses. No ifs and buts. The only time a skipper can drink on the boat is when tied to a wharf, not simply at anchorage.
Why I mention these details is to comment on the recent tragic collision between a jet ski and jetboat in Queenstown. Apparently alcohol was a factor as well as no lifejackets, speed, and lack of knowledge of navigation rules on the river.
Water safety is yet another issue where we are way behind Australia
Two lessons stuck in my mind. The first was that Australians have water police who check boaties leaving port. No licence or incomplete safety gear then back to port you go.
The second was a zero tolerance of alcohol if you are a skipper. If you cannot pass the road breath test while on the water then you loose your boat licence and your car licence. Ditto if you are caught over the limit driving your car you loose both licenses. No ifs and buts. The only time a skipper can drink on the boat is when tied to a wharf, not simply at anchorage.
Why I mention these details is to comment on the recent tragic collision between a jet ski and jetboat in Queenstown. Apparently alcohol was a factor as well as no lifejackets, speed, and lack of knowledge of navigation rules on the river.
Water safety is yet another issue where we are way behind Australia
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Christchurch Earthquakes
At 12.51 on Tuesday the 22nd of February 2011, I was standing in front of the computer checking my twitter feed. Then began a gentle swaying motion that lasted about 10 seconds. I immediately posted a tweet recording the event and clicked to the quake drums on the Geonet website to find the epicentre. I always do this as our big worry here is the risk posed by a tsunami triggered by a nearby local earthquake. Geonet took until 1pm to update their drums, longer for the Christchurch drum. But within three minutes someone from Christchurch posted on twitter.
Within the next few hours the true scale of the event unfolded, a catastrophe for the city. The loss of life and devastation are just terrible. We wait with trepidation for the casualty lists as although we live five hours drive away it is without doubt we will have lost friends and acquaintances.
Those of us in the science community were well aware of the potential risks to buildings and infrastructure posed by the soils of central and eastern Christchurch. The localities at risk are displayed on hazard maps. However, all of New Zealand faces a tectonic or volcanic threat of some degree so we tend to ignore the dangers in day to day living.
The quakes impact is very relevant to Okarito as we too live with the potential for liquefaction. Okarito lagoon features several circular islands that may be the result of large scale sand blows.
During the development struggles 10 years ago, the Community hired a geotech scientist to advise whether the easternmost undeveloped sections were suitable building sites. He concluded that the land was no better or worse than most of eastern Christchurch. It wasn't a yes or no answer, simply saying they do so over there so why not here?
Fortunately, the majority of Okarito houses are built on gravel and coarse beach sand, a more stable substrate than the saturated fine sands under the undeveloped sections. The global financial crisis has taken care of Okarito's eastern sections in the short term but the issue remains.
Everybody is chastened by the tragedy unfolding in Christchurch. Our local risks seem more real now and we wonder how we will cope during and after an event. I expect our civil defence preparations will become a little more polished in the near future.
Within the next few hours the true scale of the event unfolded, a catastrophe for the city. The loss of life and devastation are just terrible. We wait with trepidation for the casualty lists as although we live five hours drive away it is without doubt we will have lost friends and acquaintances.
Those of us in the science community were well aware of the potential risks to buildings and infrastructure posed by the soils of central and eastern Christchurch. The localities at risk are displayed on hazard maps. However, all of New Zealand faces a tectonic or volcanic threat of some degree so we tend to ignore the dangers in day to day living.
The quakes impact is very relevant to Okarito as we too live with the potential for liquefaction. Okarito lagoon features several circular islands that may be the result of large scale sand blows.
During the development struggles 10 years ago, the Community hired a geotech scientist to advise whether the easternmost undeveloped sections were suitable building sites. He concluded that the land was no better or worse than most of eastern Christchurch. It wasn't a yes or no answer, simply saying they do so over there so why not here?
Fortunately, the majority of Okarito houses are built on gravel and coarse beach sand, a more stable substrate than the saturated fine sands under the undeveloped sections. The global financial crisis has taken care of Okarito's eastern sections in the short term but the issue remains.
Everybody is chastened by the tragedy unfolding in Christchurch. Our local risks seem more real now and we wonder how we will cope during and after an event. I expect our civil defence preparations will become a little more polished in the near future.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Akaroa
We have just returned from an brief (overnight) visit to Akaroa. It takes just over an hour of travel from Christchurch via Waihora, Lake Forsyth and Little River. We loved the place with it's numerous Catagory 1 historic buildings and various cafe's. Luckily, the village has escaped serious damage from the recent earthquakes largely because most buildings are of wooden construction.
As I always do I headed up for the hills along a walking track that assends directly behind the village on Rue Bulgarie. The trail rises up steep roads that eventually give way to a grassy trail that heads up to a saddle pass over to the next valley. What superb scenery! The run-down farmland has clumps of reverted kanuka and ngaio that create a park-like landscape. I saw rabbit, hares, geese, a hedgehog and a few woolly sheep. There are also healthy numbers of kereru, tui, and bellbirds.
If you were looking for viable farming ventures, forget it. These farms can't even be paying their Council rates and are nothing more than large life style blocks (life sentence more likely). Closer to the village are the remnants of many failed alternative life style ventures, especially protea groves?
It is tourism that provides today's economy at Akaroa. My thoughts were that the Akaroa environs are typical of the wider New Zealand scene. Beautiful scenery and pleasant villages but few signs of viable enterprises.
As I always do I headed up for the hills along a walking track that assends directly behind the village on Rue Bulgarie. The trail rises up steep roads that eventually give way to a grassy trail that heads up to a saddle pass over to the next valley. What superb scenery! The run-down farmland has clumps of reverted kanuka and ngaio that create a park-like landscape. I saw rabbit, hares, geese, a hedgehog and a few woolly sheep. There are also healthy numbers of kereru, tui, and bellbirds.
If you were looking for viable farming ventures, forget it. These farms can't even be paying their Council rates and are nothing more than large life style blocks (life sentence more likely). Closer to the village are the remnants of many failed alternative life style ventures, especially protea groves?
It is tourism that provides today's economy at Akaroa. My thoughts were that the Akaroa environs are typical of the wider New Zealand scene. Beautiful scenery and pleasant villages but few signs of viable enterprises.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Wilding Pines
You cannot drive the Arthur's Pass Road to Christchurch without noticing the spread of wilding pines between Craigeburn Cutting and Broken River. They now cover thousands of hectares on both sides of the highway from heights of the Craigeburn Ranges to the far side of Flock Hill.
What an absolute disaster in the making! Debbie has heard me grumbling about the lack of action for the past three decades. Where on earth have DOC been? I know of report after report but f'all else! You can see pitiful efforts at clear-cutting the original planted forest, mowing along the Flock Hill flats and a few patches which look like spraying trials.
The situation is now lost, in my opinion. Seedlings will continue spreading across the landscape and only well grazed pasture will be spared. Most seedlings are Pinus contorta which grow to virtually useless forest. There are Douglas fir and Larch seedlings as well which may create an economic forest where they dominate. What alarmed me most were the scattered bushes of Alnus viridis, a shrub introduced to stabilize scree slopes on high slopes. I remember being assured that there was no way they could spread.
I have a personal interest in this wilding issue as I once risked my job in the 1970's by publically questioning the revegetation polices of the Forest Service and Ministry of Works. Being a whistle-blower in those days was not without its risk. Readers may not be aware that wilding pines are a scourge in several other areas on both islands of NZ.
All came from a decade when Forest Service managers believed they could save NZ from "deer-induced erosion" by revegetation of the barren mountains. I know of a helicopter being used to scatter contorta seed along the Tararua, Ruahine and Kaweka Ranges. Just a man sitting with the door off scattering seed from a bag over the slip-faces. Fortunately, the seed cannot have been viable on that occasion.
Now we are left with several major ecological disasters with no feasible solution.
What an absolute disaster in the making! Debbie has heard me grumbling about the lack of action for the past three decades. Where on earth have DOC been? I know of report after report but f'all else! You can see pitiful efforts at clear-cutting the original planted forest, mowing along the Flock Hill flats and a few patches which look like spraying trials.
The situation is now lost, in my opinion. Seedlings will continue spreading across the landscape and only well grazed pasture will be spared. Most seedlings are Pinus contorta which grow to virtually useless forest. There are Douglas fir and Larch seedlings as well which may create an economic forest where they dominate. What alarmed me most were the scattered bushes of Alnus viridis, a shrub introduced to stabilize scree slopes on high slopes. I remember being assured that there was no way they could spread.
I have a personal interest in this wilding issue as I once risked my job in the 1970's by publically questioning the revegetation polices of the Forest Service and Ministry of Works. Being a whistle-blower in those days was not without its risk. Readers may not be aware that wilding pines are a scourge in several other areas on both islands of NZ.
All came from a decade when Forest Service managers believed they could save NZ from "deer-induced erosion" by revegetation of the barren mountains. I know of a helicopter being used to scatter contorta seed along the Tararua, Ruahine and Kaweka Ranges. Just a man sitting with the door off scattering seed from a bag over the slip-faces. Fortunately, the seed cannot have been viable on that occasion.
Now we are left with several major ecological disasters with no feasible solution.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)