tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34601321463616632772024-02-20T10:17:25.592-08:00Walk for Water QualityThis is an account of my walk of the Te Araroa Trail of New Zealand, from Cape Reinga, at the top of the North Island, to Bluff at the bottom of the South Island. I'm raising awareness of water quality issues in our country.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709371254894962408noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3460132146361663277.post-73949991409534952672014-03-22T18:10:00.001-07:002014-03-22T18:14:49.875-07:00Nearing the End of the Golden Weather: A Bitter Sweet Time in Canterbury<span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">I've been walking for a long time now but I really am not concerned with writing about the ins and outs of life on the trail. If you want to know more about that, read the book that I will be writing when I get home. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.111111640930176px; line-height: 14px;">Originally this article was to be entitled:<i> </i></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><i>The Canterbury Tales, Corporate Power Grabs and The Decline of Democracy in New Zealand</i>. Unfortunately that article disappeared into cyber space back in Christchurch. It was all about how Environment Canterbury was declared dysfunctional by the government due to the fact that it was putting the brakes on new irrigation schemes in the Canterbury region. This democratically elected group was disbanded in the most blatantly unscrupulous manner by the current government on advice from dairy insider and former National party MP Wyatt Creech. I'm low on time so I'm going to quote Wikipedia here which is terrible but if you can prove these facts wrong please do so.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">"Following his retirement from politics, Creech headed up a small group that took advantage of the opportunities created by the deregulation of the dairy industry by the founding of the Open Country Cheese Company located near <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matamata" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Matamata">Matamata</a>, in <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waikato" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Waikato">Waikato</a>. This has now grown into Open Country Dairy Co Ltd with both milk powder and cheese production facilities in Waharoa (near Matamata), Waikato, Awarua (near Invercargill) and Wanganui... In 2009-10, Creech was commissioned by the Minister for the Environment and the Minister of Local Government to head a review of the performance of <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environment_Canterbury" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Environment Canterbury">Environment Canterbury</a>.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-7" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wyatt_Creech#cite_note-7" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[7]</a></sup> Their report was highly critical of the performance and capability of the organisation, and while the recommendations were controversial, were fully implemented by the government... As former directors of failed investment and property company Blue Chip run by Mark Bryers, Creech and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Luxton" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="John Luxton">John Luxton</a> are included (2012) in two lawsuits which allege breach of their duty to investors.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-9" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wyatt_Creech#cite_note-9" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[9]</a></sup> "</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.111111640930176px; line-height: 14px;"> Pretty Standard stuff there really. These are not conspiracy theories, just conspiracies. The further I go the more my mind is being blown by the way that democracy has been bulldozed out of the way in order to allow for more intensive dairy farming. This is being perpetrated by the very people charged with protecting our environment such as Environment Minister and Dairy investor extraordinaire Amy Adams. Apparently Mike Hosking said recently that people going on about the dairy industry should be silent because it is making us a lot of money. Making who a lot of money? Anyway I wrote to a new friend recently about an issue that I have learned about while walking. I thought for the purposes of saving time that I'd post it here. Me mate Dave won't like it but I do appreciate that he seems to be the only one reading this blog so cheers, Dave. Hopefully we can have a beer when I get back and forget about water quality for awhile.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.111111640930176px; line-height: 14px;">An issue that I want to highlight is the importation of foreign labour to keep costs down for dairy. The "we're providing jobs" argument won't fly. Firstly, converting a dry stock farm into a dairy farm does not provide new jobs to New Zealanders as the lobbyists like Federated Farmers claim. All this does is change the nature of the work performed. On the one hand, lobbyists claim that they are providing jobs to New Zealanders but on the other they say that New Zealanders won't do the work </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">(we're too lazy)</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.111111640930176px; line-height: 14px;"> and are not qualified enough. They can't have it both ways.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.111111640930176px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.111111640930176px; line-height: 14px;">The reality is that the industry wants to pay <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/8141473/Dairy-farms-turn-to-migrants">low wages to trained peopl</a>e. If the industry paid a realistic rate, more Kiwis would work in the industry but kiwis don't want to do 60 hour weeks for "$46,246 or $49,159 (including total package value)" (Federated Farmers remuneration report) Even at the top rate this equates to as little as $16 per hour. Why would kiwis do this when they can go to Australia and make similar money labouring for 40 hours a week? </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.111111640930176px; line-height: 14px;">If the rates went up to meet the real NZ market value for labour, people would start moving toward these jobs and we wouldn't have a situation where we are bringing in cheap labour while New Zealanders go elsewhere, at least not to the same extent. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.111111640930176px; line-height: 14px;">The only reason that we (water advocates around the country) make this point is that the industry use the "we're providing jobs" argument all the time as an excuse for pollution. Also, on the one hand the lobbyists crow about dairy being New Zealand's top bread winner with over $13 billion contribution to GDP. Anyone from the industry who were to read this would then cry foul, saying I want to drive them broke. It's all just duplicitous spin. I don't have an issue with the average farmer making a living, in fact I support them, but this has become a huge corporate gold rush with our waterways as the victim. Ordinary farmers who have been at it for generations will be the victims when this bubble bursts.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.111111640930176px; line-height: 14px;">Anyway, this whole thing has made me even more jaded than I already was. I'm really tired physically So here's the good: I LOVED walking Hayman Road along lake Pukaki. It is truly one of the most serene and beautiful places I've been to even if it is man made. Mount Cook looks straight down on the lake in it's timeless splendour; I wish I could have stayed longer. In fact, Canterbury has been so far the most outstanding place in New Zealand. Next up, Otago.</span><br />
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Lance TalstraAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709371254894962408noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3460132146361663277.post-27788359136772416782014-02-28T00:55:00.001-08:002014-02-28T03:27:54.491-08:00Best Practice in Mangawhai: A Guest Success Story from Gary Henwood.<p dir="ltr">My parents bought the land in 2000 and started the fencing of waterways in about 2003. I am noticing that the regeneration is just starting to take off. There aren't many medium sized plants but there are literally thousands of small plants and new seedlings at the back of their property. Just before we moved here in 2008 I started trapping possums and planting the fenced off areas. </p>
<p dir="ltr">We've planted around 3000 trees and hope to do another 3000 in the next two years. We used a number of different species found locally with the majority of what we planted being manuka. It supports both groups of mycrohizzal fungi, provides a lot of mulch and is relatively cheap, making it the perfect choice for native regeneration. We've noticed a substantial increase in native bird life since we started trapping.</p>
<p dir="ltr">We don't use and fertiliser on the land as it is very lightly stocked. Dad used lime and liquid fertiliser on his dairy farm in Kerikeri. His stocking rate was also on the low side. Their production was still high however due to a good breeding programme which resulted in record sale prices when their herd was sold. The main barrier here has just been time. Being a landscaper has helped. The Kaipara council also refunded the money for the fences and these areas have been covenanted. </p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS4w1XUu6G-2fjDCQZTbKDYxdEvxBMEOAx1froCYtIKciQ_Y8HJR8O9nB1XaPGrDlA3zqrn1WT2L42JlpCYdnaK9xFTBpVQtLAJC9A-HgehyphenhyphenLa2nrLBPPewwWdD7iYdPwcBZvz7XFIdUVM/s1600/IMG_75158053500072.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS4w1XUu6G-2fjDCQZTbKDYxdEvxBMEOAx1froCYtIKciQ_Y8HJR8O9nB1XaPGrDlA3zqrn1WT2L42JlpCYdnaK9xFTBpVQtLAJC9A-HgehyphenhyphenLa2nrLBPPewwWdD7iYdPwcBZvz7XFIdUVM/s640/IMG_75158053500072.jpeg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I had many more photos of the property but unfortunately a phone fatality has left only this one remaining.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709371254894962408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3460132146361663277.post-7486627041726470422014-02-19T18:10:00.001-08:002014-02-20T04:09:07.600-08:00Water Quality at the Crossroads, Half Way Down but a Long Way to Go<p dir="ltr"><br>
The lines are drawn on water quality in NZ. Most people who know me now know that for the last four months I have been walking from Cape Reinga to Bluff in order to generate awareness about water pollution. By the time I reached Wellington I had come to understand, more clearly than ever, that moving our lowland rural areas away from water pollution towards a cleaner future is not high on the agenda for our government or the agriculture lobby. I am actually well over half way down now, having travelled 1930 of the 3054 kilometres that the Te Araroa Trail spans. While in Wellington I had the opportunity to discuss water quality with <a href="https://db.tt/wXZnnoJ0">Connor English</a>, CEO of Federated Farmers and also with <a href="https://db.tt/vbzh2atR">Susan Guthrie</a> of the Morgan Foundation's Clean River Awards. These meetings occured within minutes of each other and the stroll up and down Featherston Street was a trip across enemy lines. Anyone who saw Gareth Morgan and Connor English slogging it out over water quality in their televised counterpoint session would understand that the two don't go for beers together after work. </p>
<p dir="ltr">From what I gather, being a CEO is a pretty busy job and Mr English was very generous in spending an hour with me (some scruffy looking random in hiking gear with a backpack) on the morning that he had announced his resignation as CEO of Federated Farmers. Honestly, I had nothing to do with it. I did jokingly suggest that our worsening water quality issue might be too much of a headache to deal with. He shrugged this off casually and commenced to let me know plenty about the Fed's position on this issue before I had a chance to start recording. By the time I managed to get the audio recorder going we were on to the subject of Mike Joy's criticism of the dairy industry. Connor was, in a word, scathing of Dr Joy's outspoken media presence and I started to feel like a kid in the principal's office being warned not to run with the wrong crowd. While he made some good points and seemed a very decent guy, it is clear that the organisation's overriding goal is to push for a situation where the largest possible revenue can be generated at the lowest possible cost; this is not sustainable. </p>
<p dir="ltr">On top of this we have a government that, far from acting to adequately regulate pollution which is now spiralling out of control, is actively pursuing measures (such as the proposed ammendments to the RMA and the National Policy Statement for Fresh Water Management) that will allow for even greater levels of pollution in our waterways. This is not surprising considering that many current ministers have <a href="http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11155241">significant investment</a> in the dairy industry. I have made this point already but it is worth repeating: This entire issue is about dollars not sense. The rise in dairy commodity prices driven by foreign demand has got dollar signs in the eyes of those who are charged with protecting our waterways. What is happening is an abuse of a public amenity for private profit. But who can blame dairy farmers for doing what they are entitled to do within the confines of the law? We now need stricter regulations in place regarding land use for dairy farming which control stocking levels and nutrient levels. The current system whereby the taxpayer is left to pick up the clean up bill for "iconic" waterways such as Taupo and the Rotorua lakes to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars is nothing but a wealth transfer. Just today in Te Anau I spoke with an ex farmer of thirty plus years who said what we are dealing with is a "tsunami of s*#t" much of which is coming straight from the mouths of politicians.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Thankfully there is an ever increasing group of principled individuals who are working to combat this situation. I spoke with Susan Guthrie of the Morgan Foundation's <a href="http://nzriverawards.org.nz/2013-river-awards/">River Awards</a> and she was obviously passionate about promoting the positive stories that are sprouting up at the grass roots level around the country. The aim is to grow this initiative so that it becomes a nationally renowned competition promoting health and sustainable use of our waterways. Susan is an economist and we talked at length about the current pattern of externalising the cost of pollution, meaning that the true cost is born by the public rather than the industry. It is thus very encouraging to see that there are a huge number of rural people who are doing their best to improve the waterways in their area and in many cases pressuring those who drag their heels. In some places we are seeing the return of native freshwater fish, macro invertebrates and the larger native creatures such as the whio (blue duck) which feed on them. These grass roots initiatives are growing in number and the hard working people who are involved are to be commended.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Having spoken with people at various levels on both sides of the debate over water quality, I can see that there is some genuine animosity which only seems to be growing. To me the situation grows more and more transparent all of the time. There are many different factors contributing to water pollution in this country; this cannot be argued against. By far the largest and fastest growing source is the dairy industry; this is also indisputable. The fact is, that the dairy industry is our highest export revenue generator due to high dairy commodity prices driven by demand from foreign countries, in particular China. The better the money gets, the more encouragment there is to turn forestry and dry stock land into dairy farms with more than 600,000 additional hectares destined to be converted over the next ten years. Dramatically increasing the size of our largest water pollution source will not reduce pollution and there is no credible way to argue this. The only way forward to a cleaner future for our waterways is polluter pays regulation governing the dairy industry.</p>
<p dir="ltr">If we do take clear, decisive action now to reverse this terrible trend of water pollution in our beautiful country, we can look forward to a future of clean, lowland waterways throughout the country and the survival of our chain of bio diversity that sustains not only iconic creatures such as the blue duck, which graces our ten dollar bill, but a whole host of other creatures. We will be able to swim and fish safely in places like the Waikato and the Manawatu Rivers. Our tourism industry can only stand to benefit from an enhanced reputation and best of all, I won't have to walk all the way back from Bluff.</p><p dir="ltr">Lance Talstra,</p><p dir="ltr">Still walking for water quality.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZt0EAin13fKZBWIlvlvtSjoHITSfqNZ87X2T7pPz2ZxCHrnqOAaQEGi6eT9NU99bWLYbuIUWB7M-OLK5JePzKNMyha90i4MQYeZ1mF-0NyfTfvAEJdBxoDzqivDNTJVR0tGBfRPfpiSNq/s1600/DSC_0079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZt0EAin13fKZBWIlvlvtSjoHITSfqNZ87X2T7pPz2ZxCHrnqOAaQEGi6eT9NU99bWLYbuIUWB7M-OLK5JePzKNMyha90i4MQYeZ1mF-0NyfTfvAEJdBxoDzqivDNTJVR0tGBfRPfpiSNq/s640/DSC_0079.JPG"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pelorus river heading up into the bush</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2xZkOCMVHyp2YurLGAO4nNtO7gjgxheScV3lFbxVnyW4OAv4s3hps9iAJVwm0idoDBmxeMV6rXlhjrD1VvYnv4gPVSMc1jAwPLZbrvKCVEIbrte3jHGYjWiSPrjEXPGr88MYKc_I0NjV/s1600/DSC_0068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2xZkOCMVHyp2YurLGAO4nNtO7gjgxheScV3lFbxVnyW4OAv4s3hps9iAJVwm0idoDBmxeMV6rXlhjrD1VvYnv4gPVSMc1jAwPLZbrvKCVEIbrte3jHGYjWiSPrjEXPGr88MYKc_I0NjV/s640/DSC_0068.JPG"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Lowland stream running through unfenced dairy farms</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709371254894962408noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3460132146361663277.post-74450412222498833912014-02-08T21:21:00.001-08:002014-02-09T19:55:31.636-08:00A Yarn to Dr Mike Joy, Freshwater Ecologist and Water Quality Expert part 2<p dir="ltr">When Dr Joy arrived at Cafe Cuba in Palmerston North I was half reading the paper and half anticipating his arrival. When he did arrive he was, with beard and longish hair, looking more like a long distance hiker than me. He was on a first name basis with the staff and got his usual, plus "whatever this scruffy bugger is having." I had the mince on toast. Mike seems to have a naturally jovial nature but this appears partially buried beneath a pile of concern about the state of our waterways and anxiety about the likely future based on current policy moves by government.</p>
<p dir="ltr">When I asked him about the potential impacts of the proposed ammendments to the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management his head dropped and both hands covered his face in a gesture of pure frustration. These ammendments would allow a national, bottom-line, median figure for nitrate pollution of 6.9 mg per liter of water. To put this into perspective, the current median level for the Waikato River at Huntly is .355 mg/L, almost 20 times lower than the proposed bottom line. The news gets worse though, in that this median target applies across regions rather than individual waterways meaning that more pristine rivers and streams can bump up the average for the region, even if others have concentrations higher than the required median level of 6.9 mg/L. A particularly potent source of concentrated nitrates is cow urine. We now have close to seven million dairy cattle in New Zealand and the number continues to grow. The average dairy cow consumes up to 100 litres of water a day and produces up to fourteen times the effluent of a human. Some basic arithmetic shows us that dairy cattle consume up to seven hundred million litres of water a day in New Zealand and produce the equivalent effluent of nearly one hundred million humans. This has the dual effect of reducing existing water supplies while increasing nitrate concentrations. Everyone has to make a living but it is pretty easy to see where this is heading.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Dr Joy took the time to explain that while the prospect of toxic levels of nitrogen in our waterways are alarming enough, this is just where problems really begin. Excessive levels of nutrients contribute to a process called <a href="http://www.niwa.co.nz/our-science/freshwater/tools/kaitiaki_tools/impacts/nutrients/eutrophication">eutrophication</a>. Just as nitrogen helps grass to grow, it also fosters growth in aquatic plants. Gradually, excessive plant growth chokes slower moving water bodies and the death and decomposition of plants saps oxygen from the water, causing the area to become unsuitable as a habitat for many animals. New Zealand has a wide array of native freshwater species that require highly oxygenated water in order to survive. Currently, more than 60% of native freshwater fish are considered threatened species and continued loss of suitable habitats due to pollution can only serve to diminish the populations of native species.</p><p dir="ltr">Unfortunately, the fate of fish is not of interest to some people but Mike also made mention of real threats to human health due to excess nitrogen entering ground water. He specifically referred to warnings from the Caterbury Medical Officer of Health who recently warned of the potential of blue baby syndrome in the Canterbury region due to high concentrations of nitrates in some rural ground water. While Federated Farmers were quick to dismiss this as "alarmist", a report by the Environment Ministry from 2007 identified that a third of ground water sites tested around New Zealand had high nitrate levels and 20% showed signs of contamination from faecal matter. He also talked about the prospect of high nitrate concentrations in ground water causing damage to the renal system. This is something that needs to be looked at very closely.</p><p dir="ltr">Another concern of many people in NZ is fracking. I put this to Mike and his response was "Yes, it may become a serious and widespread problem but we already have a big problem that is growing by the day and it is the increase and intensification of dairy farming." According to Dr Joy there is no magic bullet or any form of mitigation that can offset the vast environmental impact of converting millions of hectares of land into high intensity dairy farms. The Parliamentary Commisioner for the Environment had a similar conclusion in her recent report on the effect of nutrients on water quality with her conclusion that we have reached a classic environment versus economy scenario. It seems that in order to reach the government target of doubling the value of agricultural exports by 2025 there is a high price to pay. </p><p dir="ltr">Upon parting company I noticed that, contrary to what some online commenters say, Mike certainly does not appear to be creaming it with a cushy high paid government position made possible by perpetuating his own reality about water quality. His passion for this country's unique natural environment and frustration at it's continuing degradation sometimes makes him controversial. He is certainly hard working but drives what I think was a slightly beat up nineties Toyota. All in all, Mike seems to be a pretty humble joker. Funnily enough he actually said "I wish I was doing what you're doing." The sentiment is mutual.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709371254894962408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3460132146361663277.post-23628726342238866352014-01-12T15:17:00.001-08:002014-01-26T17:55:57.797-08:00Walking and Talking Water Quality in Horowhenua<p dir="ltr">The trail from Palmerston North ambles up through a little bush track around Massey University and on up past the Turitea Water Treatment Facility. This is where Palmerston North draws much of its drinking water from. You then walk mostly on the road and end up following the course of the Kahuterawa stream, which winds its way down a long valley, through the hills that rise southward along the eastern edge of the Manawatu and Horowhenua. I decided to camp at the picturesque Kahuterawa Reserve and was, to my surprise, later joined by a group of four other hikers. Laura, Pieter, Johanna, and Emmanuel were all TA hikers as well and it was good to have a chat with them before retiring. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Unfortunately for us, this spot was more popular than we thought and we were invaded around eleven PM (on a Thursday!) by a group of teenagers hellbent on getting absolutely plastered until 5:30 in the morning. I would have gotten up and said something about the noise if it wasn't for the undeniable fact that I've done the same thing myself. We left around eight the next day but not before I played some powerful, yet poor harmonica for our new friends. The Kahuterawa stream is not only subject to noise pollution however and it's lower path is now beset with severe weed and pest issues. Sadly, Manawatu has experienced native biodiversity loss of up to 95%. Apparently there is a <a href="http://i.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/8725042/Army-varsity-to-help-restore-Kahuterawa-Stream">joint venture</a> between the Army (who occupy nearby Linton Army base) and Massey University to restore the Kahuterawa stream which was formerly home to large numbers of native fish.</p>
<p dir="ltr">We followed the stream along the road for about forty minutes and found that there was actually another good camping area about 4 km down the track which really ground my gears. I walked on ahead of the others for about three hours of easy road and dirt road walking. When I sat down to see how far I'd come, I was dismayed to see it was a paltry ten kilometers. Still can't understand that one, as I had really been moving. I walked on up through some forestry roads and up to Burtons's track, named for Jim Burton who farmed the area between 1908 and 1941. The area is all regenerating bush now and after about three hours you arrrive at a memorial to Jim, who fell from a suspension bridge that he had built over the nearby stream. Jim broke his leg and sustained other injuries in an eight meter fall onto rocks below. He managed to get back to his whare to feed his dog before making what could only have been an excruciating twelve hour walk along his track for the final time. Jim made it to his nearest neighbour's place but died in hospital shortly after.</p>
<p dir="ltr">That night we camped by the Tokumaru number three reservoir. I found out later that the dam provides water to the Mangahao power station on the other side of the hill which has a pretty impressive white water park nearby. The next day involved a solid bush walk through the Tararua Forest park before emerging onto Gladstone Road. At the corner of Gladstone And Poads Road, Nick Simmons picked me up. I can only describe Nick as a thoroughly good bugger. I have been staying with he and his wife Victoria for the last couple of nights waiting out some bad weather on the ranges. They have been amazingly helpful, friendly and encouraging and I am looking forward to working with them on environmental issues into the future.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Victoria is on the Levin city council and she and Nick have given me plenty of information on the local environment. Also, I got a chance to visit a white water event over by Shannon with them and on <u>top</u> of that Victoria put me in touch with the Mayor Brendan Duffy. We had a chat about local water issues and one of the major challenges in the area is the clean up of lake <a href="http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Horowhenua">Horowhenua</a> which is owned by the Maupoko iwi. Between 1952 and 1987 the lake had treated sewage dumped into it resulting in eutrophication. The resulting destruction of the lake's biodiversity is a great shame. Brendan made it clear that the restoration of the lake is a very challenging process partly because there are many parties involved, including Horizons Regional Council, <u>local</u> iwi and the Levin City Council. Another difficulty is that the lake is also being filled by sediment from the surrounding area and in addition, the tributaries that fill the lake have been reduced in flow due to irrigation and other water uses. </p>
<p dir="ltr">It is a shame that we have ruined many of our lakes, but what is more saddening is that many of the processes that have contributed to this type of degradation are still happening and in some cases are accelerating. Based on the Ministry for the Environment's <i>Trophic Level Index for Lakes</i>, of the 134 monitored sites, one third have high nutrient levels or have poor water quality. Some places where people once went on holiday during their childhood such as lake Hakanoa near Huntly ( I believe the Lange family may have holidayed there when David and Peter were kids) are now <a href="http://www.waikatoregion.govt.nz/Environment/Natural-resources/Water/Lakes/Shallow-lakes-of-the-Waikato-region/">degraded </a>to hypertrophic levels and are completely unsuitable for any use by humans. While many restoration projects are going on all around the country we are still polluting at an increasing rate in many areas across New Zealand. If you want to change this situation please consider clicking <a href="https://www.greens.org.nz/takeaction/submissionguides/rivers-are-swimming">this link</a> to make a submission on the proposed ammendments to the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management.</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709371254894962408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3460132146361663277.post-15666697104663996282014-01-07T18:11:00.001-08:002014-01-12T02:42:41.271-08:00A Yarn to Dr Mike Joy, Freshwater Ecologist and Water Quality Expert, Part 1<p dir="ltr">The Horizons region, which incorporates Whanganui and the Manawatu is home to some of New Zealand's most polluted waterways and, seemingly as a consequence, one of our staunchest advocates for clean water. Dr Mike Joy is a Senior Lecturer at Massey University's Institute of Agriculture and Environment and today he shouted me breakfast and answered a few questions about Water Quality. I think that the first time I heard about Mike was after his criticism of the "100% Pure New Zealand" branding. A somewhat annoyed <a href="http://www.listener.co.nz/commentary/john-keys-unhappy-week-at-the-bbc/">John Key was confronted by </a><i><a href="http://www.listener.co.nz/commentary/john-keys-unhappy-week-at-the-bbc/">Hard Talk</a></i><a href="http://www.listener.co.nz/commentary/john-keys-unhappy-week-at-the-bbc/">'s Stephen Sachur, on </a><i><a href="http://www.listener.co.nz/commentary/john-keys-unhappy-week-at-the-bbc/">BBC World</a></i>, with Joy's views on this slogan, based on his research. Key's dismissal of the facts in this interview were nothing short of astounding. Truth be told, it was after watching John Key flippantly dismiss Joy's research as "his opinion," that I also got annoyed, annoyed enough to walk the length of the country. And now I have reached Palmerston North. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Instead of recording the interview, we had a chat about various issues and a bit of a laugh. I listened and asked questions as I made my way through some tasty mince on toast. While I was in Whanganui I met Horizons regional councillor Rod Pearce who told me that all four major rivers (the Whanganui, Whangaehu, Turakina and Rangitikei) in the region had shown decreased levels of nitrates in the water this year. I put this to Mike and he agreed that this may be true but that this improvement is minimal when you consider that these rivers had extremely high concentrations and had effectively gone from terrible to not quite so terrible. In 2009 the Manawatu quite famously ranked as one of the most polluted rivers in the western world. </p>
<p dir="ltr">The thing about water pollution is that groups tend to deny it is happening or pretend that it is everyone else's issue. I asked Dr Joy if dairy diffuse pollution really was responsible for the majority of the water quality degradation in the area; his response was "yes." He mentioned that he is often criticised for unfairly picking on the dairy industry but asserted "I'm not anti dairy" backing this up by citing some of the other targets of his scrutiny such as the Fielding waste water treatment system, which has repeatedly violated it's consent criteria over the years (so much for 14 times New Zealand's most beautiful town). </p>
<p dir="ltr">When you talk with him, it is clear that Dr Joy's agenda is simply clean water and that isn't surprising given the state of the water where he lives. Now, I'm sorry to quote Wikipedia, and it isn't very scolarly of me, but time is of the essence when you are trying to get to Bluff before Easter. 'In 2011, A report by the Ministry for the Environment ranked 76 New Zealand sites for water clarity and E. coli levels. Using those measures, they found four other New Zealand rivers rate worse than the Manawatu (the Waitara, Whanganui, Waipa and Rangitikei).' That's three of our five worst rivers in the Horizons region.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Much of the Whanganui's pollution problem has arisen from prolific numbers of point source discharges from industry and waste water systems but many of these have been eliminated. What has increased dramatically is dairy intensification in the upper catchments of the river. Removing one source of pollution only to increase another seems ludicrous. We chatted for a while on pending changes in environment law, which will dramatically impact on our environment. While recent moves by Fonterra to fence waterways have been a dramatic step, and Federated Farmers have made big strides to change their rhetoric from "there is no problem" to "there is a problem", the <a href="http://www.ourwaterourvote.org.nz/news/107/63/have-your-say-about-higher-river-pollution-limits/">proposed changes to the National Policy Statement on Freshwater Management</a> will allow nitrate concentrations to approach toxic levels. This, is in addition to changes to the Resource Managment Act, which will, <a href="http://www.pce.parliament.nz/media/media-releases/environment-commissioner-rejects-radical-rma-changes/">according to the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment</a>," alter the functions of the RMA and erode its environmental protections."  These changes amount to a pollution bonanza and if we are already facing almost universal degradation of our lowland fresh water, where will this lead us? When you consider these alarming facts, Dr Joy's opinion was, unsurprisingly, as dubious as my own regarding a change in industry rhetoric, in that it is more about spinning the issue to soften public opinion, than a genuine intention to change. He points out that if regulations are this slack, then people can't really be blamed for doing what they are legally entitled to do in order to make money.</p>
<p dir="ltr">*There is much more to cover from our conversation which I will publish in a second part of this interview when I reach Wellington in around two weeks time. My apologies to any grammar fiends out there; I am in a rush. <u>R</u>ight now the library is about to close and I must go to get groceries and find a place to camp. Tomorrow it's up into the Tararuas! Many thanks to Mike who really is a great Kiwi. Have a look at <a href="http://i.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/columnists/9456427/Intensification-benefits-untrue">some of his stuff</a> online.</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709371254894962408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3460132146361663277.post-44057656114358669062013-12-19T17:40:00.000-08:002014-01-07T16:00:33.968-08:00From Russel down to Matapouri<p dir="ltr">Ben decided he was keen to paddle the harbour across to the Russel forest but Jen and I decided to press on via water taxi rather than wait for the favourable tide the following day. The Russel forest yielded a lot of river walking and then we had trouble finding the right track when the time came to venture back to land. The "hut" mentioned on the map was more of a camp shelter and we stayed there as we realised we wouldn't get out of the forest by dark. The following day we made our way out via a decent four wheeler track which eventually turned into thick bush. </p>
<p dir="ltr">After lunch by a creek we walked on down to the road but not before I realised I had lost a Croc in the bush having secured it to the outside of my pack. Jen suggested that Ben may find it on his way through but I was resigned to having lost it after only one river walk. It was very warm by the time we reached the end of the track, so a swim in the creek was a higher priority than walking on a busy, windy, coastal road. The water was truly bracing but welcome and we stayed there for awhile rather than taking on the long road walk ahead.</p>
<p dir="ltr">We walked on down the road for a few hours before reaching Helena Bay which Jen absolutely loved. We managed to camp at the disused school for $5 each by asking at the house next door. Then, Jen got a text from Ben reading: "I have Lance's left Croc." Trail magic really does happen. Apparently, Ben was now walking with Joe O'brien (who, incidentally, is now ridiculously far ahead of us) who spied my missing flipper amongst the undergrowth, exclaiming "that is a huge Croc!" I was really stoked and this former Croc mocker slept well in the knowledge of a safe sandal.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The following day involved a solid road walk up to a bush track that seemed to cross a couple of private properties. It was hard going toward the end and the spiders had put every web right at my face height. We pushed on down out of the bush and across a farm containing curious cows out to the road. By this stage both Jen's and my GPS had gone flat but we managed to figure out the right path to the campground at Whananaki which was pretty <br>
good but a little pricey.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The following day we waited for Ben and Joe to join us late morning and moved out across the longest foot bridge in the southern hemisphere. We followed the path around some stunning little private beaches and through farmland on down to Matopouri where I was meeting my lovely lady to spend labour weekend in Whangarei. We were all pretty happy to be getting into a vehicle. There is no camping in Matapouri so we dropped Ben, Jen and Joe at the holiday park in Tutakaka and made our way to Whangarei for a spa at the hotel. </p><p dir="ltr">All photos are courtesy of Jen Wray, due to tech difficulties at the time I got no pics. Check her blog: http://jennsjourneying.blogspot.co.nz</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLWgiDU6KfoCL1qRm0F60n1AlZ0D9tFkQ4cCtQc3KthIbvtBYk5Z30CQRzC40cHtZOyudGBdWC9ESVpscOyn7I8_kRyDamLytXN3Edf_LeoZGdS1olhWGYLL3-MMsXFBkd5LCeNDdphfz/s1600/PA200562.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLWgiDU6KfoCL1qRm0F60n1AlZ0D9tFkQ4cCtQc3KthIbvtBYk5Z30CQRzC40cHtZOyudGBdWC9ESVpscOyn7I8_kRyDamLytXN3Edf_LeoZGdS1olhWGYLL3-MMsXFBkd5LCeNDdphfz/s640/PA200562.JPG"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Outside Countdown Paihia.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIWRMBJ1MY6u4iyWWdAhuSE7bXYW4iQF055EypqojJm6Zmy4nxvpDaVVv0u30uV8IEb6Zm1ZLVQ2aslL0U-OGyRKvPMjQnR3OAXlEZLEn2s8zvmMH6grq5xez7gxF56nxSpOuzsK3hddwZ/s1600/PA210573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIWRMBJ1MY6u4iyWWdAhuSE7bXYW4iQF055EypqojJm6Zmy4nxvpDaVVv0u30uV8IEb6Zm1ZLVQ2aslL0U-OGyRKvPMjQnR3OAXlEZLEn2s8zvmMH6grq5xez7gxF56nxSpOuzsK3hddwZ/s640/PA210573.JPG"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The pools in the Russel forest were very inviting</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEyWvdDsuyxnv0tE-qzd7lxveFoC5nN4Ii6aBdgzLt7iQnz0SWPHQ0UW9qyYGNhxUFC_B3JBAW6AFHNuXvaMp5UXp4QATgRNGJAH_xa652DR5ZqiciUwD1voTs-ddnVKUAJ4_a9baVx2eP/s1600/PA220581.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEyWvdDsuyxnv0tE-qzd7lxveFoC5nN4Ii6aBdgzLt7iQnz0SWPHQ0UW9qyYGNhxUFC_B3JBAW6AFHNuXvaMp5UXp4QATgRNGJAH_xa652DR5ZqiciUwD1voTs-ddnVKUAJ4_a9baVx2eP/s640/PA220581.JPG"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Looking back at the bay</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzAHgXZBtUyMBPsjnCccERVX8mNiU3EQ_p11fJ4YkVwJK-L5IGiUyilbPU2LREq6iCavy7PgXhZhkI8qbPNJXxyHhN9V5b4Vf7S8ACe0KvMGp1WSa8lGJteYTHkdxHE97-z7HX9MHCKher/s1600/PA230608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzAHgXZBtUyMBPsjnCccERVX8mNiU3EQ_p11fJ4YkVwJK-L5IGiUyilbPU2LREq6iCavy7PgXhZhkI8qbPNJXxyHhN9V5b4Vf7S8ACe0KvMGp1WSa8lGJteYTHkdxHE97-z7HX9MHCKher/s640/PA230608.JPG"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Easr coast view</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJSGSDtHtS6c2auxQ0coSgzgciDvF0CO7VUKAAyRRkpwkOJZpARhcBEWzIfOs-UYVQkssLpeU-4ejKkyzkmjahkIUrB_cOXwVQv1nwa16I5jA-8xBeCe0UisX4TybxmP3-3UR2NrDS_DVJ/s1600/PA240609.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJSGSDtHtS6c2auxQ0coSgzgciDvF0CO7VUKAAyRRkpwkOJZpARhcBEWzIfOs-UYVQkssLpeU-4ejKkyzkmjahkIUrB_cOXwVQv1nwa16I5jA-8xBeCe0UisX4TybxmP3-3UR2NrDS_DVJ/s640/PA240609.JPG"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Crossing the bridge</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7-D9_57N4xvVFmgS__nX2ujpJXDAFRpmvpr6q58-5zkw6c7w3DEW71fHVj3fLpvj-x00UG978Vkp2ma1eMj4s3Ta-yqf4UsrvPqSJlSiuDfEtIZvi93hkM9eV5QDwCsq3RlNuam5EYCCG/s1600/PA240611.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7-D9_57N4xvVFmgS__nX2ujpJXDAFRpmvpr6q58-5zkw6c7w3DEW71fHVj3fLpvj-x00UG978Vkp2ma1eMj4s3Ta-yqf4UsrvPqSJlSiuDfEtIZvi93hkM9eV5QDwCsq3RlNuam5EYCCG/s640/PA240611.JPG"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Whananaki footbridge</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnSMJy1j7Zj9HlmJuRkoNMWYQHC3yTxt6xqjxZCb3iVObnSGOd7ud4KuhbUUsw4Iy3uOgqNVN12WTt6KKYPK9w_gb7QmdxfwU3dJQ_r-wH4osC8-0-n_TAImlO-OSPFZWzgVDI1BJJdkNO/s1600/PA240613.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnSMJy1j7Zj9HlmJuRkoNMWYQHC3yTxt6xqjxZCb3iVObnSGOd7ud4KuhbUUsw4Iy3uOgqNVN12WTt6KKYPK9w_gb7QmdxfwU3dJQ_r-wH4osC8-0-n_TAImlO-OSPFZWzgVDI1BJJdkNO/s640/PA240613.JPG"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">East coast beach</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwy3JbzEUYkR-6CVB8i9g4ODozAqJcNkfNKYtGovq3dChOGLczjds7NO_B5ajgIfXE53gWaDxjAffVqxVjt8g4qbedSfqRtpayWLFXFTVpr3TGz_XbjVGxOr4nKXawzt59sbqC__0vV6ts/s1600/PA240617.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwy3JbzEUYkR-6CVB8i9g4ODozAqJcNkfNKYtGovq3dChOGLczjds7NO_B5ajgIfXE53gWaDxjAffVqxVjt8g4qbedSfqRtpayWLFXFTVpr3TGz_XbjVGxOr4nKXawzt59sbqC__0vV6ts/s640/PA240617.JPG"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">On the way to Matapouri</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQd1Nt-nKMrlYfWQp4pmloLaCmSmhlA1OtLKKaGteoPr1TkQP0NovTie6DAc0nsK4UnVs_aBdLQLsHFYC3GQdFBkBvqrN2qfNxO2MBgmG0bORBYlJavFwKe-I6m9q3dXrx5HmHH-g5hyphenhypheni/s1600/PA240618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQd1Nt-nKMrlYfWQp4pmloLaCmSmhlA1OtLKKaGteoPr1TkQP0NovTie6DAc0nsK4UnVs_aBdLQLsHFYC3GQdFBkBvqrN2qfNxO2MBgmG0bORBYlJavFwKe-I6m9q3dXrx5HmHH-g5hyphenhypheni/s640/PA240618.JPG"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Tired trampers in for a swim</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709371254894962408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3460132146361663277.post-37851514220549068342013-12-06T02:21:00.001-08:002013-12-10T16:25:05.255-08:00The King's of Okaihau<p dir="ltr">As we emerged from the end of the Puketi Forest, at Forest HQ, Ben, Jen and I were greeted by Matt King, a friend of mine who lives in Okaihau. I had warned my hiking companions that Matt is a very colourful character and he did not let them down regailing us with a few slightly inappropriate stories. He is the older brother of my friend Patrick, who I met while at university. Matt now lives on a farm next door to his parents Joe and Jenny with his wife Sara and their three children. I've known the King family for coming up twenty years now and I can tell you that they are true salt of the earth folks. </p>
<p dir="ltr">When we arrived at Matt and Sara's place the farrier was busy shoeing the horses and filing their teeth. He was interested to hear that we were walking from the Cape to the Bluff and related his childhood experience of meeting <a href="http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Hamish_Reed">A H Reed</a>, the New Zealand publisher who walked the length of NZ in 1960 at the age of 85. Alfred Hamish Reed is truly one of NZ's greats and I was disappointed to see he was excluded from the Herald's 150 greatest New Zealanders this year. Anyway, the farrier (whose name now escapes me) explained that his father was involved in the church (as was Reed) and thus they provided Reed a place to stay. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Now, neither Matt nor I are involved in the church but luckily he and Sara were willing to put us up for a couple of nights. A home cooked meal was most welcome as was a roof over our heads after a week outdoors. The next day Matt dropped us off in Kerikeri for a supply mission and took us back out to Okaihau where we cooked a roast of pork for the whanau, including Jo and Jenny; I'm bloody lucky to know such good people. To top it off, Joe asked if we would like to go out on the Bay of Islands for a couple of days on his boat "Day Dreamer" and of course we couldn't refuse. </p>
<p dir="ltr">After an uneventful and unremarkable hike across some farmland we reached Kerikeri and spent the night at the Central backpackers. Joe picked us up the next morning and we headed out for a couple of magical days on the Bay complete with dolphins and tall ships. Joe is involved in the Coast Guard and knows a lot of the boaties in the area so we had a few visits from locals dropping by for a cuppa. It was great that Ben and Jen got to experience the Bay and Ben even caught his first fish. I really appreciated all of the help from the Kings and I'd love to go in to more detail but time is tight and seeing as right now I'm actually in Te Kuiti, I've got a lot to cover. Thanks out to Jen for the photos check her blog at: http://jennsjourneying.blogspot.co.nz</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfWV6dGzZwksfmzFJkiCoFHRWfZxHG9Vn0b-uU5Rj1oUFFy8ggzSzUDqnvM7VzsBWZXT0SU96Sidc-r6f3FuhUU_ALzjOpjlWjp7-HqXbx2BK_ztBFsqaE0ZVauFilDOi_fPu1PyjMWnDJ/s1600/PA180466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfWV6dGzZwksfmzFJkiCoFHRWfZxHG9Vn0b-uU5Rj1oUFFy8ggzSzUDqnvM7VzsBWZXT0SU96Sidc-r6f3FuhUU_ALzjOpjlWjp7-HqXbx2BK_ztBFsqaE0ZVauFilDOi_fPu1PyjMWnDJ/s640/PA180466.JPG"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Joe pulling up to the wharf at Waitangi</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYmzKVlxBiH8aZRsOLpRLld1YM1XOS-tbQC1jyMXFUy7p_fMQljSbKwQJVq0EIQKWwFiY15h6zyD0N2SPV3fOupT4RpYJ_3NqyhGo04d5vZAY76gfn4n3hgPvLIitAXsu-ILm31QpNZNav/s1600/PA180484.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYmzKVlxBiH8aZRsOLpRLld1YM1XOS-tbQC1jyMXFUy7p_fMQljSbKwQJVq0EIQKWwFiY15h6zyD0N2SPV3fOupT4RpYJ_3NqyhGo04d5vZAY76gfn4n3hgPvLIitAXsu-ILm31QpNZNav/s640/PA180484.JPG"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Dolphins visiting Robertson Island</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4YdchPEl9jm5K2hyphenhyphendn8xPGIue6LzZgKumX4xL8ah1bVgJfPqpDjhvSyicLxhgoyuFB9HLHdla83prC_Erx_WyYxK-kObZzDJw31_H9B9IiRSfBpMpRtqZjp5B6bZDVstqM4fMIZfqt-Re/s1600/PA180491.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4YdchPEl9jm5K2hyphenhyphendn8xPGIue6LzZgKumX4xL8ah1bVgJfPqpDjhvSyicLxhgoyuFB9HLHdla83prC_Erx_WyYxK-kObZzDJw31_H9B9IiRSfBpMpRtqZjp5B6bZDVstqM4fMIZfqt-Re/s640/PA180491.JPG"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Me feeling decidedly uncoordinated</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijiR1S0L92TF6VcQ7Tyq3MkN0_ua3bouiNINzEKQutdu9uLVTNXqGzKBkGHmiHrMO9f9d2Rws-m0GuHYwa85vrRaQ1JqxLmxJPTPsv_vluUMNDgXBvezGsRIzGBpKm1lquce7GaYhoIFiV/s1600/PA180502.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijiR1S0L92TF6VcQ7Tyq3MkN0_ua3bouiNINzEKQutdu9uLVTNXqGzKBkGHmiHrMO9f9d2Rws-m0GuHYwa85vrRaQ1JqxLmxJPTPsv_vluUMNDgXBvezGsRIzGBpKm1lquce7GaYhoIFiV/s640/PA180502.JPG"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">These guys stayed for about three hours</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6HgcJdGoekxRuElqfIN6s6fKok1vKyuYaL6lrdgpUmmm6LsKqtqv_13Ya8zffTSDMKauN1sbYugu1fTaXs8xci53n6bOznv-HR9QXoeQcaWhF0S9RUy2ry4NiFEPl4120ISNLZPfLAUHv/s1600/PA190545.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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They graciously agreed to let me come out and learn a thing or three about good practise on a <a href="http://www.niwa.co.nz/our-science/freshwater/tools/kaitiaki_tools/land-use/agriculture/dry-stock">dry stock</a> farm in Northland. Now, I am no expert but it is only when you are talking to someone who really knows their stuff, that you realise how much you don't know. I am fairly sure they had a suspicion that I might be some sort of crackpot but I think in the end they realised that I was more interested in promoting the proactive approach that they are taking on their farm, rather than slagging off farmers for being polluting miscreants.</span><br />
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Dave and Louise are a young couple with three children who farm an area of just over 200 acres near Okaihau, Northland. I was offered a cup of tea and they gave me a run down on their place and some of the steps that they had been taking to improve their property since they had taken it over. Louise has a Masters in water quality and Dave has qualifications in zoology and agricultural science so some of the technical aspects were going over my head a bit but I managed to get the gist of most of what they were talking about, occasionally asking questions to clarify. One thing that I am well aware of, is the time and money that it takes to fence off areas on a farm and as I was to find, these two had invested a significant amount in this process.</span><br />
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Louise was a self-confessed "greenie" once upon a time and she said she had moved to smaller and smaller towns after leaving Massey University, in order to get closer to nature. Ironically she ended up marrying a farmer. I say ironically not because farmers have no environmental credentials but it cannot be denied that there is a distinct gap between the political positions of the farming sector and the green movement. "Greenies" seem to be viewed and labelled by much of the farming community as uninformed, emotive townies with little real knowledge of the realities of the business of farming, a business that truly has built our economy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Conversely, there is a growing trend of anti farming rhetoric in the media in NZ and a small segment of the environmental movement seem absolutely opposed to farming, especially dairy. It is important to remember that without agriculture, our economy would cease to function. While agriculture is not as large a portion of our economy as it was pre 1970s it still makes up the lion's share of our exports and removing dairy and meat exports alone would result in a $15.5 billion loss in merchandise exports from this country. That figure is over 10% of real GDP. I'd have to call myself a greenie but I think that there is a tendency in any disagreement to lean too far to one side and then you lose credibility and consequently any chance to persuade the other side that your position is legitimate. What is required on all sides of this debate is a balanced, wise approach that promotes environmental sustainability as well as economic advancement.</span><br />
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Anyway, back to Dave and Louise. "We're here because we love it." Louise said passionately as she hunted through the library of agricultural books, journals and pamphlets in their lounge. Presently we headed out to the farm ute and Dave explained to me that they have a million dollar mortgage on their property but they had still been doing what they could to introduce <a href="http://www.niwa.co.nz/our-science/freshwater/tools/kaitiaki_tools/land-use/agriculture/dry-stock/mitigation3">best practice measures</a> around the farm. There is no requirement for dry stock farmers to do this. Fonterra has made it compulsory for their dairy farmers to fence off waterways and have the target that all stock will be excluded from waterways by December of this year. Dry stock farmers have no such imperatives in place but some are making the effort all the same.</span><br />
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<b style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.niwa.co.nz/publications/wa/vol14-no1-march-2006/sustainable-riparian-plantings-in-urban-and-rural-landscapes">Riparian planting</a> of manuka trees along a small creek</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We drove around the property with the kids in the back and I felt a bit like a tourist taking pictures of the landscape but it was very interesting to see what work had been done. They were almost apologetic that it didn't seem more complete and were keen to stress that many parts of the farm were a work in progress. We inspected fenced off creeks that had been planted and even marshy areas that the average person would not identify as a waterway were fenced and being prepared for riparian planting. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When this is taken care of properly, these areas of vegetation act as filters which help to remove sedimentary and pathogen pollution from waterways. As a result Dave has noticed a return of native fish species such as <a href="http://www.wildaboutnz.co.nz/2010/12/kokopu/">Kokopu</a> into the creeks on the farm. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some areas, they explained to me were better to be planted with trees and flaxes and some with thick grasses. It comes down to having to develop a comprehensive land management plan and generally being a serious student of your property.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Fenced marsh area marching down the hill</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In some areas of the property they have had issues with plants not coming away after planting; this can cost thousands. Plants bought from nurseries are not cheap and there were many areas on the farm that had thousands of dollars worth of planting and fencing as well as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culvert">culverts</a> that ensured stock stayed out of the water. This type of work is very costly and also causes additional costs. If stock cannot access water from natural sources on a property then troughs need to be installed in every paddock. The cost of installing troughs is also huge when you take into account the materials needed and the time that it takes to put them in. A phrase that Dave used while I was there really stuck in my mind: "It's hard to be green when you're in the red." Dave suggested that nursery operations could be given some form of subsidy to grow beneficial species of natives for riparian planting.Certainly, large scale growing of useful native plants would help reduce costs to farmers who are keen to take action.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Recently installed culvert</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another important consideration to take into account when fencing off waterways is the weed control that is required. This is also expensive and labour-intensive. Once plantings come away weed control becomes less of a concern but during the first few years it is crucial to prevent noxious species from invading. Another concern is that some species of pests are nitrogen fixing and contribute to raising nitrogen levels in the soil and subsequently in the waterways. It must also be noted that riparian planting can do little to prevent nitrogen from 'off farm' from entering </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All of these different considerations mount up and add a lot of extra work and costs. When you consider that the average age of a dry stock farmer in Northland is 65 it certainly provides some food for thought. Dave and Louise's neighbour is 81 and still farming his property himself. Realistically, he isn't going to be making any changes to the way he is doing things at the moment. What I learned from this visit was that there is a lot to this water quality business and I felt a bit out of my depth at times. Also, there are many farmers that are making an effort to improve water quality on their properties. I am yet to visit a dairy farm on this hikoi however, which I am sure will be a whole different experience.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>I can see why they love it. The view up to the forest is fantastic!</b></span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709371254894962408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3460132146361663277.post-91797616767219377552013-11-16T18:19:00.000-08:002013-11-17T13:05:02.804-08:00The Triple Crown of Northland Forest Walking.<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After Ahipara I hitched into Kaitaia to resupply at Pac And Save. Seriously if you are not from NZ and are yet to figure out who is cheapest, Pac and Save wins hands down. I met up with Ben and Jen again at the backpackers and we made plans to head back out to the trail and tackle the Herekino, Raetea and Omahuta Forests. I knew these would be tough walks as Northland is a fairly isolated and rugged area and the forest areas are subtropical rain forest in which the tracks are notoriously rugged and muddy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While cooking dinner at the backpackers I got chatting to a Kumara contrator from Dargaville, Hunter. I ended up telling him that I was walking for water quality and he was very supportive. He said that water quality is crucially important for kumara cultivation but that in Dargaville it is becoming more and more difficult to access pure water. He attributed this to other agriculturalists in the area who did not worry about anyone else but themselves. I am not kidding when I say this and to quote directly he said: "They don't care, they don't give a f#@k." He lamented the state of water and the pollution that has occurred but also made the point that people have to have jobs. To be fair I imagine that some kumara cultivation contributes to water pollution in some way but I am all about letting people share their views and opening these views up for debate.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hunter was in his mid sixties and it only took one handshake to know he was a hard working man. He had grown up on a dairy farm. "I used to milk 75 cows by hand with my brother before school, then walk to school. If you didn't get there on time you got the strap! Then we'd walk home and milk the cows again before tea time." I have a lot of admiration for these old school kiwis, and as my friend Rory McGovern used to say "It was blokes like me what built this country." Perhaps it is my own soft, teacher's hands that make me feel slightly less of a real kiwi joker than these guys but everyone has their own path to travel I guess. Anyway I suppose Hunter sensed that I really respected him and so upon parting he shook my hand and then leaned forward to hongi (press noses) which was a really great gesture. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizg9KpKUY2llW2PhcF70lymD7pKkgG_ct6RiNtKvBYPFCCXP6vwwKYHTLx-bNExsVTjhORghRyXYm4fAG9jRGbvNsUKFJtYWhYNZUx-78IKq0NoVD8gfEa48QZeh1iADjHPGJkzRvKbmOd/s1600/085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizg9KpKUY2llW2PhcF70lymD7pKkgG_ct6RiNtKvBYPFCCXP6vwwKYHTLx-bNExsVTjhORghRyXYm4fAG9jRGbvNsUKFJtYWhYNZUx-78IKq0NoVD8gfEa48QZeh1iADjHPGJkzRvKbmOd/s320/085.jpg" width="180" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next morning Ben, Jen and I walked out of town and hitched a </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ride back to the trail. We then walked up to the trail head of the Herekino forest, paused for a time and then marched quietly off into the forest. The Herekino is a beautiful place and we found ourselves walking under large Kauri and fording pristine bush creeks. Unfortunately for me I was foolish enough to get my phone out one too many times in drizzly conditions and it died an untimely death the next day; this was a bit of a blow early in for Walk for Water Quality as it meant I would not be able to take photos or do any blogging until at least Kerikeri and more probably Whangarei.</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0i4IwPQVia-m6_MYI4qAKD3tl67DFumXQldqnWmwUhhsOT65F5Mu6UtCBWTYNlb19hMqNeGR8_0edb6SpxmTPhToLFGpNrPFXggUYjbHGWni5Aepe59fHI15JOS-QiV6dYBx2qDT3pBsK/s1600/1452222_10201061533645917_1046116259_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0i4IwPQVia-m6_MYI4qAKD3tl67DFumXQldqnWmwUhhsOT65F5Mu6UtCBWTYNlb19hMqNeGR8_0edb6SpxmTPhToLFGpNrPFXggUYjbHGWni5Aepe59fHI15JOS-QiV6dYBx2qDT3pBsK/s320/1452222_10201061533645917_1046116259_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We kept moving through the forest until late in the day when we came to a four wheeler track which we followed for quite along time to an "intersection" of sorts. It was getting dark so we decided to camp there despite the hard, uneven ground. Luckily we had saved some beers and carted them all the way in to the forest so we each popped one open and had a toast. Ben explained the proper pronunciation of Haagen which I still can't get right after a quick bite to eat we all retired for the evening. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next day involved finding some old forestry huts that we had read about in the trail notes, slipping on a bank on the way out of the forest and breaking a walking pole and an arduous road walk through to Takahue. We followed our noses down to the Takahue Domain around six PM and made a nice little camp by the river that runs past it. As an added bonus, the farmers on both sides of the river had their bulls paddocked across from each other and we were gently ushered into dreamland by the soothing sound of bulls roaring at each other.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was quite a bit of rain over night but we woke to a sunny day and took our time getting organised in order to let our tents dry. The road walk to the start of the Raetea forest was uneventful until we were near the trail head where we came to a small "eco-village" with Buddhist prayer flags out the front. We went up tentatively to see if we could find some monks but instead found a small "hippy shack" and a four wheel drive.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No one seemed to be around so we headed back only to find an old Hi-Lux bumping up the steep, metal road. A guy who looked a bit like Osama Bin Laden yelled out to us over the diesel hum: "Are you looking for Adrian?" We explained that we just wanted to check out the eco village. "Yeah it probably says that more than it actually is." kiwi Osama replied. "I'm just heading up to help my mate build a hut up in the bush." By the looks of his payload they were going to be making this "hut" mostly out of shade cloth. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He drove on up ahead and as we caught up to him a few minutes later we saw three equally hard case looking blokes ranging in age from twenties to forties. The youngest seemed as if it was his place and he did all of the talking; he had ginger dreadlocks. Another had a mohawk and the third was balding with longish hair, a beard and missing front teeth. They were standing by the roadside above a property with large half-round corrugated iron shed. I was pretty surprised to see a building up there, but as I have been finding on the trail, never underestimate where you might find a house. We passed on by after the red head advised us not to get lost because he was on the local search and rescue team. I couldn't help but think he may have another reason to want us to follow the track.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway, I don't have much to say about the Raetea other than it is very steep in parts, there is little to no water available on the track itself, seemingly 40% of it was through ankle deep mud and it was a thoroughly frustrating and difficult walk. When we finally found some water in a muddy, marshy area on the track it was getting towards nightfall and we were about three quarters of the way through. We also came across a quite nice grassy area to camp, the first we had found all the way along the Raetea track. It did have a pretty spectacular view out to the Hokianga Harbour from the highest point in the middle but I was pretty glad to get out and on to Maungamuka in the morning although the road walk after the forest was quite long and hot. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh and mind the cow carcass in the bog on the track.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When we finally reached Maungamuka we found a shop open, at which Ben did not get a burger, but has included this on a list of things to do if he is ever in Maungamuka again; they did look pretty good. A friend who lives locally came out to see us and gave us some tips about the next section. We talked for a while and then we headed off to a campsite in the hills after drinking more Mountain Dew than anyone really should. We camped at Apple dam which was really quite nice and then set out through Omahuta Forest the next morning heading through to the Puketi forest. These two are connected and really make up one large forest block.</span><br />
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This area is really quite beautiful but without sandals, I was unprepared for all of the river walking and filled my water proof boots up. This wasn't too big a deal and when we got to the convergence of two streams we had a swim in the chilly, turquoise pool that lay in the middle of this isolated, emerald sanctuary. It wasn't long until we were walking up stream towards a small camping area in the Puketi forest not far from a large kauri grove. We camped under a large Kauri in a clearing that lay on the track, had dinner and hit the hay. I'm pretty sure we heard a kiwi that night. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the walk out we went to view a very large kauri tree that we found out later was off limits. DOC have done a great job with pest control in Northland but sometimes the signage is sub par. However, this is to be expected with the large funding cuts they have experienced under the current government. If you are reading this, the really huge kauri tree in the Puketi forest is actually off limits but this is not made abundantly clear. We continued on out of the last of the forest towards Puketi Forest HQ where my friend Matt King picked us up and took us out to his place in Okaihau. We were pretty happy to get into a vehicle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709371254894962408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3460132146361663277.post-58350158661231281392013-11-15T19:04:00.004-08:002013-11-16T03:05:42.647-08:00Ahipara: a meeting at Gumdigger's Cafe<span style="background-color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It took me two days to get down to Ahipara from Hukatere Road on my slightly improved feet. I went over to the Gumdigger's Cafe and drank about ten cups of tea and tried to get in touch with Catherine Davis who I had been in contact with before my trip started. I wanted to ask her about the local Iwi groups' positions on irrigation and intensive agriculture in the area. Catherine is of Te Rarawa and Ngati Kuri ancestry and I wanted to speak to her about local iwi views on land use and water quality in the far north. The staff at Gumdigger's helped me to get hold of her and she headed to the cafe.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Wetland area at the mouth of the Wairoa stream in Ahipara</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While I was waiting, another local, Dave Rawiri, asked me about my business there as he had watched the proceedings with interest. I got talking to him about the local area and he related a similar account to that of the DOC officer that I had spoken to up on the beach. "We're totally opposed to what they're doing up here." was his response when I asked him about intensification of agriculture in the far north. "They've got it all wrong!" Dave looked to be in his forties and said that when he was a child he remembers that the streams and creeks up on the beach had still been flourishing. It was once easy to fish for eel in most of the streams on the beach but since the large tracts of forestry had come to dominate the dune areas, the creeks had shrunk and in many cases dried up altogether. "In another twenty to thirty years it'll be a desert up there!" I had certainly noticed areas where it seemed there used to be a waterway extending out from the land to the sea but now there is no fresh water flowing at all.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Presently, Catherine Davis arrived, a woman who is passionate about preserving the many taonga, or treasures that the local people feel guardianship (kaitiakitanga) for. Catherine is a Treaty Claims Settlement Negotiator for the Ngati Kuri Trust. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Her pride in being Maori was evident not only in the nature of her korero (conversation) but also from the <a href="http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/30548/moko-kauae">moko kauae</a> (chin tattoo) that she wore. Unfortunately my phone had died when I was trying to get in touch with Catherine so I wasn't able to get a picture. We talked at length about what some concerns were for local Maori. Catherine expressed growing unease about the proposed changes to the Resource Management Act that stood to intensify agriculture in the area further, with little regard for environmental concerns. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"We want a moratorium on allocating water for commercial use."</span></span><br />
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</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA4nZSi6TvfIRLmsHaazlC811cCyPh7WyUp3f-l9ZBhKH1cKRq1XheUMqJQBbK-ZoRaENEIUEIFCKL95TR5p2I2JFzhO28Pzv4FxHpzw8vGTGk9iCqalJb_QyiVtn4KRzj5L8yhNB7YDDa/s1600/072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: black; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA4nZSi6TvfIRLmsHaazlC811cCyPh7WyUp3f-l9ZBhKH1cKRq1XheUMqJQBbK-ZoRaENEIUEIFCKL95TR5p2I2JFzhO28Pzv4FxHpzw8vGTGk9iCqalJb_QyiVtn4KRzj5L8yhNB7YDDa/s640/072.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="background-color: black;">Houses at the mouth of the Wairoa Stream on Ahipara beach</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With specific regard to fresh water she said: <a href="http://taiao.weebly.com/uploads/7/4/6/3/7463762/tangonge_draft_strategic_direction_aug_2012.pdf">The Tangonge wetland</a> was of particular importance as it had historically been one of the most important <a href="http://www.niwa.co.nz/our-science/freshwater/tools/kaitiaki_tools/species">mahinga kai</a> of Te Rarawa and Ngai Takoto iwi. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Catherine stressed the need for a more sustainable model of agriculture for the north in which Maori can be actively involved. She also stressed the need for feeding people in the traditional modes of gathering from the natural resources available. People once procured food, water and natural medicines from wetland areas but in her view, this capacity had been drastically reduced due to habitat destruction of many species.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Catherine was optimistic that things could improve saying that the Tangonge had been drained but there are now plans to restore this <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taonga">taonga</a>. Since 1991 The <span style="line-height: 18px;">Ngati Kuri, Ngati Wai, Te Rarawa, Ngati Kahungunu, Ngati Porou and Ngati Koata</span> iwi have had a pending self determination claim under the treaty of Waitangi known as the flora and fauna claim or <a href="http://wai262.weebly.com/index.html">Wai 262</a>. This claim has many aims but most importantly to the groups involved, it would recognise<span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">and protect the cultural and intellectual heritage rights in relation to indigenous flora and fauna. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">In New Zealand we all need to realise that we are guardians of the natural resources around us and it is up to all of us to protect these resources from unsustainable exploitation in order that they might be preserved for future generations. In addition to this, all elements of an ecosystem are important whether or not they have a direct benefit for humans. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">To gain further Maori perspective on the importance of protecting freshwater ecosystems <a href="http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/64194/Maori-Values-Approaches-for-Setting-Freshwater-Limits.pdf">read here</a>.</span></span></span><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709371254894962408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3460132146361663277.post-75321211637850857842013-11-14T13:24:00.005-08:002013-11-17T01:47:20.931-08:00Utea Park.<div dir="ltr">
I got up early and walked 12 km without stopping on my way to Utea Park. The day was fairly successful as I managed to walk nearly 30 km by around three in the afternoon. On the other hand I was exhausted and my feet were finished for at least a day or two. My plan had been to get to the road access by the Utea pa site and perhaps try to camp somewhere in the area. What I found was Utea Park. </div>
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A guy named Phil who I met on the beach advised me to try it as they were well suited to hikers' needs. I hobbled off the beach and found an inviting collection of small cabins and a kitchen area. There was a sign saying "make yourself at home" and another that outlined the koha (donation) system that they run on. Utea park is an Oasis half way down the 90 Mile Beach. There a hot showers (courtesy of solar), flushing toilets, clean water, gas cooking and cabins with beds. I stayed two days.</div>
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The owner, Paul is a really positive guy who is friendly and generous. He told me they get many people walking the Te Araroa trail and many who are pretty exhausted. Sure enough, over the next two days of my foot recuperation, two more reasonably weary walkers arrived. Ben arrived on my first full day there and Jen the day after that. We were all pretty amazed by Utea park.</div>
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It has been great to get to know Big Ben from Stuttgart and Jen from Texas and I have walked a lot of km's with them since. At Utea park we had lots of cups of tea and even a few beers that Paul brought to us on the last night I was there; what a good dude. When I talked to him about water quality issues on the beach, his main concern was in the myriad of petroleum based products that wash up onto the beach. He said that on some days you can see fine, transparent, plastic particles forming long lines along the beach which mirror the high tide line. God knows how much plastic humans have dumped into the sea but it's more than you can shake a stick at.<br />
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Kitchen and ablutions block.</div>
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Comfy cabins with actual beds!</div>
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Ben and Jen chillaxing</div>
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Yours truly bending like a reed in the wind</div>
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Sunrise over Utea Pa</div>
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Me (on the left) with Paul and Ben</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709371254894962408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3460132146361663277.post-85919647732494768302013-10-30T22:23:00.001-07:002013-11-04T18:17:28.231-08:00Maunganui Bluff.<p dir="ltr">I woke up to the sound of Peter's dogs murdering a possum. Peering out from my tent, down the sandy path towards Peter's place I saw his Jack Russell emerge from flax, jaws wrapped around a possum that looked bigger than the little terrier but considerably smaller than the pit bull terrier that followed along.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I packed up and went to call on Peter who had said I could have a hot shower if I wanted. As I approached the Jack Russell was in some long grass tearing at possum intestines. Anyway, we had a cuppa and I spread my gear out to decide what to discard. I gave Peter nearly half of my food, a multi tool and a survival kit. I was very happy to shed the weight and he was happy to help lighten the load. </p>
<p dir="ltr">After a shower, I lanced some blisters and put some disinfectant on them courtesy of Peter. I got my boots back on and got a tour of the property. It was the type of place many people dream about having: isolated and secluded but with all you need to get by. Peter lived up there as penance for the transgressions of his past he said; while also explaining his maps of the area to me. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Peter came for a walk with me towards "The Bluff" to look for a wild foal that he had seen lost the day before. We found loads of tracks but no foal. We parted with about 10 more km to go to Maunganui Bluff. </p><p dir="ltr">I struggled on down the beach on sore feet and the Bluff, which I could see, seemed to get no closer. Buses and cars whizzed by up and down the beach, skimming through the odd stream here and there making my progress seem even more snail like. I finally arrived around 4PM and made camp. I stayed at the Bluff the next day as well to let my feet get right, cooking on an open fire and watching fishos coming and going.</p>
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text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-5ECBYQZuOOU/UnRpokDgMfI/AAAAAAAAAEE/s1600/DSC_0252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-5ECBYQZuOOU/UnRpokDgMfI/AAAAAAAAAEE/s640/DSC_0252.jpg"> </a> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709371254894962408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3460132146361663277.post-52463991982940582052013-10-26T12:42:00.001-07:002013-11-04T18:17:17.666-08:00Day 2 Down to Butler's Creek<p dir="ltr">A late start from Twighlight Beach saw me labouring over Scott's Point to reach the 90 Mile Beach. I toiled through an area of track that seemed so steep and rugged that I wasn't sure if I was still going the right way; this is common on the Te Araroa. I eventually made my way through a shady manuka stand and finally up to a point where the beach rolled out in front of me in hues of white, blue and green. I sat down for quite a while and nursed my feet, which by this time were growing quite sore. </p>
<p dir="ltr">After striding down steep stairs to the beach I forced my way on down the vast, sandy expanse towards Te Paki Stream, a popular vehicle entry to the beach. After struggling on sore feet for about an hour I realised that my day's end target destination, Maunganui Bluff, was well beyond reach. It was aldeady after three and I still had a good 15 km to go on what were now badly blistering feet. </p>
<p dir="ltr">As I approached Te Paki Stream, a DOC ute pulled up to meet me and a good bloke, whose name will go unmentioned, greeted me. I had a yarn and explained what I was up to and why. When I asked him about the standard of the fresh water sources down the beach, his reply was: "It's not what it used to be." In his view, intensification of forestry and agriculture in the area had dramatically impacted on the streams on the beach, soaking up large quantities of water, while increasing sedimentary pollution. He was in his fifties and said that the streams had been regularly used as a food source in his childhood but now the supply of eel and freshwater crayfish were nearly depleted due to loss of habitat. I can't help but wonder if commercial eeling has also contributed to this situation although I have no information regarding this.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I plonked down on the beach next to the mouth of the stream to mull this over and watched the antics of bus drivers trying to thrill their passengers by driving straight at the waves then slamming on the anchors. After eating a small portion of my seemingly inexhaustable supply of provisions, I decided to push on for awhile but was soon certain I wouldn't make it to Maunganui Bluff and started searching for a place to camp. A little DOC sign up by the edge of a watercourse named "Butler's Creek" beckoned to me and I pitched my lonely little tent there on a crusty shelf next to long reeds, taking care to stay above the high tide line.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I got my camp as well sorted as I could and sat down to inspect my feet; they were bad. Huge blisters were developing on the balls of my feet while smaller ones had popped out from my heels an toes. As I sat and pondered how I would continue the following day, a guy on a bike in an orange high vis coat pedalled into view down on the beach. He seemed to notice my sad little camp and wound his way up the creek toward me. </p>
<p dir="ltr">This was Peter <u>Kapa</u>. It turned out he is the custodian of a property which lay just behind me, up the creek. We chatted for a couple of hours before I retired to my now mosquito filled tent. Lesson learned: always shut the netting door.</p>
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Maxi and her mum Petra were touring from Germany and heading up to the Cape. I think they thought I was a bit mad and Petra averted her eyes as I struggled with my pack. "Oh I can't look" she gasped, shaking her head. </p>
<p>As it turned out, the reason everyone posts the weights of their items and overall pack weights, is because weight is the single most important consideration in tramping. Who would have thought that? Anyway, my ridiculously heavy pack wasn't slowing me down (it was) and I made it through to twilight beach with only one decent stop up the top of Cape Maria Van Diemanland to take in the view. A fellow hiker named Heidi made me a cuppa and had a chuckle at my pack, the weight of which easily exceeded SAS training levels. My feet were sore but didn't have any blisters (that I could see). </p>
<p>The campground at twilight beach is isolated but has good facilities including composting toilets and a covered cooking area along with panoramic views of the Tasman sea. I felt confident and suspected little of the pain in store for my feet the next day.</p>
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