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Otago Track Links Hawea - Wanaka

Michael Pullar and son Luke (2) on the new Hawea Bridge - Pic: Southland Times

A 10km Otago walking track between Albert Town and Lake Hawea opened in early August stands as a tribute to “local people taking ownership of these trail projects to deliver major recreational gains for their communities,” says Otago Te Araroa trustee Michael Pullar.

The Hawea River Track forms part of a longer network which by Christmas should offer six to eight days of continuous walking for the average tramper from Lake Hawea to Queenstown, Michael Pullar told 150 people who gathered to officially open the track.

Built by the Upper Clutha Tracks Trust, the new track links Hawea and Albert Town and also stands as a memorial to local farmer, mountaineer and businessman John Pawson, the trust’s founding chairman, who died in a climbing accident on Mt Aspiring in November.

New Swing Bridge

John Pawson’s wife, Meg Taylor, officially opened the track, performing ribbon cutting duties at the new $225,000 swing bridge which spans the Hawea River near its confluence with the Cardrona River.

"John was very much into being involved with his community," Meg Taylor said. "He saw the track almost completed, along with the final designs for the bridge."

It was one of the Upper Clutha Trust’s first projects and completes Te Araroa’s link between Hawea and Wanaka townships.

The opening ceremony was also attended by Queenstown Lakes District Mayor Clive Geddes, and about 60 people crossed the bridge and walked or cycled along the track to Camphill Bridge, at Hawea Flat after the opening.

Six to Eight Day Walk Close

Michael Pullar said work is well under way on the Millennium Track extension to Glendu Bay, which when complete, will finish the Hawea to Glendu Bay section via Wanaka.

“These two major sections – Lake Hawea to Glendu Bay and Arrowtown to Queenstown – will be linked by the rugged Motatapu Track and, by Christmas, should provide a continuous trail from Lake Hawea through to Queenstown.”

"With access to town in the middle it lends itself to being part of say a two-week holiday in the region where you can combine walking with other activities," said Michael.

John Pawson was the Clutha Trust’s chairman at the time of his death, and was also vice-chairman of Otago Federated Farmers and ran a lodge in Wanaka with Meg Taylor. He was formerly a co-founder of the outdoors adventure chain Kathmandu (See Otago’s New Track )

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Our New Men in the North

Dr. Greg Blunden

Two new project managers start work for Te Araroa in the Northland region this month, dividing the Mid and Far North between them in an all-out effort to ready the region for the trail’s 2010 opening. 

Stefan Seitzer in Ngunguru and Dr Greg Blunden in Kerikeri  will take over as part-timers to replace fulltime former project manager Fiona Mackenzie, who is taking a break from covering  Warkworth to Waitangi for Te Araroa.

Stefan is a former classical musician who became passionate about environmental science after moving to New Zealand from Germany in the mid 80s.Greg is the Far North representative for the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust and one of the founders of the NZ Kiwi Foundation.

Their work will consist of scoping new routes, negotiating access agreements with private and public land owners, arranging signage and looking after the million other details involved in track building.

“It makes sense to divide the region to cut down on costs in time and fuel,” says Te Araroa CEO Geoff Chapple. “Thanks to the support of the ASB Community Trust we are fortunate enough to be able to advance the trail in the north faster than we would otherwise be able to do.”

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Walkers Help Business

Stefan Seitzer

Te Araroa’s new project manager in the Mid North, Stefan Seitzer, recently spent a month walking and cycling in his Bavarian homeland and says the whole idea of walking trails and cycleways enjoys good support there. 

“There is a history of long distance walking tracks in the Alps, and now they have set up cycleways along old railway tracks,” says Stefan. “A key feature is that there is good local support. People offer accommodation and so forth.There is nothing like a good meal, a cold beer and a comfortable bed at the end of a long day’s hike.

“Pub and inn keepers were unanimous in saying the walkers and cyclists made a significant difference to their business. Some said it increased their clientele by 60 or 70%. 

“I know we are not comparing “apples with apples” when we talk about Te Araroa, because of the population in Europe the trails draw from, but I think there does need to be a paradigm shift in thinking in New Zealand for people to see the potential in being close to the trail and offering services to walkers.”

Stefan is a former classical guitarist-turned hunter and trapper who “went bush” when he arrived in New Zealand from his native Bavaria in 1985 and soon became intrigued with the problems created by introduced species like possum, thar and chamois. He wrote on environmental issues for NZ Geographic magazine, and completed a Master’s Degree in Environmental Science at Auckland University.

He managed the Mahurangi Harbour project for the Auckland Regional Council, working with local land owners to encourage good land management to prevent silting by fencing and planting streams.

He says he has always been a keen walker and when he discovered Te Araroa passed only a kilometre or so away from his 17 acres Ngunguru property he didn’t take much convincing it was “a brilliant idea.”

Kiwis and Covenants

Te Araroa’s new Far North project manager Dr Greg Blunden has extensive experience working with landowners as the NZ Kiwi Foundation convenor, administering 150 parcels of land under Queen Elizabeth II covenants – most of them with Kiwi on them.

“Largely it is working with land owners and organising paid contractors to go in and do pest control,” says Greg, who has even begun organising “Pig dog training days” to make hunter’s dogs Kiwi averse.  “Anything we can do to get people working with us, we are willing to try.”

“I support the whole notion of Te Araroa and do a lot of walking in my work, but I’m not a tramper like my wife Gay is,” says Greg, who sees Northland’s future prosperity linked inextricably to its natural environment - sensible development with meaningful attention paid to retaining natural values, especially indigenous biodiversity and landscape.

Greg worked in the building industry for 20 years and then became a student/lecturer/research fellow at the Geography Department at Auckland University where he obtained his PhD in 1995. Greg and Gay managed Aroha Island Ecological Centre from 1998 to 2007.  

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GPS Better Than Diamonds

Fiona Mackenzie did her share of bush bashing in her role as Te Araroa’s Northland project manager, so while “some women want diamonds, my GPS was the best present I could ever have received,” she says.

Fiona suggests taking a GPS on long distance walks is always a good idea.  Hers “was an upgrade to a Garmin 60CSX which enabled me to get a fix (i.e. my position) in deep bush, cloud or canyon. With its onscreen topo map, I could even see what contour I was on! What a help that was when scoping tracks in the wilds of Northland.

“On one section of Te Araroa through the steep bush-clad hills behind Whananaki, I had been having trouble finding a route through – kept coming up against steep drop-offs. Once I had my new GPS, it was easy to work out the best way of avoiding that particular dead end. Success!

GPS Knows Best

“Now I’m not a competitive creature but there was another scoping day south of the Russell Forest. My buddy was sure we’d find the way if we just kept on this ridge. My GPS was saying something different but who am I to argue (much)? Eventually when we had to backtrack, I dived off the side of the ridge into the thick bush and yes, there it was – another lovely ridge leading off in the right direction this time, but very well hidden from above.

“Having topo map software (Freshmap) on my computer is a great help too. It enables me to work out an approximate route from the comfort of my office. I can then download it to my GPS and use it to guide me on the ground. My faithful GPS will then track where I actually end up walking (because things are always a little different out there); I can then upload the correct route back onto my computer map, label it and add descriptive waypoints, then email it on to the Trust’s mapping or webpage people.

“With these GPS routes available on Te Araroa’s track descriptions, you can download them to your own GPS and never get lost again. Mine did everything I wanted it to.  Just make sure you carry spare batteries.”

Recognised Brand

Fiona’s Garmin 60CSX GPS was at top of the range for hand held models, priced at just under $1000. Consumer magazine did a report on handheld navigational units in June, at http://www.consumer.org.nz/reports/hand-held-gps.

Fiona is taking a break from being a full time Te Araroa manager, pursuing other interests, but is still working as a volunteer to keep Rodney moving as well as enjoying time skiing and being outdoors.

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