Contents:
The club’s online tramp booking system
Our new online tramp registration system has gone live. It allows you to reserve your place on any trip without needing to make a phone call, send a txt message or do paperwork at club meetings (although you can still use these methods).
Read all about it under Tramp List (Meetings and Events).
Ruahine User Group Minutes (Published 18 June)
Kia ora koutou,
Apologies for the lateness of getting these minutes sent out. No excuse really, except COVID and me coming to grips with the Senior Ranger role. Its has been a huge last few months and there has been a lot on to keep us all entertained and out of mischief. I hope all of you have manged to remain safe and well in these very uncertain times of late. While we have moved into Level 1 and hopefully seen the last of Covid (although the 2 case today are a bit alarming) I still encourage everyone to look out for one another and be kind as we all help bring the economy back on track. These are new times we are entering into and the community spirit we all share is now, more valuable than ever.
Please find the minutes of the March meeting attached and I look forward to seeing everyone at the next meeting on the 20th of July in the beautiful Palmerston North DOC offices. Meeting agenda and invite to come out next month. If you have any pressing issues that you want to see included in this meeting, please do not hesitate to email me with what you would like discussed.
There has been some amazing work done since we came out of Covid and Shaun Ruddle and the team has been extremely busy getting contractors in the hills to give our key huts and sites a bit of a birthday. Sunrise looks amazing, Longview as well and soon Rangi will be getting its turn. Some of our tracks have been getting a good haircut and Pohangina Base is looking sharp. Ruahine Hut is getting a new fire place as well. I am sure we will give you a bigger update on this at the next RUG meeting.
So until July, stay safe everyone and keep enjoying the wonderful recreational opportunities that we have on offer here in the Mighty Manawatu and surrounding regions.
Kia kaha
Dan Tuohy
Kaitiaki Matua | Senior Ranger, Manawatu District
Te Papa Atawhai – Department of Conservation
Waea pūkoro Mobile: +64 27 539 6049
Wāhi noho 28 North St
Tāone Palmerston North
He aha te mea nui o te ao – Whats the most important thing in this world?
He tangata, He tangata, He tangata – It is the people, It is the people, It is the people
RUG Minutes March 2020 – DOC-6230389
A coment from another RUG participant which is very relevant to the current access problems in the Ruahine Ranges. (Published 18 June)
You may know I’ve had meetings with DOC senior management, wilderness mag,
Shaun, Peter Wilson from FMC (now Jan Finlayson copied in) and countless
others about the tragedy of having all these public DOC assets that are
virtually inaccessible (Crow Hut, McKinnon and Kawhatau Base). Especially
McKinnon, where else can you use the long drop and get a view of Ruapehu in
front of you! :-). And then there’s the letters I’ve received about the
other hut accessibility further south (but I want to get this one sorted
first!)
Anyhoo… I’ve mostly given up on getting access in the traditional way,
but as has been pointed out countless times, we can use the unformed legal
road up to the DOC public land and then cut a new track to Colenso… it’s
a great compromise, legal and arguably the best ‘cost/benefit’ in the DOC
estate given that the Huts are already there! (Crow, McKinnon). Peter
Wilson (FMC) even set a day to make it happen (but it fell through)
It would be great as a standing item in the agenda each week to get it
progressed. When the Wilderness Article came out a few years ago, it was
considered FMCs most pressing access issue in the country.
It is really awesome the work you guys are doing, *I don’t want to take
away from that*. But at some point it would be good to throw all resources
at this issue for a concerted time so it’s sorted once and for all!
Regards,
David
NTC AGM
The club’s AGM was held on 11 June 2020, having been delayed due to Covid-19.
The new leaders are:
Juliet Gillick – President
Sue Martin – Club Captain
John Dobbs – Treasurer
Geoff Donkin – Secretary (re-elected)
Existing committee members re-elected are:
Jenny Burns, Mark Jenkins, Marie Deroles, Bruce Hodgson, Doug Matheson and Lynette Morgan
New committee members are:
Rosemary Jeffery, Shone Tupe and Di Reid
Thanks to you all for your commitment to the NTC.
Two new Life members were announced: Alison Greer and Julia Mackie, recognised for their past and continuing service to the NTC.
River crossings: a tragic reminder
With the death of a tramper (in the Ruahine Ranges) on 2 June, it is worth reminding ourselves about making safe river crossings. The media report includes a useful MSC video.
And here is another link to NZ Tramper 101 on river crossings. It goes into greater detail.
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