Sunday, December 13, 2009

A celebration of our wild New Zealand landscape and National Parks - and a "heads up"

Quentin Smith of Wanaka has recently formed a FaceBook group: Hands off Mt Aspiring NP and a few days ago membership stood at 5000, and it's now well over 6000!

... which relates to the noises our new, seemingly unenlightened and uninspired, New Zealand Government are making to initiate mining investigations in our National Parks. Not only my local Mt Aspiring National Park I might add!

While they say it's only a stock-take even that is a transgression and impossible to do without major disturbances and destruction of our heritage put aside for all coming generations.

Having got this off my chest [link below] I'm here sharing some of my favourite landscape photos I've made of our wild New Zealand landscape.

This is Mt Brewster - somewhat in the middle of the area of Mt Aspiring National Park our National Government has it's beady eyes on [and in bed with which multi national corporation that historically is always in the background taking profits when it comes to mining resources in any country?]...
skiing-mt-brewster.jpg

Marks Flat under Mt Hooker - a huge tract of land designated at Conservation Estate in South Westland. Should it be part of the World Heritage Site in this area [Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand]?
marks-flat-1.jpg

You can "mine" great powder on the slopes of Mt Cook in Mount Cook National Park...
hochstetter.jpg

Alma hut in Westland National Park, with Franz Josef neve behind...
alma-hut-sunset_2.jpg

Mt Aspiring from Cascade Saddle
aspiring-cascade-saddle.jpg

Lake Hankinson in Fiordland National Park [not far from the Milford Track]...
lake-hankinson.jpg

Looking down one of the significant glaciers in Westland National Park
fox-glacier-alma-2.jpg

There is a FaceBook generated link here, to view, or I suggest join the group: Hands off Mt Aspiring NP.

Or failing above then click on Groups in your FaceBook account and type in "Hands off Mt Aspiring NP"

And on a related matter this week I found out that New Zealand has 56,000 Kms of public roads that are not public, and our current New Zealand Government, and the preceding one it seems, have apparently been doing their best to sweep these "paper roads" under the carpet by use of cunning legal moves to give the land to those [many of whom have already fenced them off], in exchange for easements. The former offer us, the recreational users and owners unfettered access, the latter, easements, do absolutely nothing for us - only for self serving interests of those who've squatted on our rights.

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6 Comments:

Blogger Ruahines said...

Kia ora Donald,
I joined up a while back. Good to get these groups organized and there is a lot of good info on there as well about the true nature of this blatant grab by greedy plonkers. As a country we should be ashamed of ourselves and instead of leading the world we become the caboose.
Cheers,
Robb

December 14, 2009 at 3:48 PM  
Blogger Marg said...

earlier in the year when I was travelling a lot I especially loved being in Central and began to appreciate the landscape in ways I had never done before or perhaps had space to appreciate before - so it's nice now that I'm city bound to look and be reminded of these images through your site. Also your frequent themes relating to the welfare of the land are important as they so quickly drop off the radar when no longer front or any page news. Thanks again

December 15, 2009 at 10:21 PM  
Blogger Bob McKerrow - Wayfarer said...

Dear Donald

what amazingingly beautiful and textured photos.

What a joy to see Mt. Brewster in winter, When I climbed it in 1969 it was mostly rock. I think you have the wrong spelling for Almer Hut. Not that I am an expert on spelling.

Keep sharing those superb images.

Bob

December 16, 2009 at 6:56 PM  
Blogger Donald said...

Thanks Bob. High praise indeed. It seems we've got things to say so more power to you brother!

I wondered about the spelling, so Googled it, but as I tend to agree with you it seems the engineers there have made a New Zealand Southern Alps algorithm yet!

Brewster in summer seems a great example of NZ rock and the food we know affectionately as Weet Bix!

If you cold send an email to myself at donald@icommunicate.co.nz I would like to send you something special about Irina's mum

Cheers

Donald

December 28, 2009 at 8:04 PM  
Blogger Donald said...

Good on you for signing up Robb.

There has been a large ad. recently in our local rag asking folk to subscribe to the Clutha River Trust as discussed earlier, but my fuddled and tired brain right now tends to think the timing may not be the best - still a start has been made in the escalation.

Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Cheers

Donald

December 28, 2009 at 8:07 PM  
Blogger Donald said...

Hi Marg

It's just a bit too superficial to myself, how our media decides what to present and when! Blogging despite it's short history though, is written in the history of publishing already, so continue to write and post well about whatever your passion is!

Hopefully the Central Otago landscape will always be here for nourishment, and this is what it's all about: knowing it exists so our hearts can wing there in the dead of night - to the sun, to the stars, with a clarity matching our visits, always!

Merry Xmas to you and yours

Cheers

Donald

December 28, 2009 at 8:13 PM  

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