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Archives For 30/11/1999

Kiss me Kate – Canterbury’s top places to propose to your princess

Sarah Mankelow —  03/05/2011

There’s nothing like a Royal Wedding to get us girls dreaming about our own Prince William Charming. Sigh.

We all need a little romance in our lives – some of us more than others. And those of us who spend time in the outdoors in our parks and other places know just how special and mood-enhancing these places can be. So, why not make it official boys? Take us out in the wilderness, get down on one knee and make us feel like a princess. Here are my top spots in Canterbury for a proposal with a fairytale ending…

Castle Hill – Kura Tawhiti Conservation Area

Getting there: Drive west of Christchurch for about 80 minutes

Castle Hill has plenty of hidden corners for a romantic tryst

Come on – it’s got Castle in the name – it has to be good! Even without the cliché connection this is a fantastic spot – the stone outcrops that earned its name make it an awe-inspiring place to visit. And it’s amazing how you can get lost in this place – there can be 20 cars in the car park but in the reserve itself you can wander around unnoticed for hours; plenty of hidden corners for a romantic tryst.

Kura Tawhiti is a topuni site – history tells it was claimed by the son of celebrated chief Tuahuriri so that he could gather the green glowing feathers of kakapo in the area for his daughter Hine Mihi to wear (Aotearoa’s own royal fashion).

Learn more about Castle Hill – Kura Tawhiti Conservation Area

Millennium Walk – Arthur’s Pass National Park

Getting there: Drive west from Christchurch for about 2 hrs; the walk is only 10 min return.

Wintertime at "Chapel of the Snows"

A marvellous spot for a midnight proposal – the walk goes up behind the quaint Arthur’s Pass ‘Chapel of Snows’ to a viewing platform overlooking the Avalanche Creek Waterfall, which is lit at night. In the middle of winter, snow and icicles hang like glistening diamonds and frosty air requires lots of close cuddles. Plus, when you are ready to throw your own Royal Wedding, the back window of the chapel gives a view directly onto the waterfall – bringing the proposal and the ceremony together to make memories that last a lifetime.

A frozen waterfall and snow covered rocks at Avalanche Creek, Arthur's Pass National Park provide the perfect backdrop for romance

Learn more about Millennium Walk (and other short walks around Arthur’s Pass National Park) 

Mt Sunday – Hakatere Conservation Park

Getting there: Drive south then west to Mt Somers township then into the Ashburton Lakes, past Lake Clearwater; about 2 ½ hrs from Christchurch.

Lord of the Rings fans will know this lump of glacial rock as the capital of Rohan and home to Meduseld, the hall of King Theoden and his niece Éowyn. So we have rings, we have princesses and kings – we have a small hill to climb, which makes us all feel good when we reach the top. Apparently true Tolkein enthusiasts get dressed up into costumes to make the climb – that’s optional although very cool – and lets face it Éowyn’s white dress would grace any Princess bride.

Learn more about Mount Sunday

Mt Princess – St James Conservation Area

Getting there: St James is behind Hanmer Springs – this climb starts near Lake Tennyson, a further 45 km along Tophouse Road (shingle).

For true backcountry mountaineers who prefer to feel “on the top of the world” before making a life-changing decision like marriage, then Mt Princess must be for you (yes again, a corny name). This climb (2126 m) starts from near Lake Tennyson, which also has romantic connotations. Alfred Tennyson was Poet Laureate during Queen Victoria’s reign and is in the top ten of most quoted writers; including the phrase “Tis better to have loved and lost / Than never to have loved at all”. So once you and your true backcountry love reach the top, quote her some poetry and gift her a rock.

Learn more about St James Conservation Area

What would be (or is) your preferred proposal spot? I’d love to hear from you…

In Canterbury, National parks, Recreation , , , , , , ,
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Fatality free climbing season at Aoraki/Mt Cook NP

 —  16/04/2010

The home of our longest glacier (the Tasman at 27km long), our highest mountain (Aoraki/Mt Cook, 3754m), and 19 other peaks over 3000 meters, Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park is an internationally renowned area for mountaineering. It is possible for climbers of any skill level, beginner to experienced, to get out and enjoy.

From November to March, the park becomes a haven for trampers and mountaineers from NZ and, increasingly, from overseas. This summer season, for the first time since the same period in 1992/1993, there was not a single fatality in the park. In the 17 years in between, 60 people have tragically lost their lives while exploring the mountains and valleys of our great alpine park.

Aoraki/Mt Cook. Photo: Les Molloy

Things can and do go wrong in the outdoors, and this can be due to a number of factors: sudden weather change, poor decision making, incorrect gear, or just a freak accident. Some of these things you can control, others are unpredictable. For those unpredictable times, a personal locator beacon (PLB) or a satellite phone may be the difference between being found or not, if you do find yourself in trouble.

Community Relations ranger Ray Bellringer said that from the Aoraki Area Office’s Search and Rescue (SAR) perspective, having a fatality free season is an excellent outcome. This kind of work is intense and incredibly draining on all Aoraki staff, from those who work in the Visitor Centre and are the initial contact with climbers, to those on the rescue team who recover injured and deceased climbers from very precarious situations.

The Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park Visitor Centre. Photo: Shirley Slatter

So well done to all those staff who directly or indirectly have had contact with the 230,000 odd people who stop by the Visitor Centre every year, for doing as much as they can to keep visitors safe. And also to those climbers, trampers and all the other recreationists who have practised safe and intelligent outdoor adventuring this summer season.

In Canterbury, National parks
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Conservation Campsites – Our best kept secret

 —  01/04/2010

Well, summer’s almost over, but it’s not over yet! While the sun comes down earlier now than it did in Feburary, there are still some secret little havens around the country for you to enjoy the setting sun with your family and friends. The great thing about these spots is that they’re often nice and quiet, and to be honest I’m a little loathe to let you in on the secret! But we do manage these places for you, the NZ public.  So before everything gets cold and dark, you could try one of over 200 DOC Conservation Campsites around the country, located in some very special places. 

Camping is a fantastic family activity.

Camping is a fantastic family activity.

What you need to know: 

  • Campsites are divided into categories, based on the facilities provided;
  • They are dirt cheap! You’ll pay around $8-$14 per person per night for a Serviced campsite with flush toilets, tap water and cooking facilities, or rough it (free of charge) in a Basic campsite;
  • Access can also vary, so make sure you check whether your campervan or motor home can climb that steep gravel road…
  • There are campsites in pretty much any setting you desire: by the coast, in the forest, next to rivers and lakes or below huge mountains;
  • Sometimes they may be hard to find, but many campsites are in spectacular locations, just waiting for you to find them.

You can download the comprehensive North and South Island brochures from the DOC website, or drop into any DOC visitor centre if you’re after a hard copy to chuck into your glove box. 

So, pick your setting, load up your vehicle, and get out there and find your own piece of camping paradise. I have a few personal favourites (that I don’t really want to tell you about yet), but hopefully they will take a while for you all to find… 

One of our many campsites available to the public.

One of our many campsites available to the public.

Links: 

In Camping, National parks , ,
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Tramping nappies – a sign of the times?

 —  19/11/2009
Some of you may have come across this story from the Southland Times last week about imitation DOC signs being placed on the Routeburn Track in Southland.

I had a bit of a laugh, and (aside from its content), thought the sign followed our Outdoor Sign Manual rather well! But as well as being a bit of a joke, there is some seriousness to the matter. One of the fake signs directed people towards an “effluent station” up a steep bluff, and as DOC Wakatipu programme manager Richard Kennett pointed out, this could be dangerous for those visitors who don’t have a strong grasp of English, or also for those who don’t visit the outdoors very often.

One of the fake signs spotted on the Routeburn Track. Photo: Southland Times

DOC uses signage to provide visitors with all kinds of information: directions on how to get to places, on-site orientation, hazard, safety and regulatory messages, all of which are intended to help visitors enjoy the vast array of great DOC-managed areas around the country. 

Signs come in all shapes and sizes. Photos: Nick Fisentzidis and Fiona Colquhoun

DOC signs are very easily spotted with their green and gold colourings and distinctive logo. So although they may seem like a harmless joke, the consequences of fake signs like the ones on the Routeburn may end up being more than just a laugh.

Fake sign, real issue: getting rid of waste.

From the ‘minimising your impact’ side of things, in the past rubbish was either burnt in hut fireplaces or buried in rubbish pits near huts. Thankfully these practices have been abandoned, and now visitors must follow the mantra ‘pack it in-pack it out’. 

And rather than using ‘tramping nappies’, check out the poo pots developed in Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park for all your outdoor sanitary needs.

So next time you’re bashing around in the hills, take a moment to read the signs you come across, and if they mention anything about bodily functions in the backcountry, maybe take them with a grain of salt.

Which is a better way to get your point across? A fake sign or this… Photo: Sue Wilkins

In National parks, Recreation, Southland
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The Vietnam visitor experience: Part Two…

 —  02/10/2009

Round two on the Vietnamese visitor experience trail was a two day trip to Cuc Phuong National Park. Established in 1962 as Vietnam’s first national park (Ho Chi Minh even took time out from the war to formally open it), it is one of the country’s top nature-based tourist attractions. We organised a tour through Handspan Adventure Travel which included return transport from Hanoi to the park and back, meals, accommodation and a guide for our four hour trek.

As well as being a biodiversity hotspot that houses almost 100 different mammal species, over 300 bird species and 2000 species of plants, the park also includes the Cuc Phuong Endangered Primate Rescue Center. This centre helps to breed and rehabilitate some of Vietnam’s rarest primates including the Golden-headed Langur and the Black Crested Gibbon. 

Cuc Phuong Endangered Primate Rescue Center

Cuc Phuong Endangered Primate Rescue Center

We spent an hour or so strolling around the primate centre, where a park warden described all the species we saw and also the importance of a centre like this in a country where poaching of rare animals for the illegal wildlife trade is all too common.

Then we threw some boots on, layered on the mozzie repellant and entered into the park with our guide. In places the forest reminded me of the New Zealand bush (although much, much hotter…), very dense and thick, with mosses and lichens covering almost every tree trunk. Some of the signage was great, as it seemed to be designed in way that meant non-Vietnamese speakers could still understand the point that was trying to be made.

Visitor information at the park entrance

Visitor information at the park entrance

2-1=0, a pretty good way of explaining the damage poaching does...

2-1=0, a pretty good way of explaining the damage poaching does...

The walk was gentle and the track well formed, and just over 3 hours later we were back at our starting point after seeing geckos, chameleons, forest squirrels, huge dragonflies, a 1000-year old tree, probably one of the biggest spiders I’ve ever seen (the size of a dinner plate I kid you not!), and of course being thoroughly wow-ed by our second national park of the trip.

The main difference between here and Cat Ba National Park was most definitely having a guide, we learnt so much more and just generally felt a little safer while in the park. For us, organising trips through travel agencies was the way to go in this part of the world, as the money we might have saved organsing everything ourselves didn’t make up for the hassle and stress of sorting out everything from transport, accommodation, food, park entrance fees and all those other hidden costs… plus it meant knowing all that administrative kind of stuff was all taken care of, we could really immerse ourselves in the places we visited, and take in so much more.

Well that was park number two, and unfortunately our travel plans changed and we ran out of time to get the third park we were hoping to visit. Next time I’ll post about our two day tour of the spectacular Temples of Angkor in Cambodia, which was a whole different visitor experience entirely…

A nice sign to end on :)
In National parks
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