Find out what else goes on – besides weeding – on Raoul Island from volunter Nichollette Brown.
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An historic bush camp re-enactment will be one of the features of Log Fest on 9 October
Saturday October 9th promises to be a special day for anyone visiting the Karangahake Gorge, as the Victoria Battery gold mining site is transformed into Log Fest, a family event celebrating the timber heritage of New Zealand.
It is 100 years since the Kauri Timber Company’s first shipment of kauri logs from Waikino to Auckland. These logs were brought down the Waitawheta Tramline, an engineering marvel of its day, which is now part of the Kaimai-Mamaku Forest Park near Tauranga.
Events and promotions such as Log Fest are part of the day-to-day work for DOC’s Community Relations staff. Community Relations is the part of DOC responsible for local relationships and community involvement. DOC Area Offices around New Zealand have Community Relations teams that work with the local issues and people, so helping to inform and connect their local communities to the work of DOC.
Our Community Relations Ranger here in Tauranga is Pete Huggins, and he has been organising Log Fest as a celebration of the 100-year anniversary.
Pete has also been working with local media to try and encourage people to attend, saying: “We’d like to invite people from nearby towns and cities to come and explore this exciting piece of historic conservation land. DOC is working with local groups to put on a really special day. We have an historic bush camp where kids of all ages can try using traditional saws, cooking on an open fire, and trying woodturning. There will also be train and horse rides, both of which hark back to the grand old days of rail and horsepower. We also have some excellent talks and guided walks for those who want a bit more detail, and to discover the mining history and relics. It will make a great day out for the last weekend of the school holidays”.
Event details are below – come along and be a part of it!
Entry to the event is free, and extra parking will be available at the Waikino Station, SH2, Karangahake Gorge.
A special train service is running from Waihi on the day. For train times and bookings go to www.waihirail.co.nz.
Games and activities run throughout the day, but the following set times apply:
10.00am – opening of Log Fest
11.00am – unveiling of new tracks and displays
12.00pm – presentation on bush tramways by DOC expert Paul Mahoney
2.00pm – presentation on gold mining by DOC expert Paul Mahoney
4.00pm – close
11.00am – unveiling of new tracks and displays
12.00pm – presentation on bush tramways by DOC expert Paul Mahoney
2.00pm – presentation on gold mining by DOC expert Paul Mahoney
4.00pm – close
For event details, visit www.doc.govt.nz and search “Log Fest”
For information about logging history in the Waitawheta Valley go to: http://www.doc.govt.nz/conservation/historic/by-region/bay-of-plenty/waitawheta-bush-tramway/
For information about the history and significance of the Victoria Battery go to:
http://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/documents/conservation/historic/by-region/victoria-battery-site.pdf
For information about the history and significance of the Victoria Battery go to:
http://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/documents/conservation/historic/by-region/victoria-battery-site.pdf
DOC and TVNZ 6 filmed a special Meet the Locals episode to celebrate Conservation Week 2010. Meet the Locals is our TV series about New Zealand’s wildlife, wild places and the people working hard to look after them. The special episode played on TVNZ 6 during Conservation Week but if you missed it, don’t worry because you can now watch it online.
In the special our presenter, James Reardon, first takes viewers to Anchor Island where he’s joined by DOC’s Stephen Horn. They check up on Manu the kākāpō and talk about what it takes to move birds back from remote islands to the mainland, for all New Zealanders to enjoy.
DOC's James Reardon and Stephen Horn with Manu the kākāpō
He then heads to Whareorino Forest with DOC’s Lisa Daglish to find out more about our unique Archey’s Frogs. Finally, James flies into the Murchison Mountains to talk to DOC’s Linda Kilduff and check on the takahē chicks that were relocated here in 2009, to see how these birds are doing in their new environment.
James and Linda Kilduff talk takahē
Watch the Meet the Locals Conservation Week Special on TVNZ 6’s website. Enjoy!
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The first thing you find yourself doing, immediately after a major earthquake, is checking on family and friends. This is followed by a rapid assessment of your home and that of the immediate surrounding area. Most staff that live and work closest to the epicentre have been affected to some degree – from loss of household goods and personal possessions through to major structural damage to homes. Thankfully there has been no loss of life. Our thoughts are with our Cantabrian colleagues who have lost their homes.
For those of us that could return to work on the Monday after the earthquake (6 September) an important task that needed to be undertaken, after swapping earthquake survival stories, was to check all public conservation land for damage to structures and tracks.
The worst affected areas have been that of Mahaanui and Raukapuka, and the advice being given to members of the public is to avoid all facilities and structures on public conservation land until they have been inspected and reopened.
Several historic sites have also been affected, read Ian’s post Historic heritage hit by earthquake.
Structural engineers have joined the Mahaanui and Raukapuka teams to assist with damage reports. However, as Canterbury is still experiencing aftershocks – several have been felt during the writing of this – it is likely that more damage will come to light in the coming weeks.
Mahaanui area
Initial assessments have shown damage to many walking tracks and structures within Mahaanui Area.
Ōtukaikino
The Ōtukaikino wetland walk suffered extensive liquefaction, with large ‘volcanoes’ of sand squeezed up from the earth below.
Liquefaction at Ōtukaikino
Boardwalks and bridges have been separated from their piles and bearers, and the water table in the wetland has risen significantly.
Inspecting the boardwalks and bridges at Ōtukaikino
The northern motorway that passes next to Ōtukaikino has been uplifted in several places – and the motorway over bridge has slumped away. Locals are very fond of this walkway – not only is it one of the few remaining wetlands in the Canterbury region – but it is also a living memorial – with trees donated from Lamb & Hayward funeral directors.
Extensive fissures in Ōtukaikino wetland
Raukapuka area
Sharplin Falls track
The Sharplin Falls track at Mt Somers has been damaged in a few places with two slips taking out approximately 10 metres of track. The area office closed the track immediately, as with the after shocks continuing concerns remain about the stability of the area.
Cordons at the start of the Sharplin Falls track
The area office has been advised by engineers to remain clear of the area until a geological assessment has been completed and the area has stabilised. Last year the department spent $190,000 upgrading the 1.2km track in to Sharplin Falls, which was opened to the public during Conservation Week in September 2009.
One of the slips on the Sharplin Falls track
Finally – we would like to express our extreme gratitude to everyone for their kind thoughts and messages of support. As New Zealander’s we are all fully aware of the damage, physical and psychological, that earthquakes can cause. Your messages of support have been truly appreciated.
By Cody Frewin (Community Relations Ranger, Mahaanui) & Gemma White (Community Relations Programme Manager, Raukapuka Area)
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By Ian Hill, our Historic Technical Support Officer in Canterbury Conservancy.
We are still rocking here in Canterbury. Since the big 7.1 shake-up on 4 September we’ve had 577 shocks (to Midday 15 September), including the 5.1 quake which provided another really good shake up on Wednesday morning (8 September). This shake was centred 10km from the city (5km from my house), somewhere near Lyttelton, which had already been badly hit.
Lots of Lyttelton’s heritage buildings have been damaged e.g. Timeball Station (which has just had earthquake strengthening), the former Harbour Light Cinema and the Empire Hotel. On the home front, my place is well-off compared to lots of others in Canterbury, as you will have no doubt seen from TV news.
My chimney was dodgy after the 7.1 Saturday morning shake-up and I strapped it up and photographed it. After several big shakes around midnight on Monday (6 September), I could see it was not going to last, so I got some help to take it down. Doing that sure lowered the stress levels, but it is still very tiring with so many aftershocks.
I had the chimney taken down so it didn’t fall on my new garage!
When you return to Christchurch City you are going to see an entirely different city. Many heritage buildings have been damaged and demolition is going on as I write this. It is really sad.
Some light relief helps – one Christchurch small business’s website shows some earthquake humour: Alvarados Mexican Restaurant
Alvarados restaurant being demolished
Assessing the damage
Staveley Lime Kiln, c1890
As you can see, one of the worst affected DOC historic sites is the Staveley Lime Kiln. This kiln did have a crack in it but has now been significantly damaged by the earthquake with a blow out on one of its sides. The area remains closed to the public due to safety risks.
Staveley Lime Kiln – one side of the kiln has collapsed
Awaroa/Godley Head
Here, some of the coastal walking tracks have been blocked by rock falls and slips, including a major cliff face landslide at Godley Head at the end of the tunnel to the searchlights. The tunnel has remained intact but the path on the other side is impassable. The two searchlight emplacements are okay, which is surprising as one has been seriously undermined by sea erosion.
Cliff face landslide on the Tunnel Track at Godley Head
Some of the WWII concrete and brick military sites, such as gun emplacements and underground magazines, have extensive cracking and have been closed to the public. The buildings that housed staff from the NZ Army during the war have developed a few small cracks and dislodging of plaster ceilings, but are remarkably intact after such a jolt and several large aftershocks.
Ōtamahua/Quail Island
The wharf at Ōtamahua/Quail Island, situated in Lyttelton Harbour, has ‘parted company’ with the island itself.
At this stage the historic buildings on the island, such as those used by Scott and Shackleton, appear to be intact.
Ripapa Island
The historic military fortifications on nearby Ripapa Island have suffered structural damage to chimneys and buildings.
Sign of the Packhorse hut
The historic nine-bunk Sign of the Packhorse stone hut has lost some of its chimney and developed significant cracks around windows and doors. Luckily, the track heading to the hut had been closed for the lambing season, so there were no trampers staying overnight when the earthquake struck.
Remains of the chimney at the Sign of the Packhorse Hut
Hakatere Stone Cottage, 1862
The earthquake has further reduced the structural integrity of the Hakatere Stone Cottage by expanding some existing cracking. This has increased the urgency for some restoration work to begin on the building.
Hakatere Stone Cottage
Monavale School
Monavale School, a historic limestone block building, survived the earthquake intact.
Monavale School survived the earthquake
Inner city damage
It appears that Torrens House, which houses the Canterbury Conservancy Office, has withstood the earthquake well with only a few minor cracks found at this stage. However, it is surrounded by several heritage buildings that have not fared so well.
This building was new in 1987 and was built for the Ministry of Works. It was designed to be the Emergency Operations Centre in an event such as this and it even has a helicopter pad on the level 5 roof.
View from level 4 of the DOC Office across Hereford Street (the new IRD building is visible in the background
An inner city building – the old Normal School (now apartments) – has a Reserves Act covenant over the Montreal and Kilmore Street facades, and has not fared very well. Chimneys have toppled and lots of slate on the roof has gone. They are attempting to save this building but it will never look the same.
Rear of St Johns Church Latimer Sq and what is left of the bell tower
St Johns Church being braced after the earthquake
The other inner city complex which DOC is involved in, the Christchurch City Council-administered Canterbury Provincial Buildings, has come through with little damage thanks to the ongoing extensive earthquake strengthening work.
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