[Andrew]

Wellington Doc are collecting info from clubs on:

Bio-physical impacts from visitors – That is, where visitor use is damaging the ecological values of the land. For example – trampling vegetation in sensitive alpine or wetland environments, vegetation cut for fire wood, camp site litter.

Social impacts of visitors – That is, where visitor activity / behaviour is impacting on other users. These impacts are commonly classified as ‘crowding’ or ‘conflict between different users’. For example; crowding at hut facilities, mountain bikers using popular walking tracks or visitors inappropriately using facilities.

Impacts on historic sites – where significant historic values are being compromised.

If you know of any current or predict future impacts in the Wellington DoC region post on this forum in the following format:

The site name and/or NZMS grid reference (eg NZMS S26 569712)
The impact (description) and whether it is current/developing or potentially an issue
A contact that we may talk to if we wish to find out more information

[Wayne]

I think the Tararua and most of the Rimutaka forest parks are both in good shape and there are no great issues with mess (especially now we have done Mtn House and tied up Smiths Creek and DoC have removed other hovels such as Dobsons Hut and Ohau shelter). THe Wellington and Hutt Valley sewarage outfalls used to be a real shocker but now they are done its great (best $$ the councils have ever spent)

But, there are some other shocking areas around Wellington. Firstly, the gullys leading off from SH2 over the Rimutaka’s are full of all sorts of crap – old cars, rubbish, lawn movers. Its really, really bad – was quite shocked to see how much crap is here when we recently did the search for Coral Burrows

Secondly, around the Makara coastline and many other costal areas there is all sorts of crap being washed up by the sea (alot of junk off foreign fishing boats that are probably operating half a world away).

Despite Wellington being a major popn centre in NZ i cant say ive experienced any issues of ‘crowding’ in the Wellington area (unlike other areas such as Abel T and some of the Great Walks down south) – this is probably due to the low levels of tourists heading outdoors in the WN area

thats my 2 cents worth

Wayne

[Author]

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