Thread: Kaimanawa Forest Park

DoC Turangi phone number: 07 384 7106. Will be ringing them first thing tomorrow to see what they know is going on...

DoC blurb on the Kaimanawa Forest Park still lists the Waipakahi road as one of the access points.

That won't stop trepass or poaching. There will be another agenda.

I get that, but that's not a unique situation. I live on a rural road that has almost zero 'tourist' traffic, and the crap and carcasses and bottles and nappies and sofas on the side of the road beggars belief. WTF do these (local FFS!) people creating all this crap have that passes for brains???

If that's happened, its a sorry day for CNI trampers and hunters

Are the roads not public roads?

Well, a sign of the times. You now can't call a DoC regional centre...all calls get vetted ooops, I mean transferred through to a National call centre. I think the give away initially was the recorded message asking if this call was about a seal sighting...Not too many seals in Turangi!!!

Bottom line, couldn't contact the appropriate staff, will give me a call back. Will see how that goes.

30 0r so years ago Kaimanawa Road (access to Umukarikari and Urchin) was gated and the owners introduced a permit system. Neither lasted very long. The gate for obvious reasons and I think the permit system was too administratively cumbersome for the owners to maintain.

I thought at the time though that it was an indication of what might be in the future for hunters. All the more reason why we need strong but reasonable representation through NZDA, the Game Council etc. I say "reasonable" because there will be a natural reaction from the land owners if we are not.

Originally Posted by Rem260

Are the roads not public roads?

Look it up on WAMS. Its not purple so its not.

Hunters are only one user group of this area. NZAC, MSC and others will all be lobbying for continued access to this part of the Kaimanawas. Unfortunately, where Maori land is involved it is never a simple or fast process. I have seen situations in this area where land owners deny access just because they can, to prove a point. If this happens here the only ones going in there will be Iwi and poachers. Not ideal.

Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

The main issue is a percentage of the population are entitled dickheads and treat other peoples property as a dump. Hunters included.
A recent example being hunters flown out of a restricted area and the campsites left like a tip. Including someone taking a crapp in the creek bed in close proximity to the camp. When questioned by the organisers the reply was it was the party before them.
Dumbarses forgot it was a new campsite and it was them.
So imagine the shit that gets dumped in the scrub close to the desert road.

yes

Soooo. Wheels within wheels.

Just had a very polite and informative conversation with a gentleman from DoC Taupo who rang me back. Said I was the first of what he was expecting to be a looong line of complainants.

Yes, the local Maori Trust has decided to close public access.

BUT, its a commercial decision, not soley an environmental rubbish/illegal hunting one. HELISIKA have required the closure of the road so that they will pay the Trust considerable sums to lease long term the area and be able to use the end of the road there as a helicopter base during summer, to run downhill MTBing tours, and other scenic touristy stuff.

The hut on the tops and the heli base just off the tar seal road about 4km in are visible on G Earth.

Wonder if they can make this more viable than RAL's attempt to bus Taupo based tourists to the gondola for lunch.
I would have thought there is plenty of choice for mtbers that this would have to offer something pretty special.
Thanks for posting the info.
Good luck to them.

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Originally Posted by XR500

Soooo. Wheels within wheels.

Just had a very polite and informative conversation with a gentleman from DoC Taupo who rang me back. Said I was the first of what he was expecting to be a looong line of complainants.

Yes, the local Maori Trust has decided to close public access.

BUT, its a commercial decision, not soley an environmental rubbish/illegal hunting one. HELISIKA have required the closure of the road so that they will pay the Trust considerable sums to lease long term the area and be able to use the end of the road there as a helicopter base during summer, to run downhill MTBing tours, and other scenic touristy stuff.

The hut on the tops and the heli base just off the tar seal road about 4km in are visible on G Earth.

Okay. So they are putting the MTB tracks in on the private land?
As much as I would hate to see that areas access blocked off it is a pretty cunning commercial decision.

Money came from Provincial Growth slush fund for that development.

Originally Posted by Shearer

Okay. So they are putting the MTB tracks in on the private land?
As much as I would hate to see that areas access blocked off it is a pretty cunning commercial decision.

Yep, go to the WAMS website, you will see its all on private (Maori Trust) land.

But does cut off access to public land (Kaimanawa Forest Park) that's been used for the past 65 years. Pity the powers that be had not been pro active and secured access rights when the road was constructed.

But that was in another era.

Originally Posted by XR500

Look it up on WAMS. Its not purple so its not.

Main road isn't purple either?