Thanks, Mel. I suspect the address wasn't available as I went straight into the TV One website as soon as the story was over! My husband, a South Islander through and through, was really indignant at the nerve of the two tourist operators trying for the mighty dollar over the beautiful countryside.

Hi Everyone!
Wow! My friend and I are headed to NZ in Oct. A dream of many years... This thing with the tunnel: Just reading your posts and not really knowing the nitty-gritty, I must say that, as a selfish traveler, I'd rather have the pristine beauty preserved and have it be a bit more difficult to get where we want to go as tourists. It's what traveling is all about to me. I regret all the places I didn't make it to before they were destroyed by "westernization" and chasing the tourists dollars. So not knowing the fate of Glenorchy, I'm glad I'm going there now!

Enjoy Glenorchy Karen...and sign the online petition if you disagree with the tunnel proposal after you've seen what they'll be destroying.

It is an interesting thread. Questions raised and fellings and ideas one way and the other.

The National Park system in NZ is great, but I challenge New Zealanders to actually say they have been in one in any meaningful way (Hiking, camping, off track etc). Out of my colleagues at work on a basic straw poll the number is very low. Therefore the question asked is "if accessibility is improved for National Parks would you visit them more often?"

If the National Parks were visited more often by more than overseas tourists maybe they would be appreciated more by locals. Perhaps that does include improved accessibility. In the case of Fiordland, instead of making moles out of visitors for 20 minutes, how about showing them the canopy of the park from a well designed and as least impacting as possibile, gondola. So long as this is feasible and not destructive to the environment.

Uncontrolled development of sensitive sites is horrendous, I have seen some shockers myself in my travels througth Asia and Europe. I would in no way condone that. However the extreme alternative of no change at all risks us bubble wrapping what we have and potentially excluding those members of the extended community who would appreciate more accessibility. Without accessibility there is a detachment from what is there and the potential of developing disinterest, which ultimately may be more descrutive to the future of national parks than roads or gondolas.

Hi Kiwi_acct -

I'm curious where you live...Auckland?

I'm surprised about your comment regarding Kiwis not visiting their own national parks and I certainly hope that isn't the case. Have you visited the areas in question?

Do you really feel that there's an accessibility issue? These places ARE accessible, they just take a wee bit of time to get there.

I've been visiting the SI and its national parks on a fairly regular basis since 1994 and I've seen alot of changes, not all for the good. However, I try to visit in the off season, so I have no idea if the current system is taxed to the point of needing improvement in the busy season. I've not seen or read anything to indicate that, so to me, this is more about big business than accessibility and need, but I may not have the full story.

It will make only a few hours difference in drive time in a bus.

Yes, many Jaffas do not venture to the South Island much less to a national park. Sort of like people from LA never having been to Universal Studios (well not quite).

Hi Melnq8

I do currently live in Auckland but I have visited National Parks across the country. One of my favourites is Te Urewera, probably as this was the first park I camped in as a kid (Camping being a bit of a stretch as it was a school trip and we stayed in DOC huts). I loved it. When we get a chance as a family now we camp in DOC grounds around the North Island. I prefer camp sites with less by way of "comforts" as I think it is better for the kids to be away from technology and the like, plus I dont mind shipping in and out my own accomodation, food/waste.

To a lot of New Zealanders, National Parks are a bit like the Outback to Australians or the Rockies to Canadians/Americans. They know they are there but a lot of people have not been to them.

I have been through about half of the National Parks in NZ. It would be nice to see more but not so easy to get away from work. Plus as mentioned above, apart from parks such as Abel Tasman which has a good infrastructure within it, it is difficult to meaningfully experience large chunks of them. I am not advocating the system of say the UK, where National Parks there appear to have tarseled roads to all points of significance within them (For instance The Lake District). However if accessibility is limited or challenging then there is a risk of people being disengaged from them and thereby not caring what happens to them. This potentially could lead to uncontrolled exploitation of the resource. Disinterest and disassociation being a risk.

mlgb, it is interesting that you say that many "jaffas" do not venture to the South Island. Getting past the distasteful, pejorative term Jafa, I have had the "don't leave home until you have seen the country" conversation with many friends, family and business contacts country wide. It is an assumption that Aucklanders do not look around the rest of the country while conversely that balance of New Zealanders are well travelled internally. This is a myth, happily regurgitated at regular intervals by those who have a prejudice against Auckland and Aucklanders when in many cases they have never been here. Or if they have it is while they are in transit. A bit like saying you don't like LA when all you have done is change planes at LAX. I have even had conversations with people while I have been down south, who once they have found out I live in Auckland feel more than entitled to abuse me and the city I live in when a) they don't know me and b) they have never been here.

New Zealand is too small a country to become overly parochial within and frankly the world is too small to become overly nationalistic within as well. Lets celebrate what we have, make it accessable in a controlled and planned manner and encourage all to enjoy it.

My comment is only based on my own circle of Jaffa friends, Kiwi_acct. I keep suggesting they travel more in their own country, but they are "city" people and fit the Jaffa stereotype to a T (rather proudly, I might add).

<To a lot of New Zealanders, National Parks are a bit like the Outback to Australians or the Rockies to Canadians/Americans.>

I find that really disheartening. I suspect that the majority of Australians from 'over east' have never set foot in Western Australia, yet I reckon a heck of a lot of them have been to Bali. A shame really, considering WA is a third of the country.

I have met many Kiwis who had no idea what I was talking about when I mentioned places practically down the road from them, but I chalked that up to my accent and poor pronunciation. Just last month I met a NZer who'd been raised in Christchurch, but had no idea where Waipara was, which shocked the heck of out me ("Why-pra", right?)

I'm from Colorado, and I'm certainly guilty of not getting to the Rockies often enough, but I figure I have a pretty good excuse, having not lived there for 30 years. I do hope to rectify that at some point though.

I can only hope that Kiwis don't take for granted the beautiful place they live in and do what they can to protect it for generations to come.

Melnq8, it is indeed a little disheartening, though as you observe sadly not unique to New Zealanders.

The saying "travel broadens the mind" is a very true one. I have been fortunate in that my career has allowed me to travel significantly within New Zealand and globally, and not always the pretty places. I have learnt alot from this.


BTW your pronounciation of Waipara would be fine to my ears I would certainly know where you were talking about. Nice spot, very nice sauvignon blanc. To Christchurch folk maybe they would only know it as the turn off for Hanmer Springs? hard to say.

mlgb, keep chipping away at them. NZ, as you know, has a lot to offer.

Over new years a few years back now, peak holiday period in New Zealand. A mate and I was exploring the upper reaches of the Clarence River, we meet a guy up there which we got talking to. We were the first people he has seen in seven days of tramping. Most people never get pass the the entrance to National Parks, remove the great and famous walks then the number of people who actually see our National parks is minute. Unless you are on a famous trout river you would be lucky to see anyone.

I do have a bit of problem with Waipara, because it sounds similar to many other places such as Wairarapa. Throw in mis-pronunciations and I would have to guess to know which one someones talking about. Both being wine regions confuses matters even more.

I watched that TV documentary on the tunnel and mono-rail and thought the mono-rail opposition did not do a very good job putting their side across. That ignorant sounding hunter was not at all convincing.

What most people do not realize is just how big our back country is. Most people just see the entrance to a national park, they do not comprehend that there is half a dozen (made up number) comparable valley system out of site just behind the first mountain range. Put a railway through one, and the other 5 would still be pristine and next to no people would continual to see the other 5.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...ectid=10825928

Very interesting...thanks for posting that Diamantina