Brian Kelly: A compass atop Mauao

You may or may not have caught up with the story that appeared in Wednesday's Bay of Plenty Times about my imminent departure from the Classic Hits 95FM Breakfast show.
Thirty-one years is quite a long time. I have got to say I have enjoyed every moment of those three decades. September 23, my last day on the Classic Hits breakfast show, is going to be quite an emotional day so I won't dwell on it too much here. It's not as though I am leaving breakfast radio. I am very much looking forward to my new challenge presenting the breakfast show on one of our family of stations, Coast.
Having spent more than 36 years in the Bay, I have watched Tauranga and the Mount grow from a holiday town to New Zealand's fifth largest city. I think 36 years qualifies me as a local, but some aspects of the area frustrate the hell out of me.
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I am passionate about our beautiful city. How lucky are we to live in one of the most idyllic places in New Zealand?
Surrounded by water, beautiful natural bush country and, of course, the fabulous beaches - what more could we wish for?
Well, a few things are on my wish-list, and I was reminded of that recently when an idea for a directional compass for tourists on top of Mauao was put forward by Mount resident and regular climber of Mauao, John Davies.
John's idea of a compass that highlighted local points of interest visible from atop Mauao I thought was an absolutely brilliant idea, and I was quite amazed no one had thought of it before ... or perhaps they had. Well done, John.
Close to one million people walk around Mauao's base track every year and I'm sure many many thousands make the trek to the summit.
Let's face it , on a beautiful day the view from the top is absolutely amazing. But to visitors from out of town or from overseas, what are you looking at?.
Most areas in New Zealand with a lookout of some kind usually have a compass or map that gives the visitor an idea of where they are and what they are looking out at.
A couple of examples of these are Devonport's Mt Victoria, Napier's Bluff Hill or even our own Minden lookout.
Then there is the AA-style signpost at Bluff lookout and at Cape Reinga.
At Cape Reinga not only do they have the directional signs, but Maori legends are plotted along the pathway to the lighthouse, which tell the story of Cape Reinga and the spiritual beliefs of early Maori. Great idea.
There is so much that could be done around and atop Mauao to inform our visitors and locals alike. Mauao's story is a wonderful story and needs to be out there.
But it seems Mr Davies' great idea was not welcomed with open arms.
With 90 cruise ships booked to visit the Bay this coming season and the influx of Rugby World Cup visitors, we should be doing everything we can to not only keep as many of those people in this area but also inform them about the beautiful Bay of Plenty.
I could not believe that the idea of the compass/map of the area at the summit of Mauao failed to win support from Mauao's Maori owners or the committee charged with looking after the iconic landmark.
Shane Ashby, the chairman of the Mauao Trust which represents Mauao's owners, opposed the idea on the grounds of Mauao's cultural significance to Tauranga iwi and to the community as a whole.
Even the seven-member Mauao steering group headed by city councillor Wayne Moultrie showed no support when John Davies presented the idea to council, and that totally amazed me.
To my way of thinking, those people are holding our area back. I think they need a little more foresight.
Cr Moultrie asked if a compass was allowed on the summit, where would it stop.
Well to my way of thinking, it would stop right there.
We don't need fancy structures or anything else at the top of Mauao, but I definitely think a tastefully designed compass/map at the summit is an absolute must.
When I say tastefully, it could easily be designed on a large brass plate and inlaid into a rock at the summit.
The plaque could not only contain directional information but also the story of Mauao and how it came to be there and how it got its name ... It's a wonderful story. And maybe even the early history of the area. Hardly a structure or an eyesore, but what an asset to our area and to the thousands of tourists that climb the summit annually.
Surely Cr Moultrie and his steering committee of seven could reconsider. Let's tell our story and be proud of our city. Start selling our beautiful area to the tourists. Give them the information they need to inform them about the beautiful Bay of Plenty.