Volunteers give back to the Whanganui River with hike hut working bee

Friends of the Whanganui River at a working bee on the banks of the river.

Volunteers passionate about the history of the Whanganui River are giving back to it by conducting a working bee on one of the river’s tramping huts.

Friends of the Whanganui River started as a history-based group founded by local historian Arthur Bates in 1988 for people to share their memories, stories and experiences of the awa.

Chairman of the group, Alan Donald, said the volunteers recently conducted a working bee up the river by preparing the John Coull Hut near the awa in the Whanganui National Park for the upcoming summer.

The work included tending to the lawns and track leading to the hut, cleaning its windows, floors, and ceilings, and installing pest control traps in the area around it.

“We also restored the water supply to the hut [and] installed a tap down by the hut door so it’s easy access for cleaning the hut.

“Also, we tidied up the hand basin out by the toilet block,” Donald said.

The work at the hut took three days to complete.

“We started about midday on a Tuesday, then we came home on a Friday,” he said.

The working bees at the hut are a yearly occasion for the group and are organised by Department of Conservation Whanganui senior ranger Katy Newton.

Newton said she co-ordinated the working bee and ensured the volunteers made it to the hut safely and with the supplies and equipment they needed.

“I also have the privilege of working alongside them and sharing in their knowledge and enthusiasm,” she said.

The Friends of the Whanganui River have gone on these working bees for around 20 years and have been working alongside DoC for the same amount of time, assisting on many projects such as signage, building, working bees, and volunteering as hut wardens.

Newton said the department was very appreciative of the group’s contributions.

“They are a reliable and hard-working group with diverse skills, who can undertake a variety of tasks, from building and plumbing through to vegetation clearance and cleaning floors.

“We like to think of it as a win-win situation – some important work is done to a high standard, freeing up our rangers for other work, and we’re supporting the Friends of the Whanganui to continue their connection to the awa, it’s huts and surrounds,” she said.

Donald said the group chooses to go on these working bees because they’re passionate about the river and maintaining it for future generations.

“The group’s very passionate about conservation and we enjoy going up there,” he said.

The trips were also good for building camaraderie amongst the group members.

His first trip down the river was in 1969, and he wanted to make sure the people making the same trip for the first time were well looked after.

He’s been a member of the group since its inception.

Each year the group also publishes an annual book featuring stories, memories and personal experiences of the history of Māori and European settlements and more.

Over the summer months, they have a stall at the Whanganui River Markets where the group sells merchandise that showcases the river and shares their experiences.

Donald said next year’s working bee hasn’t been decided on as of yet.

Finn Williams is a multimedia journalist for the Whanganui Chronicle. He joined the Chronicle in early 2022 and regularly covers stories about business, events and emergencies. He also enjoys writing opinion columns on whatever interests him.