Making Tracks with Scroggin: DOC contends with unstable landscape

Wanganui Tramping Club members negotiate a crumbling section of the track leading to Rangi Hut in the western Ruahine last July. DoC has since created a diversion around this piece of track. Photo / Supplied

All Crown land in New Zealand designated for conservation and protection is managed by the Department of Conservation.

This is about 30 per cent of our land area or about 8 million hectares of native forests, tussock lands, alpine areas, wetlands, dune lands, estuaries, lakes and islands, national forests, maritime parks, marine reserves, nearly 4000 reserves, river margins, some coastline, and many offshore islands.

All of the land under its control is protected for either conservation, ecological, scenic, scientific, historic or cultural reasons, and for recreation.

Providing for recreation is a major part of DoC's core work, and this covers the management of family picnic sites, as well as maintaining rugged backcountry tracks and over 1000 accompanying backcountry huts that are used by hunters and recreational trampers.

Clearly, DoC has a huge brief and a lot of infrastructure to maintain so it is understandable that it thinks hard before deciding to add to the hundreds of kilometres of tracks in its network.

And given the unstable nature of our country, tracks are continually crumbling and slipping and needing repairs.

An example is the track to the popular Rangi Hut in the western Ruahine. Because of a huge unstable slip, DoC built a major diversion some years ago but now the area needs further attention. This promises to be an ongoing problem as the range is noted for a high level of erosion from its many fault lines, a poor soil structure and harsh climate.

The Wanganui Tramping Club's full programme for December is:

Sat-Sun, Dec 5-6: Taumarunui weekend, leader Dave
Sun, Dec 6: Mt Zion, leader Jacky
Sat-Mon, Dec 12-14: Orongorongo Valley, leader Mike
Sat or Sun, Dec 12 or 13: Whangaehu Beach, leader Adrian
Sun, Dec 20: Cafe trip, leader Sandra

Make all inquiries about trips to Barbara, phone 348 9149, or Dorothy, phone 345 7039.

The midweekers have a full programme of interesting trips every Wednesday. Those who get out on Thursday are in two groups, with a longer walk on December 3 and 17 and shorter ones for the TT2 group on (maybe) December 10 and 24. The Wednesday contact is Victoria, phone 027 6888 190, and the Thursday contact is Val, phone 345 0456.

To join weekend trips call the leader by the previous Tuesday at the latest. Call by the night before for day trips.

As some trips have limited numbers, leaders have the final say about who to take as they are responsible for the safety and wellbeing of everyone on their trips. For further information contact Barbara at 348 9149 or visit our website www.wanganuitrampingclub.net

The next club meeting on Wednesday, December 2, at the Deerstalkers' Hall, Peat St, at 6pm will feature the club's end-of-year barbecue followed by a talk by Anne-Marie Broughton on her personal knowledge and experience of tikanga, customs and traditional values as applied to the New Zealand outdoors context.