Queenstown NZ Tree Fort Solutions

Posted 6th May 2017 to the Mountain Scene Newspaper Queenstown NZ

Great story Last Month about turning water bound willow trees in the lake into tree forts! I recall playing on those trees as a boy while exploring in my old canvas kayak.

Perhaps it could be a new form of artistic expression harking back to New Zealand childhoods of old.

Of course with the lack of affordable beds for the Ski industry workers in the Wakatipu Basin  builder Glen Raymond’s tree hut concept might be
A great left field solution as land is now far two too expensive to build on for our humble hospitality workers .  

the Future of Freedom Camping NZ

Posted 24th June 2017 to the Southland Times Newspaper Invercargill NZ

An Invercargill Man lamented in Wednesdays edition of this paper that Freedom Camping was once a New Zealanders rite and Camping grounds are far too expensive now.

Yes back in the day Kiwis could pull off the road any old where and set up camp without breaking any rules but mostly they stayed in basic budget campgrounds set aside for them.
However the Campgrounds Associations kind of broke this deal when the split into referral groups to cash in on the boom of overseas visitors, not only did they have to increase prices to
Afford the huge joining fees but they had to upgrade their facilities a great expense, then the Property Market in resorts went crazy and the rates shot up accordingly and workers then became harder to get.

Travel agents overseas discovered that selling Campervan Holidays was way more lucrative than cumbersome Motel based itineraries and would even lie about accommodation availability in New Zealand .

As the Airlines dump more and more shoestring travelers on this finite industry camps could also raise their rates without any kickback for all but the most destitute visitors..  
Unfortunately governments are slow to respond to new problems and things are a tad out of control and the poor old rate / tax payer are having to foot the bill for this mess.

In Manapouri at least we try to stick to the pubic service campground idea but times and habits have changed and now people expect something for nothing especially those who have money to burn.
For all this it is still a short unreliable season for the private sector. Lament all you like but it’s only going to get worse the way things are going. Our rest areas & beaches will be festooned with toilet paper unless we act.

Aaron Nicholson                                                                                                          Published 28th Jun 2016 

Manic Tourism in New Zealand 2016

Posted Aug 16th 2016 to Nine to Noon on Radio New Zealand National

Thanks for your discussion with Rod Oram on tourism in 2016
I suppose the big problem with the John Key tourism model if that it is brainless..

As usual we are not thinking about what we want or where we are going  but we do know
Someone will benefit at the expense of someone else if we leave thinking to the “invisible hand”

AS it stands at the moment Air New Zealand is “dumping” passengers on this country without thought to where they will all go.
And they have encouraged other airlines to follow..

The Department of Conservation is a bunch of New Age Hippies thrown into the Tourism business there structure is not set up
to deal with business and there are no internal incentives for them to change. And... any money they make is stripped from them
by the Beehive.

Kiwis are not able to get into the tourism game as they did in the past unless they have a war-chest to set them selves up for that is a fickle
Industry.

Airline carbon footprints and Chinese middle class desires are not set in stone at this point in the narrative...
nor is our exchange rate.

If we want to make use of this boom we can only manage it on a government level ... It is not a good private investment portfolio because it is all based on
windfalls of incompetence.

Even the “High Stake” private companies (like Real Journeys) are riddled with Paranoia about the future to a point where they live in fear of shadows.

AS for the HUGE campsite of the Eglinton Valley Fiordland, The NZ taxpayer is footing the bill basically subsidizing the Milford Tourist Boat Companies early boat departures
at the expense of the Local Motor Park Industry 

 

NZ Tourism Bubble - Blame the Airlines

 Posted 26th July 2016 to Nine to Noon Radio New Zealand 

The Problem we have with Tourism is too many Airline Seats dumping masses of people on a Small Population.

We are not geared up for unregulated Chaos every time the Dollar is cheap , Either regulate the Flow or
Put a Massive Landing Tax to sort out the scroungers from the proper tourists .

Our Tourism Minister is asleep at the wheel...

NZ's Tourism Bubble - Queenstown's Soul

Posted 19th July 2016 to the Mountain scene Newspaper Queenstown NZ

It is nice to see a discussion about Future Tourism from David Kennedy in the Mountain Scene.
There is indeed a lot to talk about to ramp up production yet there is sadness that Global Tourism
That we don’t address. In 1964 when the First Jet Airliners opened up New Zealand to the World the World was
A different place, travel brought you to different Cultures and unknown places People noticed you if you where a tourist
They would want to talk to you as an ambassador of another country.

Over the decades now things have changed. Globalization and Modern Communications combined with budget air travel
has made the World a lot more generic, smaller, financially tighter for Tourism and way-more fickle!

The Idea of growth to is under review to as climate degradation action means action must be taken in the next few years

Sadly Queenstown is an aberration, a bubble caused by an insane financial system. It is no longer unique, and if Rational People Rule the World
Queenstown will need a Total re-think to survive at all. You might need to find your SOUL again!

NZs Tourists Bubble - Milford Sound

Posted 17 July 2016 to the Advocate South Newspaper Te Anau NZ

As a tax payer I would like to point out that our taxes are being used badly when it comes to Milford Sound.
I fail to see why we are subsidizing the Boat Operators by supplying unnecessary Campsites at Cascade Creek just to fill the early boats.

Time was the Late boats where the budget cruises and that meant it was Ideal to stay in Te Anau to do a Milford cruise at leisure.

If DOC HQ  wants to take pressure off the National Park Camp sites they should start running their own budget cruises after 3pm
At least until the current glitch of ultra cheep airfares stops the tsunami of free campers from washing up in our Resorts.

...And Ultimately getting washed down the Eglinton River in the next big flood at Cascade Creek Like the one that saw Ngai Tahu pack it in.

Fiordland's South Westland Wilderness Area

Posted 7th July 2016 to the Southland Times Newspaper Invercargill NZ

 I recall writing many letters over the Years about the desire to go beyond the Hollyford Road into the wild untamed lands North of Milford Sound
I think I started around 1979 and ever since have been watching many people wanting to civilize the wilderness between Fiordland and South Westland
But as the World is constantly regretting the violation of wilderness for money yet there are many here that are ready to cash it in without hesitation.

The Thought that Wilderness is somehow of no value is perplexing, Especially as such places seem to define what it is to be a New Zealander. not economics.

That being said I could understand the desire to extend the Hollyford Road as far as the Highly Scenic shores of Lake Alabaster or maybe even Lake McKerrow
Though I would recommend it for be used for permitted or service vehicle and of course PUSHBIKES, sort of like the Wilmot Pass Road. That would give the Hollyford road a proper destination and take some pressure off Milford Sound.

If we in Southland really wants something nice for Southland  that is actually in reach, maybe we could aim for this easy goal and let South Westland sort it’s own tourism problems out.

Fututre of New Zealands National Parks Service

Posted 24th of June 2016

 In response to your page on trying times for the Department of Conservation..
Yes Maggie Berry has got a job to do and Minister in Charge..
Unfortunately Private Enterprise in a small country such as NZ is in no position to deal with a tourism blow out
And for good or for worse the Department of Conservation is the only Government Agency that has a structure to deal with
Our Tourism Problems. But they have not recruited the people they need to make it work. They need a different breed.. The kind of people that they usually avoid .
Cleaver Ambitious, Creative people to Work in synergy with our preservationists and Greenies .
One thing is Clear the Status Quo is not working. I say the Government not only has to let D.O.C. Keep more of it’s earnings to maintain itself but give bonuses for its best people

And fill in the Gaps that private enterprise will never take a risk on.  We have plenty of campsites in Fiordland for example but almost no new DOC infrastructure for anything else.
They are not actively Showcasing their product at all. And can no until the Minister gives them some oxygen  Queenstown Says it will Take 10 Years to build up it Hotel Capacity  to
Keep up with demand if they can afford the land. And all the scenic real-estate has been given to DOC.  

 

Haast Hollyford: The Trump Highway

Posted 24th May 2015 to the Southland Times Newspaper Invercargill NZ.

 We hear the Haast - Holyford Highway rally went well in Te Anau... It really is the Donald Trump of Highways
It even has the same demographic support and charisma. “It will be BEAUTIFUL, so great, nobody make Highways like we do” “We will build it for the Chinese and make them Pay for it”.
“We will win SO many tourist we will get tired of winning... And tourists!” “We will make SO much money we wont know where to invest it all” “Ngai Tahu and Queenstown will not use the Greenstone Valley Portion of the Road to steal Te Anau Tourists because WE will make them behave” “Otago better not get any IDEAS because we can always put up a border fence” “We WILL make Southland Great again”. “We LOVE West Coasters”

Oh What a Parody.. to good to waste!

Tourism New Zealand to Stop Promoting Summer Tourism

Posted 13th of May 2016 to the Otago Daily Times Newspaper Dunedin NZ

 Reflecting on the recent statement from Tourism NZ, that they are going to stop promoting NZ except for the shoulder season and save Millions of Dollars in pointless advertising,
because it seems the Country is FULL UP in the high season due to the fact that we are a small country and we simply can’t take in mass volume Chinese tourists as well as the rest of the traditional visitors ...

I feel it the situation is similar to the American Indians asking when are the White Settlers going to Stop?  They asked if there will be any people left in the cities back East.. One European answered that they where as many Europeans to the east as there are Stars in the Sky.

If I was the Minister of Tourism I would seriously consider placing a TAX on every tourist arrival in the Peak Season to regulate the un-godly numbers and get some money in for Improving infrastructure. It is the Department of Conservation that is the key to rational Tourism Growth now.  It is just too ungainly for the NZ private sector to deal with.

The addition of too many low cost Airline Seats is largely to blame, with our cheap NZ Dollar... And for Imported underpaid Guest Workers sleeping 11 in a House!

I am not an expert on Government strategy but this just seems sloppy.

A Southlander's Bucket List - New Zealand

Posted 16th May 2016 to the Southland Times Newspaper Invercargill NZ

I see your writer Dave Nicoll wrote a piece on the Best Tourist Spots in the Southland Region last week
But there is also a Southland Bucket list of Interesting Places that any keen Southlander should have.
Here is my modest attempt.. The Southland Museum, The Richardson Transport Museum, Isas Sea Cave (Catlins) Golden Bay Stewart Island,
The Mavora Lakes, the Riverton Museum, Cosy Nook, Lake Hauroko, The Rowellan Totara, Giger’s Rock Garden on Mt Titiroa
Climb the Monument (Manapouri Hill) Cross the Percy Pass (missing link to Doubtful Sound) Visit the Lowest Point in the Manapouri Power Station.
Fly into Campbell’s Kingdom (Doubtful Sound) See the Twin Falls of the Aurora Cave System, Visit Glade House, Cross the McKinnon Pass,  See lake Alabaster
Land on Mt Tutoko’s Ice Field and Pack Ice lake (summer), Visit Gunn’s Camp, See Lake Marion, walk through the Homer Tunnel, Stand on the Key Summit, I could go on but I will run out of space.
But it would be good to leave some for others and some to be secrets..  like Dusky Sound & Preservation Inlet. 

Queenstown Housing Crisis 2016

Posted 4th May 2016 to the Mountain Scene Newspaper Queenstown NZ

I feel sorry for Queenstown .
I lived there in 1971 and it was a truly wonderful place.
A sleepy old Gold-rush Town where Otago & Southland Families could afford to have a small "Batch" to hang out in their Holidays.
Life was run at a slow but steady pace and it seemed like it would go on forever. Today we have a Government that only values Money and Selling things to the highest bidder
As the recent Flag Debate shows many Kiwis now are rich global citizens with no nostalgia for what we use to call New Zealand and I am afraid they are “Terri-forming” Queenstown
Into a International enclave apart from the rest of the Nation State we live in. a Kind of second Auckland fueled by speculators and their minions who play with money as their work.

No “Physical” workers can keep up, the game is so rigged now you can only fail. It’s a Gold-rush with no gold !  Something American Voters have just discovered...

Hollywood Film Crews in New Zealand

Posted 4th May 2016 to the Advocate South Newspaper Te Anau NZ

 I must say as a follower of both Science Fiction and Local History I found the disrespect to our local media by Film crews has been confusing..
Since Peter Jackson Hit Te Anau in the early 2000s Film Crews have been acting like they are “Special Ops” for the CIA.
Even the Duel Survival TV crew that Filmed a silly bugger Survival Episode up the North Arm of Manapouri where making every one they talked to sign secrecy agreements
that turned out to be non binding bits of Xeroxed scrap paper put out, it seems, for their own ego gratification.

I think, not letting the Local media on the sets for the sake of recording of History is in-fact arrogant type behavior with no real commercial context.
It could even be seen as trying to cover up potential wrong doing for Studio Lawyers .

As for Ridley Scott, he now works to the Hollywood formula as his last film attests there are no secrets worth stealing from the discount DVD bin of history.
Where even the great Peter Jackson eventually ends up.

New Zealand's Chinese Tourism Pains

Posted 23rd April 2016 to the Otago Daily Times Newspaper Dunedin NZ

Our Mr John Key is trying out his cowboy statesmanship again as Minister of Tourism when it comes to the Chinese Tourism Debacle that is New Zealand..

How long is this boom going to last? If Bernie Sanders Gets power in the USA  America will want it’s Corporations to Stop Sending Money and Jobs to China
And I the US goes that way other will Follow... So China will take a hit.

Oh yes if Bernie doesn't get in there is still a problem with Industrial Carbon that Humanity has to deal with... And the Rise of Robotic Job Replacement...
And an overwhelming desire for Socialism.

There is also a “Pending Backlash” from Kiwis who don’t want a Million Chinese dropped on top of our fragile environment and Infrastructure...
There are our Lucrative European Tourist who are getting Elbowed of the picture out by the Citizens of the People’s Republic.
There is the Impossible Logistics of the Chinese all coming in one week and expecting there to be enough trained people available to deal with them
For one short window of time. 

As for investing in Tourism... I recall a noted economist saying “Why would You?” It is a rubbish industry with rubbish jobs... John Key has just taken it to a whole New Level..
Somewhere down in the basement. 

* Not Selected for Publication.
 

New Zealand Tourism Strategy... or not

Posted 14th February 2016 to the Dominion Post Newspaper Wellington NZ

 Reading the Fairfax news that the Department of Conservation is Straining to keep up with the Tourism Boom with its slimmed down Budget from our Government
I think the Minister in Charge should put up or get out of the way and let the Department built it’s own Tourism Industry...
It’s Staff get almost no incentives from the great boom in tourism, they do no get to be part of it nor does the Department as a whole.
Lots of DOC staff are University Educated now and can come up with great innovations if allowed.. They are wasted on Cleaning Toilets for low budget Campervan patrons.
Imagine if Fontera was run like that?  and yet Tourism has surpassed them. Good tourism needs real smart and creative people.. And smart people can not live on thin air and promises!

 

National Horse Treking Trail for NZ ?

Posted 3rd of February 2016 to the Christchurch Press Newspaper Canterbury NZ

The Question:  Is there any reason why the Te Aroa National Trail the runs the Length of NZ should not be upgraded to take Horse Trekkers ?
Horse Travel was the Traditional Form of Travel in NZ in our Early Days, should we not factor that into our National Trail System
They might need better Bridges than Mountain Bikes but horses need less expensive trails to walk on... And they flatten the weeds way better than boots or Bikes!
There are less and less places for Trekkers to Ride every day.. I recon it would be good to give them shared National Trail..

 

NZs Tourism Bubble of 2016 - Radio New Zealand

Posted 11th January 2016 to RNZ National

 After hearing the Comments of an Achedemic on the State of the overcrowding of our Tourism Facilities
I have this to say on the Comments on your show:

We people in the Industry don’t wish our Image to be tarnished but
More and More Planes are allowed to Bring Tourists Here at cut rates without any thought as to where they can stay.

For example on the Milford Road one small campsite at Lake Gunn had 500 people in it a few nights ago. At a time when most Kiwis wish to use their National Parks
They are squashed out!

This summer has shown us what happens when we have an inept Minister of Tourism at the Helm
As the newspaper stories about Milford Sound Tourism numbers show ...

NZ Could be a nice quality destination product but  if we are going to have a procession of crazy booms & busts
no one can seriously invest in the Tourism Industry or work in it for any kind of lifestyle.

 Now that the World wants to take action on frivolous burning of carbon  it looks like this Crazy Rollercoaster is going to run out of steam
In the end anyway.

Maybe, with any luck, dedicated longer term tourism will return if we don’t damage our image of being a greedy tacky over crowded, over priced boom & Bust
sort of destination .

New Zealand Tourism Bubble 2015

Posted 22nd December to Morning Report Radio New Zealand

Why are people sounding Happy that our Tourism Industry will be broken by shear numbers in February
This is not good for the Country or the Industry it is a Bubble.
Our Government has failed us again. Surely the objective of good Tourism is To improve the Quality of the Product
Not burst it for a four week boom. Ironically the Department of Conservation is the Key Player in Our Tourism Industry yet there is a total lack of Funds
For the Department to Improve its Services and Products let alone Expand them.

The system is Broken and our Tourism Leadership is about inept as it can be.

Dunedin NZ - Heritage Preservation 2015

Posted 30th Aug 2015 to the Otago Daily Times Dunedin NZ

 20 years ago when I was resident in Dunedin I regularly pushed as much as I could for the “Powers that Be” in High Places
For better Stewardship and Presentation of the City’s Heritage.

Priority Number 1 then was the Cable Car and Tramway System.
Bring it back in some form and Preserve what was left of the remnants of Rolling Stock.
Protected Historic Precincts are another Issue
High Street in the 1990s was pretty much un afflicted by Modern Buildings and should be considered special.

I had to make a lot of Noise about Keeping Cargill’s Castle as a Historic Relic worthy of keeping as it was almost flattened.

I also noted Natural Features like tunnel Beach and the Harbour where in need of some TLC  especially the Harbour.  It could be the
Gem of Otago  if it where Landscaped with more recreational Islands and pleasure boating.

I am heartened now to hear that Dunedin is Finally taking it’s Heritage Seriously in 2015 and Good luck and Stamina to those who
share this vision.

Special Thanks to the People in Christchurch who saved and restored some of Dunedin’s Tram and Cable car Heritage and they should be
Granted funds to do more!

Sorry Otago Maritime Heritage, looks like your stuck with fading memories and Queenstown’s TSS Earnslaw.

Brian Mason NZ Astronomer Rememberd

Posted 21st June 2015 to the Fiordland Advocate Newspaper Te Anau NZ.

In 2009 there was a call for ideas to Mark the International Year of Astronomy, as it played out the Kepler Mountains between Lake Manapouri and Lake Te Anau ended up playing a big part in this event as they became home to the Great New Zealand Names in the field of Astronomy Beatrice Hill-Tinsley who gave us the infinite Universe and Sir William Hayward Pickering who was the man in charge of exploring our Solar System and Getting NASA of the ground so to speak. There was one more Great Kiwi Astronomer who was up for a place in the Kelper Mountains but as he was still alive at the Time the NZ Geographic Board Rules excluded him from having any landform named after him. Brian Harold Mason who was a leader in the study of Meteorites & Mineralogy
Was also the Curator of the American Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian Institute and received many other honors and metals for his Life’s Work.

Brian actually  died on the very last month of the That Year of Astronomy so today he is now eligible for a place in the Kepler Mountains.

I had a hand in suggesting Mt Pickering and Mt Tinsley and in my opinion Mr Mason should be given the “Crater like” Circe Lake on top of the Jackson Peaks
because of it’s amazing outlook and accessibility.  But it would be nice if someone else could put in the submission on this proposal.