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RNZ News
16 hours ago
- RNZ News
Tramper rescued from Tongariro Crossing 'knows he had a close call'
Police said the man realised he would not be able to make it through the Tongariro Alpine Crossing alone. Photo: Supplied / NZ Police A tramper rescued from Tongariro Alpine Crossing 'knows he had a close call', police say. The man called police at about 7.30pm on Saturday, after getting into difficulty on the crossing and realising he would not be able to make it out alone. Senior Constable Barry Shepherd of Taupo Police Search and Rescue said it was an example of how things could go wrong quickly. "He realised that he was not dressed or equipped at all for the harsh reality of the landscape in winter," he said. "There had been recent heavy snowfall with freezing conditions. "He didn't have food with him or any extra gear for warmth or shelter. "Luckily, he realised his error pretty quickly and called us." Police Search and Rescue responded with a helicopter, alongside LandSAR. Despite being extremely cold, the man was not injured and was able to walk out. "I think he knows he had a close call," Shepherd said. "If conditions had worsened or he had been unable to make a phone call, he'd have been in real trouble." Anyone heading out into the back-country - even experienced trampers - needed to prepare for harsh conditions through winter, he said, as they could "change on a dime". "Particularly anyone heading out into the alpine environment should take and know how to use ice axes and crampons, and wear suitable footwear. "Take adequate supplies, clothing and shelter, and do your planning - know what the forecast holds and if you're at all in doubt about what conditions might be like, don't go." Department of Conservation Tongariro operations manager Libby O'Brien said the national park was a place "that demands respect". "Temperatures are often freezing, and drop even lower at night and at elevation," she said. "If you don't have alpine experience and the right gear, you need to think long and hard about whether you're going to be able to survive in these conditions. "We all love being out there, but ensure you know what you're doing so you don't put yourself and others at risk by being ill prepared." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
a day ago
- RNZ News
Government calls infamous 'Everyone Must Go' campaign a 'winner'
The ad generated an estimated $22 million in incremental visitor spend. Photo: supplied The government is calling the infamous 'Everyone Must Go' campaign a winner for attracting Australian tourists to our shores. The campaign was ridiculed when it was launched with US and UK media calling it tone-deaf and opposition politicians saying it made New Zealand sound like a clearance-sale item. But Tourism New Zealand stats showed it delivered 7981 additional visitors between March and May. Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston said that was more than a thousand additional visitors than expected. She described it as a winner, and said they wanted to grab people's attention and it did. "We knew Aussies would recognise it as a great opportunity. Just like they grabbed Phar Lap and pavlova, it's proved the same story with 'Everyone Must Go'," she said. The campaign targeted a $17 million spend boost, and she said it generated an estimated $22 million in incremental visitor spend. The industry had backed the campaign, with 450 operators offering more than 800 deals to entice travellers, she said. "A key part of this campaign's success were the deals the tourism industry came to the party with," Upston said. "This team approach showed we can deliver great results for the sector when Government and industry are joined up and working towards the same goals." The campaign received an initial $500,000 budget from the International Visitor Levy, but received an additional $300,000 boost. Of the additional visitors, 6804 of them could be directly attributed to bookings made via the campaign with the remaining 1177 linked to the indirect conversion activity. The total number of Aussie arrivals across Autumn increased by more than 24,000 - hitting 331,571 this year. "Every one of those Australian visitors who ate at cafes and restaurants, visited tourist attractions and shopped in our towns and cities has helped the New Zealand tourism sector grow, and boosted the Kiwi economy in the process," she said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
a day ago
- RNZ News
Cafe owner protests Punakaiki parking charges
The DOC carpark at Punakaiki can be packed in summer. Photo: Lois Williams / LDR A Punakaiki café owner is urging the Conservation Department to rethink its plan to charge for parking at the famous Pancake Rocks on the West Coast. Grant Parrett told a meeting of the West Coast Tai o Poutini Conservation Board this week that parking charges create de facto entry fee to (Paparoa) National Park, which was unlawful. Photo: Conservation Minister Tama Potaka has asked for a trial of paid parking to boost revenue. DOC is aiming to launch a pilot programme in October at Punakaiki, Franz Josef and White Horse Hill at Aoraki Mt Cook. Project manager John Dore told the Board that DOC had serious budget pressures including a 30 percent shortfall in funding for its visitor network and a huge deficit in the amount available for biodiversity. "For protection of all endangered species we have a budget of $300 million - but a need of $2.3 billion," Dore said. Climate events in the last few years had added $90 million in costs, he added. Paid parking was a tool used internationally in nature parks and would help manage overcrowding at busy sites, he told the board. But Parrett said the move would turn public conservation land into a Wilsons-style parking lot, and urged the board to oppose it. A business owner says parking fees will disadvantage local people who call in for a coffee. Photo: Lois Williams / LDR "However you label it, it's a National Park entry fee; it contravenes the National Parks Act and it diminishes DOC's social license to operate." There were no free parks at Punakaiki because they had been removed to make room for the new Visitor Centre development and people would have no option but to pay to walk around the Pancake Rocks, Parrett said. Unlike Franz Josef or Aoraki Mt Cook, Punakaiki was not a tourist destination but a stop-off attraction for people driving the scenic Coast Road, and for most of the year there was no congestion or capacity problem in the carpark, he said. "Parking fees will disadvantage local people who call in for a coffee or to stretch their legs, and we don't want this," he said. While DOC owned the land, taxpayers had funded the $45 million Dolomite Point Visitor Centre development and the building was gifted by the last government to manawhenua, NgatiWaewae, who now leased office space back to DOC. The public has paid for this development and costs should be kept low, he said. "I am surprised that the iwi has supported the paid parking trial … unless they stand to benefit from it," Parrett said. If people had to pay for parking they might be less likely to pay for Ngati Waewae's interactive visitor experience inside, he suggested. Ngati Waewae's representative on the Conservation Board, Francois Tumahai, objected. "I disagree with everything you've said. The cost of the building was not $45 million and we're not getting a cent from the project. In the early days we suggested we might provide (parking) wardens … that's it." Parrett suggested it would be good if the iwi put out a statement to that effect in the interests of transparency. The iwi leader responded: "You're the one causing all the grief - you put it out." Board chairperson Dr Mike Legge closed off the discussion and thanked Parrett for his contribution to the public forum. The new visitor centre opened in November 2024. Photo: LDR / SUPPLIED The Dolomite Point Visitor Centre, funded by the Provincial Growth Fund, was budgeted to cost $26 million but the project - including the new carparks - received a funding boost of $15 million in 2023 and cost a total of $40.9 million. The paid parking trial, including charging technology and upgrades to carparks at the three sites, is being funded by $3.8 million from the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy. DOC plans to release its pricing strategy early next month and hold public drop-in sessions at Punakaiki, Franz Josef and Aoraki in mid August. Submissions close on August 26 for Punakaiki, and September 30 for Aoraki. - LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
