Author Archives: Guest

by courtesy of “Fishing Breaks” (UK) Did you read about 4BBRW? The name does not give you much clue as to what or who 4BBRW is, but it is in fact a godwit, a bird that splits its life between the … Continue reading →

Opinion by political commentator Rupert Pye Politics in the outdoors and environment is nothing more than “cause and effect”. It cannot be avoided. Anti-firearm laws arise from intense lobbying by anti-firearm advocates (e.g. Philip Alpers). Anti-wild animal policies (e.g. tahr … Continue reading →

Opinion by Tony Orman Back in 2018, I wrote a column  lamenting  that I hadn’t heard a shining cuckoo that spring.In 2019, I noticed the same silence by the cuckoo. This spring – now 2020 – almost the end of October, … Continue reading →

Opinion by Rupert Pye Political Commentator Yesterday, I just covered the election result from an outdoor perspective but there were many more factors in the extraordinary result that took most by surprise. To reiterate in view of strategic voting by … Continue reading →

by Political Commentator Rupert Pye Somehow the magnitude of the Labour Party victory in Saturday’s election fuelled some ardent critics of MMP into a fury. The MMP critics have short memories. First past the post had its inconsistencies, such as … Continue reading →

by Dr Jo Pollard (BSc (Hons), PhD) According to the Department of Conservation (DoC) it has solved the problem of previous years’ monitored kiwi chicks dying at Shy Lake, Fiordland, by aerially poisoning the surrounding 40,000 ha of rainforest and … Continue reading →

by Tony Orman In 1989 Dr. Patrick J Grant a hydrologist and botanist from Hawkes Bay, published a paper entitled “A Hydrologist’s Contribution to the Debate on Wildlife Management”. In it he recalled back in 1955 with advice from Peter … Continue reading →

by “Democrat” While walking down the street one day, a Member of Parliament is run over by a truck and dies. His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St Peter at the entrance. “Welcome to heaven,” says St … Continue reading →

by Tony Orman Sometimes browsing through piles of paper work and inevitable newspaper clippings, you come across some interesting views that have been gathering dust and in danger of being forgotten. The other day, I found a copy of an … Continue reading →

Opinion  by Tony Orman Public debate about 1080 – and the throttling of it –  has the demise of democracy written all over it. Let me explain. In 2016 National’s Environment Minister Nick Smith announced “government plans to take pest control out … Continue reading →

by Rupert Pye A New Zealand-wide outdoor recreation organisation says the outdoors voting public has the potential to have a big impact on election day if they apply judicious examination of polices and integrity of parties. Chairman of the Council … Continue reading →

A Coromandel conservation group says Waikato Regional Council is fueling community discord by major funding of controversial pest control plans of private groups and introducing a new council policy of secrecy regarding increased poison operations on the peninsula. The Upper … Continue reading →

The urgent need to action freshwater reform is being forgotten in the hullabaloo of election rhetoric says the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater Anglers. Federation president Dr Peter Trolove said at the 2017 election freshwater reform was to the fore … Continue reading →

  Press Release by Council of Outdoor Recreation Assns of NZ (CORANZ) The two major political parties Labour and National have shown disinterest in the outdoors and the environment judging by both parties failure to respond to an election questionnaire … Continue reading →

Opinion by Tony Orman “It’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good,” my dear mother used to say.  It was an adage that I initially  found somewhat confusing but now I know through experience. The recent experience of lockdown … Continue reading →

Book Review: “The Great Unknown’ by Geoff Spearpoint. Published by Potton and Burton. Price $60. Reviewed by Tony Orman This book “The Great Unknown” is strikingly illustrated, informative and makes for absorbing reading about the author’s wilderness explorations of the Southern … Continue reading →

Opinion by Tony Orman   NZ First is making a last-ditch attempt to scramble into parliament and are using the 1080 poison issue to fuel its efforts. Political pundits are predicting NZ First will be history after election day. NZ … Continue reading →

Yesterday the Independent Police Conduct Authority released its decision on three raids of the homes of licenced firearms owners following the Mosque shootings and judged  the Police’s actions were unlawful. The Authority ruled that Police misused Section 18, which says Police may … Continue reading →