Author Archives: Guest

by Tony Orman A couple of years ago, I visited the MacKenzie country in central South Island. Two observations left an indelible impression. Accompanied by my labrador, I went for a climb up into a beech gully that looked likely … Continue reading →

Opinion by Andi Cockcroft New Zealand was founded by people who had deliberately abandoned a feudal society built on privilege by dint of wealth for an egalitarian one where there was equal social opportunity for all, regardless of wealth, ethnic background … Continue reading →

Book Review “Drawn to the Wild” by Nicolas Dillon. Published by Potton and Burton, price $59.99. Reviewed by Tony Orman Whether one tramps, fishes or hunts, an intangible reward is observing nature and that often involves birds whether it be … Continue reading →

Opinion by Ben Hope Does 1080 have any adverse impact on trout? To try to answer that, it’s necessary to look at 1080 and its properties.  Firstly 1080 was was originally patented in 1927 as an insecticide. Insects have a … Continue reading →

The failure of Police to follow the firearm licensing law, unjustly providing one to Australian terrorist Brenton Tarrant, means there are no reasons for changes to firearm laws says the Council of Licenced Firearms Owners (COLFO). COLFO Chairman Michael Dowling … Continue reading →

Opinion by Ken Sims, Life member NZ Federation Freshwater Anglers. The recently published article showing 65 percent of our rivers are “unswimmable” in a country of just 5 million people, should remind government that that the continuing state of New … Continue reading →

Book Review:- “Newq Zealand Coastlines” by Darryl and Gillan Torckler, published by Bateman Books. Price $29,99. Review by Tony Orman Photographer Darryl Torckler is an international award winning photographer with over 100 awards to his credit. He and his wife … Continue reading →

Legasea press release In September the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council endorsed a policy encouraging recreational fishers to retire their scallop dredges. At a time when the community is increasingly concerned about the deteriorating state of our marine environment, it’s … Continue reading →

Opinion by Ben Hope In 1958 an American professor of zoology visited New Zealand. Dr William Graf from San Jose university in California came to study the wild deer situation on behalf of Hawaiian Board of Agriculture which was considering … Continue reading →

by Tony Orman In  A P Harper’s book “Memories of Mountains and Men” he told of the remarkable pioneer explorer Charlie Douglas. Charles Edward Douglas was a 19th century New Zealand surveyor and explorer, who came to be known as … Continue reading →

by Bill Wallace, founder of the Ban 1080 Party Published in the Greymouth Star, 21 September, 2018 I became seriously opposed to the aerial use of 1080 in 2014. At the time I was flying DoC staff and contractors into Kahurangi … Continue reading →

by Tony Orman Potton and Burton have a well deserved reputation for publishing quality books of exceptional quality. Happily for outdoor-minded Kiwis the publishers’ subjects invariably focus strongly on the outdoors and environment. Three new publications, all very impressive publications … Continue reading →

A West Coast conservationist and spokesman for the Sporting Hunters Outdoor Trust has challenged the justification for a 1080 aerial drop in the Tararua Ranges by OSPRI (former Animal Health Board), saying it is founded on a false belief that … Continue reading →

Opinion by Tony Orman Stuff ran an article in August 2017 on political party donations. The first two paragraphs are worth noting:- “ Ask Sir Peter Talley if his fishing company is donating to New Zealand First’s political campaign and he will say “no comment.” … Continue reading →

Opinion by Ben Hope Robert M Hutchins noted American educational philosopher once said  “The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference, and undernourishment.” Think of general … Continue reading →

Opinion by Tony Orman   Satellite imagery carried out by the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council reveals hundreds of thousands of tonnes of sediment in some of our major rivers and spewing out 20 kilometres offshore following the region’s recent storm. … Continue reading →

With apologies to The King’s Breakfast by A.A. Milne by Peter Trolove An angler went a fishing, his day became a frown With plants and toxic algae up and water levels down In his search for missing fish as the … Continue reading →