Air New Zealand, the Department of Conservation (DOC) and local iwi have today announced new conservation initiatives on three of the country’s Great Walks - the Heaphy Track, the Whanganui River Journey and Lake Waikaremoana. The projects are an expansion of the Air New Zealand Great Walks Biodiversity Project. Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Christopher Luxon announced the new initiatives at a sustainability event the airline...

Rongoa maori featured in a two-day wananga recently at Kuha marae in Waikaremoana. It was hosted by Jennifer Takuta-Moses of Te Whanaupani and Ngati Hinekura, Waikaremoana and Amanda Claire of Ngati Makoro, Frasertown. The programme included three rongoa sessions exploring traditional Maori healing. A group of rongoa practitioners followed a rongo trail in the first session through the forest to a crystal lake, an ancient Tuahuroa (sacred...

An impressive beautifully crafted architecturally designed and thoroughly appropriate new addition to the resources of Tūhoe hapū will soon open its doors on the shores of Lake Waikaremoana. Work on Te Wharehou o Waikaremoana began December 2015 and the $6.5 million build being undertaken by construction company Arrow International, will take 12 months to...

The controversial demolition of an architecturally renowned visitors centre at Lake Waikaremoana is almost complete.   The Aniwaniwa visitor centre, designed by architect John Scott, was set among native forest alongside State Highway 38, and was opened in 1974.   It once housed Colin McCahon's triptych Urewera Mural, which was stolen from the site in 1997 but returned after 15 months.   The...

A research project undertaken by a former Trident high school student has produced staggering results when comparing the effectiveness of self-resetting predator kill traps versus traditional single-action traps, currently used in most national conservation efforts. Chantal Lillas, who is completing a diploma of environmental management through Waiariki Bay of Plenty Polytechnic, conducted  the research project in the Taneatua Forest over...

Preparations for the planned demolition of the former Aniwaniwa visitor centre at Lake Waikaremoana began yesterday. Yesterday morning a small group, including family members of the late John Scott who designed the building, were taken on site to carry out a farewell. A karakia was held at the site at 5am yesterday by the Waikaremoana Tribal Authority to clear the way for the work to start and for the workers who will be carrying out the...