Rotary group help for DOC
For the past 15 years, the Winton Rotary group has ventured to Stewart Island and beyond all in the name of lending a hand
Hamish Leckie, who has been organising the trips for the group for the past three or four years, said it all started because of a family connection.
One of their rotary group members, Peter King, has a son who works as a ranger for the Department of Conservation.
Each year the group does at least one volunteer trip with DOC, some years it can be two, that sees them heading off to some remote but beautiful places, Leckie said.
DOC would look after the food and travel expenses while the volunteers provided the labour.
One year they were fortunate enough to be flown down to the Auckland Islands to help build boardwalk track on the island, Leckie said.
On another trip they helped to build kakapo pens on Anchor Island, he said.
A lot of the members in the club came from a farming back- ground so they were practical blokes, Leckie said.
They also shared outdoor interests in tramping, hunting or fishing.
DOC always had to deal with some financial pressures as a government department, so having the volunteers helped, Leckie said.
Peter’s son and DOC ranger Andrew said it started when there was a new hut being built on Stewart Island and DOC needed some help to cut new tracks to the hut.
Andrew approached his father and other members of the Winton Rotary group about volunteering and they were keen to lend a hand.
It was good to have some older blokes around some of the younger guys who were working for DOC to set an example.
They were always up early and keen to work, Andrew said.
Peter said the rotary group always enjoyed trips and there was always a good sense of camaraderie.
Volunteering with DOC always took them to places people wouldn’t normally go, Peter said.
‘‘Stewart Island is a special place. You can’t hop in a car and go there.’’