Kaitiaki Rangers busy over summer C
ovid-19 might have kept overseas tourists away, but the Karikari Peninsula’s Kaitiaki Rangers had a very busy summer.
Even with closed borders the Far North was popular, Kiwis who were keen to make the most of spectacular weather, and see their own country, filling the campgrounds.
It wasn’t all long, lazy days in the sun though, one frequent issue that arose being people driving on sand dunes, which can damage the dunes themselves, as well as destroying native plants, many of them planted by locals, and disturbing nesting birds.
The rangers also expressed concerns about the number of tables and chairs appearing on the tops of sand dunes, which they regarded as encouraging similar behaviour and increasing the risk of erosion. Their message to those causing concern was to consider how their actions could represent a hazard to the longterm protection of the dunes.
Issues in the Rangiputa area included illegal camping and the lighting of fires in the dunes. Those responsible were warned, and if they persisted they were told that the authorities would be contacted.
Many people were reminded of the fire ban on the peninsula, and the ban on fireworks, and most were happy to comply. The rangers also tested the water at Rotopokaka (Coca Cola Lake) weekly for algae.
The rangers have now been undertaking summer patrols for four years, and the area covered has been extended to include Doubtless Bay (from the bottom of the peninsula to Mangonui). They have only one vehicle, however, a tour of their patch takes about four hours, depending on the number of stops they make.
They are nominated/mandated by local marae (Haititaimarangai, Karikari, Parapara and Ta¯ ipa), and are contracted to carry out the work by the Department of Conservation, with support from the FNDC and NRC, and undergo extensive training.