Newsletter, December 2015

CONTENTS:

• President's Comment > Pat Holland
• Club Nite > Photography Competition
• Active Travel Advisory Group > Do You Use Local Paths - Lawrie
• Facebook Page for NTC > Share your views & pics

Download the printed version of the newsletter (12 pages colour), as a small 2.5 megabyte PDF file. (You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader or similar program installed on your computer. Broadband connection preferable.)

PRESIDENT's COMMENT > No Pat Answers...

I will start with a few words of thanks to Lawrie Halkett. As the previous President for a number of years, Lawrie had the difficult job of keeping our small and venerable club active and looking to the future. This has now become my daunting role and I am depending on the support of the committee and all our membership. The club is basically in good heart but there are challenges.

Membership has been stable for several years but the proportion of members who are active on trips has declined. The recent programme has maintained a good balance of easy to adventurous trips. However, there are relatively few trip leaders and understandably the trip offerings tend to reflect the interests and abilities of these leaders.

The committee is keen to see more members offering to lead trips; in fact this is essential for the health of the club. The responsibilities are not onerous and there are the rewards of getting to where you want to go and supporting the club.

Recently, I particularly enjoyed leading a small group into the Raglan Ranges on a route I had done six years ago with Ruth Hesselyn. All the elements were there that we trampers so enjoy: wonderful and varied country with some challenges; excellent company; good exercise in the fresh mountain air. It is easy to stay bogged down in our everyday living and overlook the opportunities the club offers to get out into all that superb countryside we are blessed with.

I am currently on the executive committee of Federated Mountain Clubs (FMC). This is a privilege and a challenge. FMC advocates on behalf of all outdoors folk. A wide variety of issues are being handled by an impressive array of people led by the irrepressible Robin McNeil (Uncle Jacko) as President and supported by Jamie Stewart, the relatively new Administrative Officer. It is quite humbling to consider the huge number of hours these people are putting into looking after your interests. Reading recent FMC Bulletins and newsletters gives a good flavour of the work. FMC also has a website and a Facebook page. These have been upgraded and are worth checking regularly.

An important initiative led mainly by FMC is the Community Partnerships Fund with the Huts & Tracks Fund our principal interest. NTC has recently applied for a small top-up grant to complete our renovation work on Flora Hut.

We have also applied for a larger new grant to assist DOC to relocate Mount Fell Hut which is currently closed due to it being on an active slip. If there is no community involvement then DOC will remove this key hut in the Richmond Ranges and stop all maintenance of the track from Middy Hut in the Pelorus up to Mt Fell. This is a sign of the times – with the drastic cuts in DOC funding the future for many backcountry facilities may be bleak.

Our committee is trialling the club newsletter being produced quarterly to match the FMC Bulletin post-out. This might disadvantage a few regarding the Programme. Our resources are limited and we are putting more emphasis on electronic media: email, website and Facebook (yes, the younger ones especially are active there). Please provide feedback with suggestions.

Hope to meet you in the Hills soon...

Pat Holland,
CLUB PRESIDENT
P.T.Holland@xtra.co.nz

FINAL CLUBNITE > ANNUAL PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION

Date: Monday 7 December. Place: Nelson Intermediate School staffroom, Titipahi Street, Nelson. Time: 7.30pm. Guest Judge: Martin de Ruyter

Our club’s annual, informal get-together around the table; a chance to show off your skills with a camera – and show us where you’ve been tramping all year. Welcome to Martin de Ruyter, of the Nelson Mail, who is our guest judge for the evening.

PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION RULES:

Dig through those shots from the past year. Get those pics printed out & ready for judgement. Come along to enjoy the fun, wine, cheese and social atmosphere of this last club night of the year.

FORMAT:

All photos need to meet the following criteria:

•  Prints must be the normal 6 x 4 inches in size.

•  Photos are to have been taken within the past 12 months.

•  No manipulated photos (except for cropping & sharpening.) Exception is category 7 below.

•  Person submitting the photo must be person who has set up the photograph.

•  Entries limited to 3 prints / per category / person

• On the back of the print put the category and the title of the picture. Do not include your name

CATEGORIES:

1. Landscape (no people)

This includes wide angle shots (which may even be predominantly sea or sky) or an ‘in your face’ close-up. What’s important is that the mood of the landscape which is being captured comes through in the image. It’s acceptable to include man-made structures (huts, power lines, sign posts, etc.) providing they add to the scene.

2. Hut or Camp Life (includes portraits)

3. Above the bushline (people allowed)

4. Below the bushline (people allowed)

5. Nature flora & fauna (no people)

Informative, artistic images showing non-domestic flora and fauna (so no garden roses, cats or dogs). Geological or meteorological phenomena, (e.g. dramatic clouds, formations or details of rock strata are also acceptable if they are accurately titled). The ‘hand of man’ should be avoided – no fences, power lines, buildings, etc. Try to give an accepted common name, or a formal Latin name for the title.

6. Historic

Pre-1980, featuring an aspect of club life. Black & white encouraged but not essential.

7. Anything Goes (Not an FMC category – just NTC.)

Includes humour and manipulated images. Also, larger format prints, panoramics, and shots older than 12 months can be submitted here.

8. People’s Choice (Not an FMC category – just NTC.)

Attendees vote on their favourite amongst all the pictures on offer. Winner gets the Ruth Hesselyn memorial trophy.

View previous winning entries on the NTC Photo Galleries webpage.

DO YOU USE THE LOCAL PATHS? > Active Travel Advisory Group

by Lawrie Halkett

Nelson Tramping Club has been invited to join this Nelson City Council (NCC) initiative, which is aimed at getting input from walkers and bikers on the growing network of shared pathways through the Nelson region.

NCC have developed a comprehensive policy document covering a vision statement, desired outcomes, policy objectives, key issues, way-finding, standard public messaging and methods.

They have also included an Etiquette Discussion Paper which outlines rules and expected behaviours of shared pathway users. In  summary, the rules are keep left, control your dog, don’t block the pathway when stopped, warn when approaching, and control your speed.

The Out and About Travel and Pathway-based Recreation Policy covers physical activities on our roads, footpaths, either for travel or recreation purposes. It includes: walking, running, cycling, scooting, skateboarding, wheelchairs, mobility scooters and electric bikes.

Desired outcomes of this project include developing:

1) An embedded culture of courtesy and respect between all users of paths and roads.

2) More residents seeing active travel as a fun, attractive and normal option for their daily life journeys.

The project aims to complement existing pathways, connecting those that already run north–south, and also add new pathways running west–east. For example, at the last meeting four specific projects were tabled and NCC were looking for recommendations from the Project Committee, of which NTC is now a part.

For example: To join the existing coastal pathway from Richmond to the Airport—Mitre 10 area, the Council has put up three options:

(1) Bolt Road—Beach Road (2) Pascoe Street—Muritai Streets and (3) Tahunanui Drive. Our Committee voted on option (1) as the preferred choice.

There are also a multitude of smaller projects, all documented that will require feedback by the Committee.

The NCC has an approved budget to undertake much of this work over the next five years. If you, as a club member, want further detailed information on this work, then please contact Lawrie Halkett or Pat Holland.

Lawrie Halkett
Former President

FACEBOOK PAGE > Have your say | Publish your trip photos

• Share your photos / videos of a tramping trip
• Share your opinions & trip ideas
• Keep up-to-date with what’s happening

Remember, ‘sharing is caring’... so keep all your comments positive on this forum. Here’s the link:

www.facebook.com/NelsonTrampingClub