North Shore Tramping Club
Kevin Osten - Club President
This year has been a real rollercoaster with tramping trips cancelled during our earlier lockdown in March then ramping up again with excellent turnouts before the latest Delta lockdown changed life on the 17th August.
Some memorable away trips between lockdowns with the Tararua trip bagging the long lost Angle ‘Knob Hut remnants, Gt Barrier Island and Tangihua were just some of the highlights.
After 107 days Aucklanders have done the hard yards and we can now enjoy those freedoms we took for granted. Our Xmas getaways are all go.
Our Trip Planning Group has done an amazing job adapting to the challenges this has presented and with the situation looking more promising for 2022 we will have some great tramps on the schedule for 2022!
A special thank you to our dedicated committee, all the drivers, trip leaders and helpers who have contributed to supporting the Club’s success.
Hope you enjoy a much-deserved break and are able to reconnect with friends and family. Let’s hope for more normality in 2022!
Merry Christmas and look forward to seeing on the tracks in 2022!
How to spot it
Myrtle rust looks like pustules of rust-coloured pollen. The disease is most commonly found on new growth, including young leaves, stems, buds and flowers. When the infected growth starts to die, the bright colour of the pustules fades. Once the new growth dies, the plant can look singed around the edges.
Other plant diseases can look a little like myrtle rust, so the best indicators are 1) the yellow pustules and 2) the host plant. Myrtle rust only infects plants from the Myrtaceae family.
How to report myrtle rust
To report a suspected case of myrtle rust, you can download the iNaturalist app onto your phone or make an account on a laptop or desktop. Then follow these steps:
It is very helpful for researchers to know what you think the host plant is. If you’d like to make a guess, please add this to the “Notes” section.
If you’d like to learn more about myrtle rust research, you can follow Beyond Myrtle Rust on Facebook, Twitter @byondMyrtleRust and Instagram @beyond_myrtle_rust.
The NZ Rescue Coordination Center (RCC) has upgraded its locator beacon registration database this year, and is inviting all owners of a PLB registered before 25 February 2021 to check and update their details.
https://www.beacons.org.nz/already-registered-a-beacon/
Your previous registration information is still held on file in the event of an activation, but owners moving to the new system will be able to amend the registration details themselves (In the past, you had to email changes through, which had to be manually entered by RCC staff).
New Zealand is moving to a new COVID-19 Protection Framework or traffic light system which is replacing the previous system of Alert Levels 1-4.
As part of this, DOC has decided that from 15 December 2021, eligible people, aged over 12 years and 3 months must be fully vaccinated to stay in DOC accommodation – this includes:
All DOC campgrounds and huts will only be open to those who are fully vaccinated. Hut wardens and camp hosts on site and will be checking for vaccination status. When requested you, and eligible members in your party, must show your COVID-19 vaccine verification.
This measure has been put in place after assessing the risk of infection from COVID-19 to visitors, staff, volunteers and contractors and at DOC’s visitor facilities.
All customers, including all members of the group aged over 12 years and 3 months, must be fully vaccinated prior to using DOC accommodation or the booking will need to be modified to a time when they are fully vaccinated, or the booking will need to be cancelled. This will apply to bookings from 15 December 2021.
DOC will provide a full refund for COVID-19-related cancellations including if people are unwell, subject to travel restrictions, concerned about COVID risks or are not vaccinated.
www.doc.govt.nz
On Wednesday 1st December we were lucky enough to have Annalily van den Broeke, outreach coordinator for Ark in the Park (www.arkinthepark.org.nz) give an interesting virtual presentation. This was on the how and why of predator control in the 2270 hectares of the Waitakere Ranges that the volunteers of Ark in the Park look after. If you’re interested to learn more, or would like to help as a trapper or ‘adopt’ a bait line as an individual or as a group (similar to other tramping clubs) rebaiting three times a year, contact her on arkbufferzone@gmail.com . She is also the project manager of the neighbouring wetland conservation project Matuku Link (www.matukulink.org.nz) in Bethells, which has planting and working bee opportunities for fully vaccinated people as well – hello@matukulink.org.nz . Or follow them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArkInTheParkNewZealand/ and www.facebook.com/matukulink
You can view and update your details on the Members page of the club website at nstc.org.nz/members, including:
Member profile - change addresses, contacts and email subscriptions Privacy settings - control the data other members can see about you Trip registrations - view your trip registrations Invoices and payments - view your trip and membership invoices, payments and refunds Password - change your password
Around 154 hectares of coastal land has been vested to Auckland Council, part of a larger 180-hectare addition to the Te Ārai Regional Park, which sits on the north-east Rodney coast. Read more about the addition here, or for information on exploring Te Arai park click here.
When things don’t go to plan, your physical and emotional state can influence decision-making. A wrong decision could have a serious, even fatal, outcome. Read more in this Wilderness article on what to do when faced with uncertainty.
The October edition of the club's emailed newsletter was the last in a PDF format.
We are replacing it with a news page on the club website at https://www.nstc.org.nz/news, supplemented with emails when required.
As a result of the changes, you'll see:
Watch this space, as we'll continue to load trip reports that were previously only published in the club newsletter.
Update: Vicky has volunteered to be Editor and will start when we run trips again after COVID Level 3.
Ngozi is retiring as Editor, and on behalf of members, we'd like to thank her for the awesome work she has done.
We are now seeking a new Editor. Are you a budding journalist, or just like working with words, who could take on the role?
It's an important, and rewarding role as it helps keep members engaged with the club, and helps attract new members.
We are also changing how we publish news to online only, to reduce the time needed to perform the role. The key skills needed:
Interested? Then please contact John Lamb or a member of the committee. Contact details are here.
