Rotorua Sustainable Tourism Charter

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The Great New Zealand Trail Ride

Welcome to the Great New Zealand Trail Ride (GNZTR) debrief on the event and how the Rotorua Sustainable Tourism Charter impacted on us and the beautiful region of Rotorua.

History:

The Rotorua District Council Events Manager, Steve Gibling identified that some of the things required to keep GNZTR participants healthy and safe would meet the goals of the Rotorua Sustainable Tourism Charter. By signing up to the Charter the GNZTR declared via a Statement of Intent to:

Initiate a recycling programme
Collect food waste for pigs
Minimise and monitor water usage
Adhere to traffic management plan
Report damage to environmental damage by pests
Use portable toilets at lunch stops
Respect local community and customs
Stick to identified trails

Initiate a Recycling Programme
Using numerous wheelie bins as opposed to one large rubbish receptacle paid off as participants who where quite widely dispersed around each of the camping sites, were able to dispose of their rubbish at the nearest set of x3 bins, bottles, cans and general rubbish. Cans were collected and left with primary schools along the trail route and other wastes were removed daily to a disposal site in Rotorua.

Collect Food Waste for pigs.
Yes, we managed to meet this goal too and someone’s pigs are certainly better off!

Minimise and monitor water use.
To minimise water use during the horse wash-down, we designed a system that when not in use, the hoses and taps automatically turned off. By stopping the flow of water when not in use we possibly at least halved the amount of water that had been used in the past. All water facilities were located in the camp at sites where drainage of white water was good and where the site would not interfere with access and egress of sites.

Adhere to Traffic Management Plan
All participants were aware of the TMP and all participants knew prior to every days ride where to expect the crossings and to wait until a group of 20 had accumulated ready before crossing the roads. This minimized traffic disruption, requiring drivers only to slow down, when approaching our crossings.

Report Damage to Environment by Pests
There was some damage to the trail from pigs, but I have been assured that those pigs are no longer with us - to be found in my trail marshals’ freezer I believe! The only other contact with pests and damage was between Hamurana and Rotoma, where many riders saw a large group of wallabies in a clearing.

Use Portable Toilets at Lunch Stops
This was a luxury many took advantage off. We also provided wheelie bin rubbish receptacles that were appreciated by the riders who brought all their rubbish with them to lunch stops and back to camp so that the trails would remain rubbish free.

Respect Local Community and Customs
We were welcomed to the district lands via local powhiri by the Rangitira of Rotorua on the first evening. Following this we were addressed on most evenings prior to meals by the local Kaumatua, who told of legends and myths surrounding the areas we were about to travel over. All of the participants showed much respect for these people, we remained informed and safe; therefore the feeling of protection and respect for the land was high.

Stick to Identified Trail
This was achieved on all the trail routes apart from day two, where a detour had to take place because of a landowner’s last minute change in permission to travel over the lands.

Conclusion
I believe that our case study has been instrumental in painting a picture of an event that can provide a quadruple bottom line with benefits to all sectors of the community and of course catering for its own needs. Some of the things that we achieved outside of our statement of intent, but within our Health and Safety Plan, were: hiring a waste management company to pump out the waste from toilets every day, buying/hiring all our equipment from local providers, providing any funds, above our operating costs, to local charity (Rotorua and Districts branch of Multiple Sclerosis). Washable plates etc, instead of disposable. Hazardous areas taped off. No horses in human camping enclosures. Professional security and night watch for the horses and campsites. All campsites left as they were found.

Please contact me if you have any queries. Personally this has been an enlightening experience for me and I am keen to facilitate the possibility of my own region, Taranaki, to pick up a sustainable system such as Rotorua’s.

Vicky Dombroski, GNZTR Event Manager can be contacted through Topnotch Event Solutions by phone +64 6 754 8085 or email topnotch@inspire.net.nz

or visit the Great New Zealand Trail Ride web site - click here

The story of Rotorua

Rotorua’s story begins in the mid 1300s, when the Arawa canoe arrived at Maketu on the Bay of Plenty coastline. A young Te Arawa man, Ihenga, is said to have discovered Rotorua. He was hunting for delicacies for his pregnant wife when one of his dogs disappeared chasing a kiwi. The dog returned some time later with his coat wet and regurgitated a meal of half digested fish. Ihenga realised he was near water, so he searched until he discovered Lake Rotoiti and later, Lake Rotorua.

Local Maori have hosted visitors as far back as the 1800s, when people from all over the world came to see the Pink and White Terraces at Lake Rotomahana. Known as the eight wonder of the world because of the elaborate beauty of these natural sinter formations, the Pink and White Terraces were destroyed in 1886 when Mount Tarawera erupted.

The loss of 150 lives and devastation of the surrounding area, meant the people of the nearby villages moved away to rebuild their lives. The people of Whakarewarewa invited them to settle in the geothermal valley where they continued to host and guide visitors. Both their descendants and the people of Rotorua continue this proud tradition today by fulfilling the promise of Manaakitanga.

Manaakitanga
is the responsibility of guardianship over resources placed on the Rotorua community and an invitation to visitors to share in those resources.

Play your part in sustainability by choosing to visit Charter members. Charter members can be identified by this symbol on display at their business, on the rotoruaNZ.com website, and in the Rotorua i-SITE.