CAMBRIDGE NEWS | 1
THURSDAY JANUARY 13, 2022
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Money’s on the maunga
Heat will stay on By Mary Anne Gill
A drone view of the northern track from Hicks Road going up to Mt Maungatautari. By Mary Anne Gill
Reopening the northern entrance to the country’s largest ecological island on Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari will have huge economic benefits for the Waipā economy. It is already a significant domestic tourism attraction because of its ancient native forest, but visitor numbers have been impacted since the closure of the Hicks Road entrance in 2018 following a dispute with land owners. That side is the one closest to Lake Karāpiro which has thousands of visitors every year.
Waipā mayor Jim Mylchreest, announced the northern entrance reopening on New Year’s Eve. He was chief executive of the Maungatautari Trust from 2002 to 2009 and helped raise more than $17 million required for the construction of 47kms of predator proof fence around 3400 ha of indigenous forest. Before the dispute, the first 850 metres of the walk from Hicks Road had been along a private driveway and across private farmland. “More people can enjoy this ancient ngahere in the heart of our district. Maungatautari is home to so many native flora and fauna and is a very special place to visit so I would
encourage those who can, to do so,” said Mylchreest. Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari co-chair Poto Davies said the trust was privileged to be able to share the mauri and mana of the maunga. The southern entrance at Tari Road, home to the Manu Tīoriori Visitor Centre, remained open during the three-year dispute. Maungatautari marketing manager Freeman Ehu said there had been a major surge in visitor numbers in the past few weeks. Quinn Dallinger, who has farmed since 2016 on a 225ha dry stock property below the mountain and
next to the Hicks Road entrance, welcomed the announcement of the northern reopening. He has been collaborating with the council and the trust to reestablish access and has overseen the establishment of a track on his property which follows the Wairakau Stream to the mountain. Meanwhile Cambridge Community Board member Mike Montgomerie, who has an adjoining 27ha bush block inside the pest proof fence, released four kiwi in the reserve before Christmas. He told the board a recent survey showed there were as many as 1200 kiwi on Maungatautari.
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If you thought it was scorchingly hot in Waipā last week, it sure was -and a Niwa meteorologist says it is going to get hotter. The temperature gauge hit 34.7°C at Niwa’s Lake Karāpiro station on January 4, easily beating Waipā’s hottest day last year of 30. 9°C on January 14. Meteorologist Ben Noll said temperatures across the country were last year on average one degree higher than the previous year and the warmest year on record. “Be prepared for more hot weather though,” he said. Niwa has three Waipā stations at Waikeria, where readings were first taken last year on February 7, Karāpiro and Hamilton Airport. Stats for 2021: Hottest day - Waikeria, 29°C, February 21, Karāpiro, 30.9, January 14, Airport, 29.6, February 29. Coldest day – Waikeria, -3.7, July 14, Karāpiro 0.7, August 10, Airport -3.7, August 10. Driest month – Waikeria April, 50mm, Karāpiro February, 12mm, Airport, February, 42mm. Wettest month – Waikeria October, 140mm, Karāpiro March, 145mm, Airport September, 178mm. Windiest month – Waikeria February and November average wind speed 7.6kms/hr, Karāpiro May and September 7.2, Airport October 13.3kms/hr. Frosts – Waikeria 14 (May/June 4, July 9, August 1, Karāpiro none, Airport 17, May3, June 5, July 7, August 2).