Horses return to Port Hills track for first time in 20 years
From reporter Carly Gooch and videopgrapher Alden Williams:
Riding horses is part of Pete Hurst’s heritage.
His father rode to Canterbury’s Motukarara races, and his grandfather took his horses to war – now he’s making it his mission to ensure horses are able to trot on the tracks they’re entitled to.
Nearly a dozen riders took to Kennedys Bush Track in Christchurch on Friday morning, clip-clopping from Halswell Quarry to the Summit Rd to celebrate new horse gates allowing them through for the first time in years.
The trail had been “locked up” for about 20 years, Hurst said, but after advocates put pressure on the Christchurch City Council, it installed 1m-wide horse gates that will let riders through, but not vehicles.
He said generations before him had access to ride between Christchurch and Akaroa, “so we want to restore that – this is a step on the right direction”.
The main goal was to be able to ride the historic track to Akaroa and bring horses “back to the high country”.
He expected to succeed.
Many of the tracks Hurst wants horses to have access to are “paper roads” owned by the council in trust for the public.
He said bikes, trampers, horses and vehicles should be capable of accessing the roads, but locked gates often prohibited this.
“They should be for everybody, they shouldn’t keep you off it. We’re just opening up what we’re entitled to at Kennedys Bush.
“These days, bikes are well catered for, not so much horses.”
Hurst said he had done a lot of work over the last five years to ensure access to tracks on public conservation land, including on Mt Thomas and Mt Richardson, and he was close to opening several others.
Riding is in Hurst’s bones – his grandfather took horses to Palestine and Gallipoli in the war.
His grandfather was “a great horseman”.
“It broke his heart when he had to dispose of his horse when he came back from Palestine.”
The trek on Kennedys Bush Track was an easy one for the horses, Hurst said.
“They just shot up here, none have a sweat on them. They’re all a good bunch of people and a good bunch of horses.”
A city council spokesperson said the track was never specifically closed to horses, but the fact much of it was unfenced and did not follow the legal road alignment meant vehicle gates were kept locked, “thereby limiting horse access”.
At the end of Friday’s ride, Hurst and his group of riders settled in for a barbecue and drinks where they “talk about horses”.
Horses were part of our heritage, he said.
“If they run out of fossil fuels, we might be back on our horses.”
Poll: How important is the ability to book a doctor’s appointment online?
Hi Neighbours
Here at The Doctors we would love to hear how you prefer to book your doctor’s appointments. With busy schedules, different people find different methods easier.
For some, online booking is very convenient, you can make an appointment anytime without needing to wait on the phone. Others still prefer calling the clinic and speaking to a real person, especially if they have specific questions about their visit.
Your feedback helps us understand what works best for our patients and how we can improve access to care.
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34.9% I prefer booking online whenever possible
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26.4% Online booking is helpful but not essential
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34% I prefer calling the clinic
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4.7% I didn’t know online booking was available
A reminder this hunting season
As thousands of hunters are making their plans for autumn – the Roar – recreational firearms groups are urging hunters to always be 100% sure of their targets.
Te Tari Pureke - Firearms Safety Authority NZ, which chairs the Recreational Firearms Users Group, has begun a public information campaign reminding hunters everywhere of Rule #4 of the Firearms Safety Code: to identify their target beyond all doubt.
Director Communities and Corporate, Mike McIlraith, says there is an estimated 50,000-60,000 New Zealanders involved in big game animal hunting each year, and the Roar is the key event for many hunters each year.
“The Roar is a fantastic time of year for hunters to get out into the hills after a trophy animal but hunting safely and making sure everyone gets home in one piece, still must be the most important goal of every trip,” says Mike McIlraith.
“The consequences of not fully identifying your target beyond all doubt can be catastrophic. Our message to hunters is a really simple one: If you are not sure, then don’t shoot.”
Mike McIlraith says while hunting fatalities are thankfully rare, research has shown that misidentification of the target is the largest firearms related risk to New Zealand deer hunters, and 80% of the time this involves members of the same hunting group.
The Authority says hunters should not feel pressured to take a shot: “Instead, hunters should take the time to analyse their target, wait and see if it is a hind or stag, how old is the animal, how many points does its antlers have? Identifying your target means never firing at sound, shape, colour or movement alone.”
Mike McIlraith says good hunters will slow down, and run through some simple mental checks:
- Can I see the whole animal, or could this be another hunter?
- Where are my hunting companions – could this be them or someone else?
- How much of the animal can you see, if it is a hind or stag, how old is the animal, how - many points does its antlers have?
“Taking a little extra time to identify your target and check the firing zone is the key to safer hunting. No meat or no trophy is better than no mate,” he says.
Poll: Does a savoury scone require cheese on top, or folded inside?
Help settle the great kiwi debate ... cheese on top, or folded inside?
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76.5% Inside!
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23.5% On top!
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