Gossip from the Island

 

MOEC Wins the Outdoors New Zealand 2011 Organisation Award!

The New Zealand outdoor community, like many other industries, annually takes a night out to celebrate the industry and people that work within it. It is a night or getting together with long lost friends and meeting new ones, laughing and eating, drinking and reminiscing, while at the same time celebrating the achievements or individuals and organisations alike over the past year.

This year MOEC was fortunate enough to be nominated in two categories- The Organisation Award; sponsored by Outdoors New Zealand (ONZ), and the Environmental Leadership Award; sponsored by the Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Centre (OPC). Both of which are prostigious and highly coveted.

The Environmental Leader Award as suggested in the name looks for an organisation, group or individual that is at the forefront of developing and implementing programmes that encourages sustainability and leads by example through action. In this category we were thrilled to be highly commended.

The Organisational Award looks for an establishment that epitomises best practice in everything they do. The accolade focuses on environmental practices, community integration/ spirit, safety procedures and records, staff qualifications and experience, educational practices and implementation, innovation, financial sustainability and of course reputation and overall professionalism.

We are delighted to have won this category as we believe that it just confirms what we have always suspected... that we are the best.

Welcome to the Bensemann's

After months of looking and more than a few stressful moments we have finally found a suitable candidate to fulfil the demanding, yet highly rewarding role of Senior Instructor.

Gavin Bensemann has joined us after many years of owning and operating his own company 'Adventurous Minds' out of Tauranga. A man of few words but many observations, he has dedicated over 15 years to working within the outdoor industry, both within NZ and overseas. Although his qualifications are based in bush and abseil, Gavin's passion for working with youth while utilising the natural environment, combined with his well-rounded experience in a number of different locations and positions will make him an ideal fit for this dynamic job.

Gavin made the move to our island paradise in June with his lovely wife Stacey (also a keen outdoor instructor and environmentalist), allowing us enough time to lure him into a false sense of security before the busy season really hit as well as permitting him to ensure he had familiarised himself with the important things; such as finding the good fishing spots around the coast.

We look forward to getting to know him and Stacey better and to see what exciting new adventures he will come up with.

Takahe and Saddleback have landed on Motutapu & Rangitoto

After two years of intensive pest eradication and monitoring programmes by DoC, Motutapu and Rangitoto Islands are now officially categorised as "pest free." As a part of the celebration of this milestone and and the official inclusion of the two adjoining islands into the Treasure Islands project, Takahe and Saddleback were released onto Motutapu Island on the 27th August.

We here at MOEC are extremely excited at the prospect of these native birds sharing our home and are even more eager at the chance of being able to include opportunities to share and educate our clients in all aspects of this experience, including not only the birds themselves but also the process and procedures of sustainability that are imperative to ensuring these endangered species remain for future generations to enjoy.

MOEC Complies with new Department of Labour Regulations

The last few years has seen a huge reform within the outdoor industry. After the tragedy in 2008 that was Mangatepopo, as well as a number of other incidents within the Adventure Tourism and Outdoor sector, the government ordered a review. This review has finally reached the stages where new regulations have been installed within the two industries with the main change being that from November 1st 2011 all operators within the Adventure Tourism and Outdoor Education industries will have to be registered with the Department of Labour (DoL) and have their operations examined and certified by a qualified external auditor.

MOEC is pleased to be well ahead of the game, having been an Outdoors Mark accredited organisation for nearly 3 years we have always believed in external audits as they give us that extra level of knowledge and feedback to ensure that what we are doing is the right thing. We have also complied with the registration regulation and are now on the DoL database as a provider of outdoor education.

DoC Concession to Operate in Taupo - Tongariro Conservancy

After many months of hard work we are proud to announce that we have been granted a concession by the Department of Conservation to operate within the Taupo-Tongariro Conservancy; this includes areas such as the Tongariro National Park and great walks such as the Tongariro Alpine Crossing and the Northern Circuit.

We here at MOEC are firm believers in ensuring that all our operations are of the highest standard and this includes ensuring we are above board and legal in all that we do. So when we took on the programme in Ohakune for Auckland Grammar School and had trialled it for a year it was of the utmost importance that we take the next step in securing our ability to run activities within the area.

As of November 2011 we now have a 10 year concession to operate a number of activities across the region and should you be interested in running a programme in this area do not hesitate to contact us and we can discuss a range of options.

 

Archery Range and Equipment gets Upgraded

As a new activity Archery it is constantly being reviewed by staff as how to improve the experience of our clients. One of the main issues that we had been having was arrows being shot up into the bank. Thanks to Onehunga High Construction School who built the frame and the hard work of Logan Matheson and other staff, we now have a sliding curtain at the back of the range that will prevent 95% of all arrows from heading up into the dreaded bank.

As a result we have also invested in more equipment and given our current gear a bit of TLC as we can now be confident that it will last and perform for longer.

Stage 2 of Power Efficiency Project near Completion

Stage two of the power upgrade has been underway on the island over the last few months and is due to be completed in the next couple of weeks, (the first phase being the installation of the solar system and battery bank).

This stage has consisted of positioning all power cables underground and should eliminate any issues, particulalry surrounding power loss through the lines (due to their age), as well as power cuts to island residents in winter when overhanging trees came into contact with the lines causing shortages.

This stage will again be another step in efficieny for the power system on Motutapu Island. The third and final stage (house relocations to consolidate all residential areas to 3 locations), is on the drawing cards to begin in early 2012.

Where are they now?

People are constantly asking us how and what our old staff are up to. Particularly the old hands such as Craig Harlick- our senior instructor from 2007-2011 and Logan McKelvie- our Training and Development Coordinator who only recently departed our shores. So a bit of an update of these guys and where they are now...

Logan McKelvie left our shores to explore the great wide expanses of Canada. Aiming to pursue his love of all things alpine, he has headed off on this OE with the intention to gain his international qualifications in mountaineering and have a bit of an overseas adventure with partner Jess. We wish him well and hope that he keeps us update with all his little excursions.

Craig on the other hand has now spent just under a year over in the Isle of Man. He is currently working 2-3 days a week for an outdoor company and mainly occupying this time with what we in New Zealand call 'youth at risk'. His son Abban is walking and nearly talking, (wow how time flies!), and his now wife Nikki is teaching at a local high school. He often touches base with staff and consistently mentions how much he misses MOEC, the staff and the schools. We are hoping one day soon he and the whanau will come back these ways for a visit.

User Bridge at Home Bay Reinstalled

Thanks to the persistence of the volunteers within the Motutapu Restoration Trust (MRT), a new bridge has been installed that connects the Home Bay Wharf Road to the other side of the creek besides the Reid Homestead. Over a decade ago the old bridge was removed due to its degenerating state and has never been replaced; meaning visitors disembarking at Home Bay had to walk an extra 500 m around the creek before reaching the camp ground. The final product looks fantastic and will be well used over the coming months. Congratulations and well done to all those involved in making this happen.

Working Relationships With Other Island Users

We continue to enjoy working alongside the Department of Conservation (DoC), Motutapu Restoration Trust (MRT) and Motutapu Farms Ltd (MFL) with the aim of ensuring that Rangitoto and Motutapu Islands continue to be a top destination for local and international visitors.