The choice of activity undertaken in the New Zealand wilderness is heavily constrained by several factors - the key ones being management regulations and logistics (affected by weather, terrain conditions etc.). Management regulations prohibit activities that are not deemed to be consistent with the recreation objectives for the area (for example, mountain biking and activities which require motorised transport are not permitted in wilderness areas). In general, the more remote an area is, the fewer types of activity are permitted. The logistics of accessing remote and wilderness areas also limit the types of activities that can be
undertaken because of practicalities (it is simply not feasible to transport a hang glider or a kayak into the middle of a wilderness area) and because of cost - even if it was possible to do so, the cost of such an undertaking would generally be enough to dissuade most people. As a consequence of this, there was a relatively small range of activity-types present during the study period (Figure 7.3).
Figure 7.3: Main activity undertaken
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Tramping Hunting Kayaking Climbing Fishing
N u m b e r o f p a rt ic ip a n ts
The activities undertaken were tramping, (recreational deer) hunting, kayaking, climbing and fishing. These are all ‘traditional’ New Zealand outdoor activities. It is likely that they are accepted and practised in these areas because they ‘fit’ with ideas about what should occur in
wilderness (e.g. non-motorised, challenging and adventurous activities). By far the two most popular wilderness activities were tramping (32 of the 67 participants) and hunting (25 out of 67 participants).
The high numbers of trampers in this study can be explained by a combination of factors. First, tramping is the quintessential New Zealand outdoor activity. It can be undertaken by people of all ages, and in comparison to many other types of outdoor recreation, it requires little equipment or expertise. At the most basic level, all that is required is a sturdy pair of tramping boots, good clothing, food and first aid provisions for the duration, and a tent or bivvy bag if there are no huts in the area. This means that access to remote and wilderness areas is easier for trampers than for other recreationists undertaking activities which require a significant amount of specialised equipment or expertise (for example, hunting, kayaking and mountaineering). Second, there are several tramping tracks91 in remote areas of Fiordland National Park that are becoming increasingly popular – especially amongst overseas visitors (The main example of this is the Dusky Track, but also the Hollyford-Pyke-Big Bay Route, and the George Sound Track). Over two thirds of the trampers in this study (23 out of 32) were walking the Dusky Track. Finally, the high proportion of tramping participants may also be due to the fact that the research was publicised in the Department of Conservation Visitor Centre in Te Anau, through which most trampers pass in order to fill out intentions forms before beginning their trip.
The popularity of hunting during the study period is likely to be due to a number of factors. The primary reason is that the Glaisnock Wilderness Area is the only place in the Southern hemisphere where one can hunt Wapiti deer. Second, the research was undertaken during the ‘roar’, which is the most popular hunting period of the year in Fiordland. Third, the research was publicised through the New Zealand Deer Stalkers Association (a powerful advocacy and recreation organisation in New Zealand) which has many extremely passionate and vocal members. It is likely that the organisation encouraged its members to take part in the research. And finally, the popularity of wilderness hunting may be attributed to the fact that hunting is regarded by many as a typical male outdoors activity in European settler societies like New Zealand (Hunter 2009). Early settlers were forced to hunt for food, and the tradition has continued to the present day, where hunting remains a popular leisure activity amongst certain sectors of the population. This is likely to be because of the enjoyment associated with the activity, but also because of its importance as a traditional cultural activity (ibid.). A number
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of the hunters in this study discussed the cultural and historic value of hunting. This is one of the main topics of discussion in Chapter Ten.
The absence of kayakers in the study is likely to be due to access difficulties. Four out of the six kayak participants travelled to the Fiordland coast together (in a group of fourteen people) on a commercial fishing vessel. Several of them mentioned the difficulty of access in their diaries, and stated that their trip was only made possible through this shared transport option. The low numbers of climbers and fishermen are again likely to be due to access difficulties associated with transporting equipment, and also because both activities tend to take place in fairly specific areas – for example climbing a particular peak, or fishing a particular river. In addition, the project was not specifically promoted amongst the fishing community, which may have affected response rates.