Lakes News:
National News
Desert Road now open
NZTA says that a large amount of snow fell overnight.
New Zealand Police are warning motorists with the School Holidays now here to take extreme caution while travelling on the Central North Island roads due to ice and snow.
Horse owners fail to care for horses
Ruapehu District Council (RDC) Compliance Team Leader, Brenda Ralph, said that her staff has impounded two horses over the last couple of weeks where the owners have failed to respond to council’s requests to take better care of their horse and prevent it from being a public nuisance.
"The owners have had repeated warnings from council about the care and keep of their horse around residential neighbourhoods," she said.
"Irresponsible horse owners have been an on-going issue in some Ruapehu townships for a while concerning both council and the Police."
"Council has been trying to work with the horse owners to change their ways without impounding animals and imposing fines."
"Unfortunately in these cases the owners have ignored our warnings about the consequences and failed to change their behaviour forcing council to take a harder line."
Mrs Ralph said that council has been receiving numerous complaints about horses wandering freely around residential neighbourhoods or horses being tethered inappropriately such as in public reserves.
"One horse owner has even admitted that he habitually lets his horse loose at night to wander the streets to feed," she said.
"Horses wandering the streets at night are an obvious traffic hazard as well as doing damage to public and private property."
"One owner has received a $375 fine with the horse being returned on the condition that it is kept in a rural area from now on."
"The second horse is currently in the council pound and we are awaiting contact from the owner."
Mrs Ralph noted that if the owner fails to contact council to address the issue within seven days then the horse can be put up for public auction.
Multiple mountain rescues keep rescuers busy
It was a busy day yesterday for the Ruapehu Alpine Rescue Organisation (RARO), the Greenlea Taupo and Palmerston North rescue helicopters in the Tongariro National Park yesterday.
Four separate incidents resulted in six persons being rescued from The Tongariro Alpine Crossing, Mt Ngauruhoe and Mt Ruapehu.
Soon after midday on Saturday the first incident occurred where a lady suffered an injury to her ankle near Red Crater on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing and was airlifted to Taupo Hospital by the Taupo rescue helicopter.
At about 2.30 pm before the helicopter had time to shut down a report of another incident was received by Police on Mt Ngauruhoe.
A male had been struck in the head by a rock dislodged above him and had lost consciousness. His wife witnessed this and ran downhill to his aid only to fall and sprain her knee rendering her immobile and requiring assistance also.
Due to low heavy cloud surrounding Mt Ngauruhoe, two RARO volunteers were airlifted as close as possible below the two patients
Due to the nature of the injuries, low cloud and Police receiving a call for another injured person near the summit of Ngauruhoe, a further four RARO volunteers were flown in to assist with the rescue.
Whilst this rescue was unfolding Police received yet another call for help where a male was unwell approximately 200 meters above the Turoa ski field and unable to make his way down.
The Palmerston North rescue helicopter was deployed to assist. It was able to locate and hover beside the male and load him and his partner and fly them from the mountain to receive medical treatment.
In the meantime a fortuitous break in the weather allowed the Taupo rescue helicopter to hover load two of the patients from a rocky outcrop on the side of Mt Ngauruhoe and fly them to a waiting ambulance at the Mangatepopo Road end.
Due to his condition and the steep loose terrain, the male with the head injuries was placed in a stretcher where he lay. Along with a RARO member he was attached to a long line under the helicopter and flown from the mountain. He was then loaded into the helicopter and flown to hospital.
The high numbers of people in the Tongariro National Park for the holiday weekend combined with the Tongariro Alpine Crossing still being partially closed has seen more people doing the alternative route of Mt Ngauruhoe.
Extra care is required while climbing this steep scree route to the summit not to dislodge loose rocks on people below.
Exciting news for travellers to New Zealand
A company Wiflinz, www.wifli.co.nz has set up a rental service for travellers to New Zealand that eases the costs of data roaming.
It’s simple, easy to use. You just book online your dates, and where you wish your pocket wifi to be delivered to, and it will be waiting for you at your hotel before you arrive.
You can take it anywhere while travelling within New Zealand. Simply post back in a prepaid envelope before you leave.
Renting this pocket device allows you to use in meetings, catch up with your facebook friends or simply talk, all at local prices. No need to get a sim that gives you a foreign number, it’s still your own number, so people can reach you while you are on our shores.
Michael Jones, Manager of Wifli says ‘while he was travelling to the U.S he needed to be reached at all times so rented a pocket wifi. It meant I could hit the ground running with no hassles. I wanted travellers to New Zealand to be able to access the same service here.’
‘The people who have used our service find it cheap and easy to use. You can have up to 5 devices from your laptop, cellphone, or tablet at any one time. Yes, you can find free wifi around cities or cafes but this can be a real hassle. You don’t want to be hanging round in the cold or rain outside just to email or talk back home’ he says. Hotel can charge up to $45 a day and you are stuck to only using in that actual hotel, for as low as $10 a day you can go anywhere’.
Surveys have shown most travellers to New Zealand travel to more than one place, so to have the flexibility where you can be on top of Mt Ruapehu, seeing where the hobbits were filmed or seeing our majestic mountains in the South Island, you can still be connected to internet, this is a huge plus.
This service is portable, easy to use and when you leave simply post back in the prepaid bag. Travellers will know they are not going back to expensive roaming charges on their bill. It will make their experience in New Zealand an even better one!