Cathedral Cove
December 30th, 2009 at 11:30 am by David FarrarThis is looking like a classic case of locals vs tourists. The locals have their homes do don’t see any merit in having a stall selling water and ice creams, but the tourists love it.
The Herald reports:
The owner of a seaside stall that locals accuse of spoiling pristine Cathedral Cove on the Coromandel Peninsula says tourists are relieved to see him at the end of a long, hot walk, and that he is leaving the white-sand beach cleaner than he finds it each day.
Shanan Laird, 31, said he had had nothing but positive feedback from visitors – and only two negative comments from locals – since he began selling drinks and sandwiches at the untouched spot, 30 minutes’ walk from the road.
The former ski-patroller carries a 2m x 2m table by boat to the cove each day and offers basic first aid, sunblock, snorkels, drinks and sandwiches to beachgoers.
As part of his contract with the Department of Conservation, he must clean the beach of all rubbish before he leaves each day.
Looks like a win/win to me.
Mr Laird said he got the idea last summer after seeing people arrive at the beach, hot and bothered, with no food or water and having to turn back.
“All the tourists are just so happy that someone is there with water because they didn’t realise the walk was so difficult,” he said. “Lots of people just forget [to bring drinks]. It’s a beautiful place so I may as well enhance it by offering cold drinks so people can spend longer there.”
Mr Laird’s brother, Ryan, a restaurant owner at nearby Cooks Beach, said visitors could not believe there was nowhere to buy drinks at the cove before this summer. The stall was tucked into the bush so it would not interfere with the vista.
“The place is already highly commercialised with the snorkelling tours and boat trips and everything … but there is no support on the beach to remove anything [rubbish] that gets left there,” he said.
The photo in the Herald article makes it pretty clear the stall is not intrusive.
Related posts:
- Al Morrison on Cathedral Cove
- Wednesday Wallpaper | Mares Leg Cove, Coromandel
- Fishing
- Coromandel Day I
December 30th, 2009 at 11:48 am
Probably some local trying to ensure the monopoly of some business an hour away.Always will be opponents to any proposal which contains a bit of enterprise.
Can expect opposition from the sandal wearers of shady Auckland and Wellington who don’t want to consider the mere mortal visitors who arrive drained and exhausted from a long walk.
To DOC I say, “Well done” but can hardly believe they have this pro-free enterprise attitude.
December 30th, 2009 at 11:58 am
I heard this story on the radio yesterday morning. Tim Dower’s ‘interview’ with a local shopkeeper was soft. Sorry, Tim, especially as I think you’re one of NewstalkZB’s better broadcasters, and you’re under-used.
Anyway, back to the story: it seemed to me, here in the South Island, an ‘Auckland story’ that we were getting paraded in front of us simply because ZB broadcasts from there. It was of little or no interest anywhere else.
So what if the man brings along icecreams and drinks and sammies? If people don’t want an icecream on the beach they don’t have to buy one.
And for the matron who intoned: ‘They don’t NEED an icecream down there’, get a grip, woman.
The sound of a baying mob is never pleasant, even an elegantly toned one.
December 30th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Hell, I am only surprised DOC had the common bloody sense to allow this bloke to offer a service which is needed.
As for the locals, pull your fucking heads in unlike other countries you do not get exclusive rights to the beach.
Could be worse locals, could be my mob setting up stalls etc
December 30th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Ulterior motives are at play. Naivety is about.
Vote:Yesterday a DOC person was pleading poverty at Doc and that they were being forced to find another way to fund themselves. Not cut their extravagant expenses but to find more income streams.
This does not bode well for the current concessionaires of everything Doc at all. They could sell off a few high country bits they have been collecting and so on.
This story made it to press because DOC wanted you all to believe they are going broke.
It is designed to rark up the political voices from the left and the Greenies to restore their unlimited budget of days past.
December 30th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
I think it is a little unfair to judge this one at a distance. You have to go there and see in order to really determine how intrusive the ice cream stall might be.
That said, I am not sympathetic to this. I suspect I would find it crass. The pure, pristine, unpeopled nature of New Zealand’s wild and beautiful places are part of what makes them special. I suspect I would find the experience subtly spoiled by commercial presence. I recognise that not everyone feels that way. But there are a million places I can buy an ice cream, there is no alternative Cathedral Cove that is unspoilt.
I know there a many many people who used to love Queenstown, but have gone off the place somewhat because it has become so busy and commercialised. This is the same thing.
As for the lack of negative feedback. Why would you want to spoil a great day by starting an argument. I suspect plenty of people might go there and not like to see the ice cream stand, but very few of those would make a complaint – especially not on the spot.
December 30th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
It will come as no surprise that the watermelon party (some chap called Kevin Hague who I have never heard of) are leading the charge against the service being offered by Mr Laird.
With each passing week these closet communists become more and more irrelevant.
http://blog.greens.org.nz/2009/12/29/groser-to-blame-for-cathedral-cove-desecration/
Vote:December 30th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
Well, it is true that the stall does not look as intrusive as it sounded in the first article yesterday.
And with the busloads (literally) of tourists visiting Cathedral Cove, it can hardly be called “unpeopled” and “unspoilt”
What convinced me also was that per agreement with DOC, he has to clean up the beach every day before leaving. Even if it’s not stuff that he sold, I presume. What better way to ensure that it is kept clean and pristine.
As long as it’s not too intrusive, why not give it a go.
December 30th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
Oh no! People offended by capitalism on this beach will have to go to one of the other thousands of deserted, untouched beaches around New Zealand!
There goes the neighbourhood…
December 30th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
Maybe the locals could come to an arrangement with Doc to shut this down.
The locals will donate the lost revenue to doc.
Next, the locals will ensure daily rubbish collection from the beach.
Seems to me, the locals are a bunch of whining bitches.
Vote:December 30th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
Wreck DOC don’t want to shut this down, they get a cut, about 8% I believe. I’m all for free enterprise but it is a bit of a worry when doc can give or will only give permission if their palms are greased. I smell the beginnings of corruption and backhanders ??????????
Vote:December 30th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Classic nimby reaction. The locals would be better to buy a first aid kit with cardiac capability and make their precious little bit of paradise a whole lot safer assuming the ex ski patroller is at or near paramedic level. Hell he might even save one of the selfish nimbys and then wonder why he bothered.
Vote:December 30th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
I don’t know much tramping over hot sands and in the sea breeze most watermelons have done but dehydration can be quite a serious problem for children and adults.
A dehydrated child can make the most wonderful location a disaster.
I understand that many people set out on the walk without realising how long it is and do get caught short.
I see no problem in providing some liquid to these people and the photo in the Herald suggests that it is hardly a garish shed or similar. And the young man appears to clean up as required.
If you start insisting that everyone takes in their own drinking water then be prepared for a much wider distribution of rubbish.
Vote:December 30th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
Would DOC not be better off just putting an information booth at the start of the track clearly stating “no water for 2 hours” and selling bottles to Tourists from there?
However the one benefit of this stall will be the cleaness of the beach. Unfortunately for many of these isolated locations people are too lazy to carry out what they take in.
Vote:December 30th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Sounds like a case of ignorant yokels to me.
What these country halfwits fail to realise is the availability of refreshments for ‘normal’ (ie – Aucklanders) people will invariably attract more of them and therefore it is just bizarre any of the locals would be complaining about it.
Good on this Laird chappie, he is showing some initiative.
http://www.nightcitytrader.blogspot.com
Vote:December 30th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
Owen McShane (910) Says:
December 30th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
“If you start insisting that everyone takes in their own drinking water then be prepared for a much wider distribution of rubbish”
While I am generally on the same side as you in this, Owen, I recently did some longish walks in the Waikaremoana region … 7 hours of walking and not a concession stand in sight, nor yet any hint of a litter problem.
If I understand correctly, Cathedral Cove is a 30 minute walk.
Vote:December 30th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
Wlaking in the bush is much less dehydrating that walking along a coastline on hot sand with a strong sea breeze.
The worst environment I have ever encountered was when I walked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and then walked up and out.
The hot desert wind blows up the walls of the canyon and the rim is at 9,000 feet and it goes on and on and on.
Location counts.
And I was thinking more of children.
Smaller body volume more skin area/per kg – more dehydration.
Vote:December 30th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
Saw this on the News last night. For all the great things in this nation we do have a significant minority of whingers. I suspect this is driven as much by nearby shopkeepers and locals who having their own house their take the view that everyone else should bugger off. Pathetic. As an aside credit to DOC for common sense.
Vote:December 30th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
Sounds similar to the article yesterday about the woman complaining about the home kill in Te Kauwhata in someones property, but within view of the road.
And yes the woman who complained had moved from Auckland two years ago
Vote:December 30th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
Who wants to walk there anyway. With this Govt. we will all be so rich soon that we will all be able to take our flash boats around there.
Been there done that, much more fun than walking.
DOC has walk times on all tracks so only the dumb don’t read the signs. Which is most I guess.
New sign; 30 minutes to Icecream stop.
Sponsored by your Local DOC.
Now just a friendly reminder that if DOC can do this what is going to happen when the Maori’s get their beaches back? Eh
And you all thought we would be banned. Hell no, we will all be charged for the use thereof. Icecream and drinks available. Oh and by the way our whare has a tuti and many shell souvenirs including the almost extinct tuatua shell and paua shells and Maori sunshine cream made from flax oil and whale blubber. Oh and don’t forget to buy a piece of one of our genuine whale Ivory tiki’s made on our modern Marae from all natural beached whale teeth.
Can’t we just see that coming a mile away.
Vote:Still as Big Bruv says its capitalism at its best.
December 30th, 2009 at 10:37 pm
Did you hear the idiot protestor suggesting it could lead to a massage parlour starting up there …. National Radio the morning the story ‘broke’ … hardly likely with all the amateurs on the boats I suspect.
Vote:December 30th, 2009 at 11:27 pm
I can’t even believe this is a ‘story’. NZ really is such a funny little country.
Vote:December 31st, 2009 at 12:07 am
Simple. Get some enterprising local/ethnic person to put x hundred cans of various drinks into a handy spot in the sea and thirsty people will pay x bucks each for one to be retrieved. Cool drinks, happy campers, good touristy stuff and only costs a friendly smile and a rubbish sack. If I lived there I’d do it.
Vote: