Historic Denniston access reopens in Northern Buller
By local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
Historic access to the Denniston Incline in Northern Buller has reopened after being closed since Cyclone Dovi in February 2022.
The access, administrated by the Department of Conservation, became unstable as slips came down during the cyclone.
Conns Creek Rd provides access to the foot of the historic Denniston Incline, just inland from Waimangaroa.
The road was once the track bed for a 2.7km branch railway from Waimangaroa to take coal coming down the Denniston Incline for transport the Westport wharves.
The incline, once described as "the eighth wonder of the world", worked from 1880 until its closure in 1967.
It is administered within the DoC Denniston heritage area.
Conns Creek Rd is also the route for the Buller District Council water supply pipeline to the settlement of Waimangaroa.
The road closed while repairs were carried out on significant slips caused by Cyclone Dovi.
DOC Buller area manager Suvi van Smit said the road had about 10 slips along its length, or one slip about every 100m.
"It also affected the water line to Waimangaroa. The track is now open to the public."
However, while pedestrians could now get in, it was not yet suitable for ordinary vehicle access, van Smit told the West Coast Conservation Board.
DOC was working with Heritage New Zealand on historic stone culverts along the road.
The Buller District Council started a $2.3m project in September 2022 to replace its water line, which was completed in winter 2023.
Meanwhile the nearby historic Britannia Track, also administered by DOC, has been closed since early 2021 following a major slip on a rock overhang about 1.2km from the car park.
The historic 12km long pack track leads to the historic Britannia stamper battery towards the Denniston Escarpment.
Board member John Taylor asked if the department had now "written off" the track.
Van Smit said the main erosion problem was at the bottom end of the track due to stream incursion but there were also "large slips" along the track.
"It's very unsafe but due to be reassessed in February."
Best way to use leftovers?
I'm sure you've got some excess ham at home or cold roast potatoes.
What are some of your favourite ways to use leftover food from Christmas day? Share below.
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.
If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?
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62.4% Summer
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36.2% Winter
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1.4% Other - I'll share below
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