Letters to the Editor
Children protest at Climate change
I read in Media that there is a children’s protest against climate change.
Their childish demands are as follows:
•Lower the voting age to 16.
•Support regenerative farming
•30% marine reserve protection by 2025.
•E-bike rebates for low-income households.
They also demand: No new fossil fuel mining or exploration, and this has resulted in massive imports of poor-quality coal from overseas.
We have had these similar protest demands over the last 30 years from the Green Party, none of which has had any effect on the world emissions of CO2. And it certainly has had no impact on climate changing.
But what it does highlight is the need to NOT lower the voting age to allow these children to have any say in how our country is run.
Pete Bould
Whitianga
The Adventure getting to Whitianga
I would like to reiterate Stan Stewarts
(p.1, Feb 28) thoughts about our changed roading system – a reality that we now have to live with.
Last weekend my BnB guests landed in Auckland from the United Kingdom, and travelled to their first destination, Bay of Islands. On the way up they were re-routed through Mangawhai Heads. Coming back down and heading to Whitianga, Mangawhai was flooded so they were sent around Dargavllle. They followed my instructions on Route 2 through Ngatea. They stopped in Paeroa for a break and travelled on to Waihi and the coast. At Waihi they were turned back, advised the road to Whangamata was closed, and told to go through Coromandel via Thames. My guests arrived, weary after a ten-hour journey, but in high spirits, and raving about the scenery. There was no mention of heavy transport, but as it was a Friday, they must have met some. I began to apologise for the long trip, but they said they had seen places they had not planned to see, and they had “enjoyed the adventure”. Perhaps in future we need to sell ‘the adventure’ of getting to Whitianga!
Dorothy Preece
Whitianga
The Closure of SH25A
To ‘The Informer’
Dear Editor,
The closure of S.H.25A (Kopu to Hikuai) with its major slip is an issue to all who often cross the mountain range for business, recreation and family. Any solution will need to be long-lasting. Citizens who look at the problem will probably, see several answers but it will need ‘experts’ to make the final decision. As a lay citizen I have come up with the following solutions.
1.Reinstate the road higher up the hill.
2.Refill the slip from a wall at the base of the
slip.
3.Using concrete frames build a tunnel across
the stabilized slip.
4.Build a bridge across the slip.
5.Drive in long sheet-piling and reinstate the
road.
6.Let the Chinese have a go.
7.Upgrade an alternative crossing.
8.Flying fox for small vehicles.
Whatever the answer it will need a ‘report’, much money and further disturbance of already dicey land surface. Will it all happen again? With climate change, maybe there is no answer. Especially with humanity’s continued use of fossil fuels.
Which our culture and economy depend on.
Sincerely,
Peter H Wood
Whitianga
Get the Thesaurus Out and Find Some Good Words.
As Stan said in "Almost a Great Idea", the beauty, diversity, and charm of the Coromandel are world class. No need to fact check.. And promoting the Coromandel is in the interest of almost everyone living in this paradise. But, I think Stan was holding back a bit (maybe thinking of headlines for the next editions) (to which I'll contribute). I'd bet he was planting seeds that might get people thinking and working together. Seeds that might grow to some kind of unifying identity for the entire Coromandel. Peninsula and Hauraki Plains.
I do think there is a problem with the Coromandel's lack of identity. For the past few weeks I've been trying to reassure two different sets of friends who are coming to NZ that the Coromandel should be on their "A list" of things to do. They do want to come to the Coromandel, . . but they just do not see it as an experience. They want to visit Cathedral Cove and Hot Water Beach, etc, etc etc, . but I've had a hard time making them think about just slowing down and seeing the beauty along the way. They have researched the big items,. . but they seem a bit oblivious to the true essence and beauty of the Coromandel. Somehow, when you Google "Coromandel" you just don't get a good overall picture.
In this day and age, you need a clever play of words to spark the imagination of someone reading the Travel Section of the Kansas City Star, the Tokyo Times, or Le Monde. Then, there's the rags in Auckland, Wellington, Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. They all have travel sections in their Sunday editions. What is it they are seeing? Is anything from this part of NZ inspiring them to book a trip?
"Come to the Coromandel" does not inspire, unless you already know. Likewise. "Thames Coromandel Coastal Highway" doesn’t conjure any positive visual images. " Highway 25 is really cool" true, but uncool. My point, the Coromandel does not have a clever play of words for marketing purposes; at least none that I have heard.
You just can't say :"Visit the Coromandel". Or "Visit (enter location here)". No matter how beautiful or outstanding it may be. It will probably not inspire someone to look it up on Google.
In this day and age, you need "active" words - Adventure! Venture! Experience!
You need "visual" words - Circuit! Coastal! Crossing! or Great Walks! "Adrenalin", I'm told, is a great word to make the younger crowd click on your post. There is a whole circuit . including Thames, Coromandel, Whitianga, Tairua, Whangamata, Waihi, the Karangahaki Gorge, Paeroa, and points in between, not to mention Ngatea and Miranda. A whole experience! A week or more's worth of experiences. Taken one at a time it's hard to get traction; but working together, this could really take off. Again, the Coromandel needs a concept, identity, logo, etc. Something the Coromandel doesn't have quite yet.
Forrest Pommerenke, MD
Thames
Idiocy Exposed
It has been 35 years since cyclone Bola hit our shores and what has been done to Buffalo Beach by TCDC, Waikato Regional Council, Government? They have spent millions on consultants, planting grasses and placing sandbags in the belief nature will take care of itself. However, nothing has worked.
The only way to protect Buffalo Beach is by building a stop bank with a rock face, from the wharf to the end of Brophys Beach, made wide enough to have a cycle and walking track on top.
The corner of stormont Lane & Brophys Beach should be filled in, allowing for parking & a boat ramp for small boats. The ramp should be at a 45 degree angle to the sea, instead of where it is now, straight into the waves.
Maybe they should use the "slip material "instead of carting it all the way to the Waikato. This would solve both problems. If it's good enough to put a stopbank around Thames & rock wall the road from Thames to Coromandel, it should be a priority to protect the town of Mercury Bay once & for all.
The rest of the beaches that aren't so protected can be left, but will need sand pumped up the same as is done on the Gold Coast of Australia.Concerned resident.
Peter McGillan
Whitianga