Warmest wishes to all this holiday season

It’s the time of year when we look forward to Christmas and spending time with family and friends. Now that it’s summer, many of us will also be planning holidays and outdoor excursions to take advantage of the good weather.

We are lucky in New Zealand to have such diverse and spectacular scenery, and so many great outdoors experiences to choose from. For those of you who haven’t already planned an outing during the holiday season, I’d encourage you to do so. Our Walking Access Mapping System is a handy tool for trip planning and accessing the outdoors, whether it’s for a picnic on the beach, a canoeing or cycling trip, or a stroll along one of the thousands of trails we have around the country.

Whatever your preference, I also encourage you to take a look at our New Zealand Outdoor Access Code, which provides some handy advice about accessing the outdoors responsibly.  It’s a busy time and it is easy to forget the impact on rural New Zealand that can result from the influx of visitors over the summer.

The Commission will shut down at the end of the day on 24 December, and be open for business again on 5 January. In the meantime, I’d like to wish you all a wonderful Christmas and a good, relaxing break.

Happy holidays,

Mark Neeson, chief executive

Kiwis urged to follow the Kiwi way this summer

New Zealanders are being urged to ‘follow the Kiwi way’ when exploring the great outdoors with friends and family this summer.

Six projects across NZ awarded walking access funding

Six projects across New Zealand have been awarded a total of $21,660 from the New Zealand Walking Access Commission’s Enhanced Access Fund, which supports projects designed to enhance access to the outdoors.

First Walking Access Awards presented

Five outstanding New Zealanders organisations were presented with Walking Access Awards recently for their significant contributions to improving public access to the outdoors.

Top Outdoor Spot competition back in 2016

It’s time for Kiwi students to think about the photos, drawings and descriptions of their favourite outdoor places they’d like to enter into the 2016 Top Outdoor Spot competition.

Farewell to Mark and Maggie

In this column, New Zealand Walking Access Commission chairman John Forbes shares his views on the future and the immense contributions of chief executive Mark Neeson and former board member Maggie Bayfield.

Barbara Stuart returns to NZWAC Board

Nelson farmer and outdoor-access supporter Barbara Stuart has been appointed to the Board of the New Zealand Walking Access Commission.

Annual Report released

NZWAC Annual Report released the New Zealand Walking Access Commission’s Annual Report 2014-2015 is now available online. This report documents the Commission’s performance for the year.

News from the field

‘News from the field’ provides a roundup of public access topics being worked on by the New Zealand Walking Access Commission’s regional field advisors. This month, we hear from John Gardiner (Northland) and Ange van der Laan (Southland and Queenstown Lakes District).