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There is a perpetual balance between use and impact throughout
the industry. Not far from Oamaru, a $200m cement plant is being
proposed by Holcim New Zealand, which some locals fear will undo
years of work to bolster the town’s image for wildlife and
unspoiled environments.
Similar factors are at work on Stewart Island, where 85 per cent
of the land is protected in Rakiura National Park but operators
were told this year by the Tourism Industry Association that the
number of visitors would have to increase by two thirds, to
100,000 a year, to provide an economic base for the island’s
community.
The Department of Conservation’s national concessions and
tourism manager Andy Thompson has warned that New Zealand faces
some tough choices – including the prospect of caps on visitor
numbers – as it tries to strike the right balance between
protecting the environment and enabling eco-tourists to access,
understand and enjoy it.
Two years ago, National Geographic Society vice president Keith
Bellows was advising New Zealand’s ecotourism industry to be
selfish to protect what it has, adding: “New Zealand is the
perfect place for people to come to and overwhelm.”
And even in the seemingly idyllic environment of the Rough and
Tumble Bush Lodge, the risks remain. Just as Cook and Boatwright
were putting the finishing touches on their lodge, news came
through that Meridian Energy was assessing the gorge directly
above them for a 70 megawatt hydro-electric dam.
On one side of the ledger, there was an eco-lodge run by
committed and educated conservationists who aim to inspire a new
generation of informed eco-tourists. On the other, a clean and
green carbon-neutral source of energy to power 27,000 homes.
In a way, it’s axiomatic of New Zealand ecotourism’s bid to
strike a balance, to ensure that the appeal that brings people
from halfway around the world is able to be sustained for the
generations to follow.
The Rough and Tumble Bush Lodge has safe swimming in the
Mokihinui River
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