I Really Am Here to Work

First –  Franz Josef and Fox Glacier shared-use tracks

Final inspection of punch list items on the Franz Josef and Fox Glacier shared-use tracks. These tracks (trails) provide separate access for walkers and cyclists to the glaciers. The project includes the first DOC constructed bike trail in a National Park.  This project won the ‘Best Cycle Facility Project’ award at the Cycle Advocates Network Cycle Friendly Awards 2012.  This was a great pat on the back for DOC’s West Coast Conservancy (the “region” I work in) and Tom, the project manager for this project.  I was happy to be a test rider for a few aspects of the track…how negotiable are the barricades at the ends of the track…do the boulders strategically placed along the track for speed control work well? Do they stick out too much in the track? Etc…I’m from the region and I’m here to help!  




I’m not always sure of exactly where I am – taking photos of the signs helps.  The names in the native Maori language are an added challenge for me.  I just know I like being here, I don’t care too much about exactly where I am! 

Borrowed bike, borrowed helmet, my clothes….thanks everyone for the donations.

The track is not far off the edge of the road but once you are on the track you would hardly know the cars are there because the bush is sooooooo thick. 

Asset number of the sign…asset management, asset management, asset management.  One of the similarities between NPS and DOC. 

 

Second – Fox Maintenance Area Washdown Pads

This was a site visit to see the site of the next project I’ll be working on.  The scope is to add vehicle wash down pads in a maintenance yard at Fox Glacier.  The pads and disposal system have been designed by a consulting firm and the firm has also obtained the required regional approval.  It’s my job to pull the tender (contract) documents together for a construction contract.   Having just reviewed the final documents prepared by a consulting firm…I can definitively say that consulting firms’ quality control process has room to improve, whether doing work for DOC or NPS….grumble, grumble..grumble….

Maintenance yards – another similarity between NPS and DOC.

Third – Franz Josef Toilets

I hope you aren’t about to eat anything…field inspection of the on-site disposal system for the flush toilet buildings at Franz Josef Glaciers.   The guys in the field had called Tom to tell him that the septic tanks had “burped”.  The toilet building has 4 toilets, 2 toilets go to one 5000 liter septic tank, two go to another, and then the discharge from both go to two 50 meter long trenches with perforated pipe and gravel.  Apparently “burping” meant the downstream lid of one of the septic tanks, popped off and wastewater spilled out. 

Tom did some digging at the upstream side of the disposal field and the determination was made that the field has failed.  Emergency redesign was promised!  I hope to design the new system for them.  Luckily they have been taking monthly water meter readings at this very busy site for several years, so peak design flow won’t be hard to figure out.

I sure hope our public health officers Joe and Adam would have caught this one before it got so bad. 

Two 5,000 liter septic tanks.  I’m seeing more plastic tanks than concrete because of transport costs. 

Something ain’t right in this septic tank….so really, how did I get into this line of work?  I don’t think I’ll discuss this photo with prospective civil engineering students. 

And last but not least -  Cedar Flats Hut

The office management here is supportive of me seeing as many of their facilities as I can.  The office is centrally located to the area they serve and field visits are much easier and frequent than at IMR.   Site visits are predominantly one day road trips. 

This conservancy (region) maintains 142 huts that do not have road access.  Much of this extensive hut network was originally established as a result of deer culling (hunting?) and pest control operations.  The huts are a legacy and tradition in this country.  Some are small two person huts and not heavily used, others are very popular, hold up to 28 people, are on multiday hiking trails and require reservations.  The builders and carpenters needed to go to this hut to finish a renovation/extension.  The work required helicopter transport of the workers and materials and there was an extra spot on the helicopter for me!  I went on the first flight with the builders and a building inspector.  Then the helicopter did three more material flights, new material in, demolished material out, and I returned on the last flight.  The builders were staying up there for nearly a week to get the job done.  They brought all their supplies for work, sleep and nutrition.  

DOC hires helicopter companies for transport services.  This is one of the bigger helicopters used.  Pilot + 6 passengers plus gear.



Each worker brought personal gear and essentials - a supply of beer for each!



The landing spot near the hut - amazing to land in such a small area.

Debris being hauled out

The historic hut - a two bunker.

My first thought was --- orange??? But I realized orange is very visible.

The newer hut - now with an addition.  Sleeps 6 or 8. The plan for the guys working there was to stay until it was finished.  They would radio when they were ready to be picked up.  They thought it would be 6 days of work for four of them.

 

Swing bridge very close to the hut - access to a hot pool, a special attraction for this hut.

This one was really skinny, and really swingy...thus the name swing bridge as I was told!  The wind was blowing and I was swinging!

One at a time....I wonder what the weight limit is.....

Rain water collection tank to be used as the water supply for a sink in the hut.

The stand for the water tank...will flow by gravity to the sink.



This is the sign at most water services....the general consensus is that the risk of giardia is very low in the high mountains...I won't drink the water without boiling because it's too ingrained in me....I could go on about this topic because it really is interesting to me, but I won't here.



Disposal drainage pit for sink grey water.



Pit toilet....not stinky but hardly any loading!



The entire set of construction documents were drawn by hand...CADD is not universally used although plenty of plans I've seen here have been drawn in CADD.  The plans have been approved by a building authority and the building construction gets inspected by building inspectors.



More lumber coming in.



On the way out...there they are down there!



We were not too far from Hokitika, there's Lake Kaniere and the ocean!



My minor contribution was driving a truck loaded with the debris that was flown out, back to the office where someone else would take care of getting the load to the dump.  We had to wait about 20 minutes for this herd of cows to get from one field to another...see the long line of cows???  No worries, mate, it was a lovely day and I had lots to review in my mind.  Also had time to thank my lucky stars for this opportunity!

That's all for now....

Wild Foods, Wild Fun

The Wild Foods Festival 2012 - Hokitika

The big event was last weekend...it was all it was built up to be.  

This event is a huge undertaking for the town. The population swells from 4,000 ish to + 15,000 ish.  Many clubs and organizations participate for fundraising...i.e. the Catholic school let people camp on their property and made money that way.  The golf club ran the beer tent, etc.

After work on Friday, we enjoyed a local outdoor market with arts and crafts, jewelry and the usual.  We tried to get fish and chips at the local take away but the line was TOOOOO long with all the people in town for the festival.  We caught a beautiful sunset at the beach and noticed it was a full moon.  With nice weather in the forcast for the next day, all was in place for an eventful festival.  We enjoyed a very calm Friday evening at the festival listening to a kiwi bluegrass band and the Divine Drag Divas, which as the name implies are guys in drag doing their thing and being entirely jaw dropping entertaining.  Notes to self:  when kiwis sing bluegrass I can actually understand the words better than when they are telling me a story; Divine Drag Divas get a crowd going much more than a bluegrass band; it takes a lot more to embarass a kiwi than it does most Americans that I know...not including Ray Goure. 

Sunset Friday Night

  
 



Full moon, seagulls, mountains, the ocean is behind me

Kiwi Ukulele Band - Lea took a ukulele lesson from a lady in this band the week before last..group lesson $5

Saturday, Tom and family decided going to the festival with us and showing us what it was all about would be fun, so we walked from home to the festival square on Saturday mid morning.  There were about 75 stalls mostly serving food, but a support stalls like a water station, festival shirt spot, info, cash etc.  At the recommendation of a co-worker I decided it would be fun to put all the stall numbers in a bag and make us each pick a number.  The number you got would be the booth you had to eat something from.  The odds were in your favor for something yummy like a waffle, crepe, fudge or local specialties like whitebait patties, but there were also higher than desirable odds for picking a stall number serving sheep brains, huhu grubs, cows colostrum, horse "protein" (semen), crocodile, crickets or testicles of some sort. Get the idea?.  It took a little to talk Greg into playing the game, as he is reluctant to play most games, but in the end family peer pressue took over and he picked a number.  Most of us were lucky.  Tim, Tom's 7 year old son picked snails but Dad saved him and ate the snail for him. 

Although the food is what the festival was about in my mind, the costumes really made it.  The majority of people were dressed up in FANTASTIC costumes.  All ages, anything goes. 

Beverages were freely available, the usual beer but lots of nice specialty drinks, ruhbarb wine, moonshie, kaluha and fresh cow's milk - yummy, local wines and other concoctions. 

The pictures really tell the story.......


I'm in! That's my festival ticket.

THE COSTUMES



People of all ages dressed up



Three Indian Princesses - Lea on the right, the girl on the left MADE these costumes - she did a great job



Zombie

Where's Waldo?

What a Big....

Sailor girls

 

Lea took several fish eye lens photos

Facebook - with pen to write on wall, so creative

NZ Penguins

Some costumes were just so nice and pretty

Small print --- beauty is in the eye of the BEERholder

Tennis foursome - Graff, Agassi, Macenroe, and I forget...

Gretchen, Maisie's friend- advertisement for their friend's stall -
Crouching Grasshopper

Gretchen's brother

Life Guards-I saw a bystander lay down claiming he needed to be saved. 

TETRIS!!! 

Smurfs!

THE FOOD



Lucky me - The number I picked was for a Whitebait patty, a local fish specialty

Lea picked Crocodile or Kangaroo Bites

Bravely facing her crocodile bite!

A local family imports crickets for this event, last year they made $7000.  They have done their market research, this stall was especially busy all day long. Other days the guy works at DOC.

Crickets Satay - I was given a free one of these - crunchy

Greg ate a chocolate covered cricket, again free, it was the polite thing to do!  As a guest, always eat what is served to you.  Later that evening, Greg declares crickets make him fart. 

Platter of huhu grubs

Willing customers for huhu grubs

Squirting the product adds to the enjoyment of the consumption.

 Shots of cow's colostrum.

Work goes into the art of the stall

Shots of Moonshine

At the end of the day a few people had just enjoyed themselves a little too much.  This guy wanted to get back in so badly but they wouldn't let him.  Apparently this went on for quite a while and was entertainment in itself. 

At the end of the night, it was a very, very memorable day!