My Real Work

I've posted so many blogs about our great adventures and the sweet DOC outings that I thought I should let you know about the projects I am working on and what's interesting about them.

The project work is amazingly similar.  Clarify the scope of work, coordinate natural and cultural compliance, put together drawings, specs and a cost estimate, obtain any required approvals, advertise the project through a contracting method, award the project, oversee construction.

What is different is that as a project manager, I'm also the contracting officer!  There is a legal person who reviews the documents but I put together the entire contract documents, post them, receive proposals, etc.  This eliminates all stress and struggles between the project manager and the contracting officer, unless I want to argue with myself.

I have had to wade through new regulations and approval processes but it's not any more painful than dealing with Arizona Department of Environmental Quality...actually much more pleasant! 

Coordination with the native Moari is also a very interesting aspect of the project. 

Mostly it is the daily work of going through the process that is interesting and exciting.  The major steps and end result are the same but it's the way of getting there that gives me joy.  Another significant benefit of working here is the ease of getting to the sites (all a day drive out and back) and encouragement, support and resources to get to the sites (enough cars, no travel restrictions).

Driving to the sites to the south...it's a beautiful drive.  I do take it easy though, the roads are narrow and windy, I'm driving on the left hand side of the road and the work cars are all manual transmission and you have to shift with your left hand. 

Jackson Bay Carpark  - small gravel "carpark" for 7 cars and 2 RVs.  Way, way, way, way at the south end of the region.  The design was sketched by a landscape architect (by training) in the office.  This LA has another job now but does help with design projects as needed.  Contract rules allow direct negotiation with a contract for projects < $20k (about 16k US$).  We tried this approach first but the price came in too high, so now I am preparing contract documents for a restricted request for proposals.  I will send the contract documents to four preselected contractors.  The site is really remote and a challenge is finding a local good gravel source and a local place to dump the cleared trees and excavated material.  The gravel source may be a new "slip" (rock slide) off the edge of the highway near the site.  Another interesting issue with this project is the concern for penguins that may be impacted during construction.  I am including instructions to the contractor regarding inspection for penguin nests prior to construction and what to do if a penguin is encountered.  This project also requires approval from the native Moari tribe. The project will be presented to them at a "mahu tahi roopu" meeting to make sure the site does not impact any cultural significant sites from pre-European history.  I've already got clearance for the European era cultural resources.  It's a great little project which is allowing me to understand the entire process of preparing a scope of work, contracting, and constructoin. 

The trailhead for the Whare Kai Te Kau walk, where the new carpark being constructed.

Turn around and see this view!

The construction drawing  :)

Vehicle Wash Down Pads  - Two areas want to wash their vehicles and legally dispose of the wash water in an environmentally appropriate way.   One of the areas also needs to wash down equipment and vehicles that have herbicide residues on them.  The rules and regulations for vehicle wash down pads are just about the same as in the US.  This project does need approval from regional authorities so I've learned how to do that.  I'm fortunate that the district approval office is a block from my office and I can pop down there very easily to meet with the reviewers to discuss the project which does have some "issues".  It turns out one of the sites falls under a new regulation regarding potentially hazardous contamination of soils on site.  Same old stumbling blocks.  It's interesting to see the reviewer who has your project on their desk (the person that you really want to have sign off on the project) in line at the grocery store!  The other interesting aspect of this project was meeting with the "affected neighbor", a farmer, because a discharge pipe will be directed towards his land.  He was fine with the proposed project and mostly told me about an amazing search and rescue he was involved with up the valley in 1948.  The incident is famous and one of the people in the hiking group that had an emergency was Edmund Hillary.  He is so well known here.  His life and accomplishments are part of the school curriculum.  Oh yeah, this was designed by an a/e.  I have determined that I don't care to review a/e work no matter where I am in the world. 

Left - the "affected neighbor" Mr. Sullivan.    Right - the local DOC employee, Gary, explaining the new project to the neighbor.  Gary is wearing the typical work uniform.  Short shorts, all year round.  Sometimes work boots, sometimes gum boots.  

The Sullivan neighbor's cattle farm.  No cattle at the moment.  Both these men have a long, long history in this small town of Fox Glacier, population 330ish. 

Replace On-Site Septic Tank and Drainfield - I will do the design to replace a failing septic tank and drainfield.  It's a pretty straight forward design but I'm not used to working with soils that are really gravel deposits from a glacier!  Also the idea of placing the drainfield in the middle of the forest stretches my comfort zone.  No problem, just cut all these trees down...they grow back pretty fast.  The challenge for me here is just determining what local materials are used...i.e. septic tanks, infiltration chambers, pipe. 

Yeah - lets put a drainfield in this jungle.  Quiz - what is a better measure of the humidity?  The vegetation or my hair?

The little back hoe could practically climb trees.  We were getting test pits dug at the proposed drainfield site.

There it goes.....

We are going to put a drainfield here?  Really?  Really?

Tom did the work of categorizing this "soil" type.  

And at the end of the day...a nice drive home...

The positive side of rain...Rainbows!

And sometimes you just have to sit and pause for several minutes...

Just sat in the road, waiting for the herd to get to where then needed to go.

DOC, take me away! Another awesome work experience.

Up, up and away to visit two back country huts, Welcome Flats hut and Douglas Rock hut. 

Welcome Flats hut is a beautiful hut with a capacity for 30 people.  It is staffed by a DOC hut warden and is popular year round.  The trail it is on has been traveled on by capable mountain types since the 1890s because of the location on the way to a pass over the mountains which divide the east and west side of the south island.    The big attraction at this hut is nearby hot springs which are a really, really nice treat, especially after the 7 hour hike to get to the hut.  (That is if you have to walk there :))  This hut has an amazing history.  I don't know when the original hut was built but a new hut was built in 1987.  There was a visitors hut and a separate hut warden's hut.  Thirteen weeks after it was built, the hut warden woke up around 5 AM to a strange noise.  A land slide ruined the hut he was in.  Luckily he escaped through a window, went over to the visitors hut, got everyone out before the visitor hut was hit by the landslide.  The visitor hut ended up with 1.5 meters of debris in the bottom level.  Amazingly the hut was salvage, moved, and is now here and ready for us to enjoy.  When the hut was relocated, the orientation of the building at the new location was not the best and later modifications to meet fire code, contributed even more to a poorly lighted, poorly heated hut.  The new project is to improve natural lighting, heat flow, user space, sleeping arrangements and construct a new separate hut for the hut warden.  The toilets (FLUSH!) were upgraded a few years ago, so I was invited just to get another understanding of the assets that DOC maintains.  (Thank you DOC!) 

Another few hours on the trail leads to a second hut, Douglas Rock hut, which is an unserviced 8 person hut.  

Six of us were flown to Welcome Flat hut.  Three of us were flown the additional distance to Douglas Hut Rock to enjoy an afternoon hike to Welcome Flat Hut where we all spent the night and hiked out the following day.  The three who stayed at Welcome Flat Hut worked on ideas for the hut improvements which we all reviewed after dinner but before soaking in the hot pools. 

First helicopter ride.  This helicopter held four passengers.

I sat front and center, the pilot to the left of me, another person to the right.

We flew up into a valley that has steep moutains on both sides.

The color of the river is AMAZING!  Note the hiking shoes the person next to me is wearing.  These are really the right type of boots to have, with gaitors, wearing shorts.  Not what I was wearing...live and learn. 

There is Welcome Flat Hut, in the middle, the historic airstrip is on the right side of the photo. 

We are almost into the winter season here, the mountains are starting to get snow capped.

Now onto Douglas Rock Hut - this is an old photo I got from Tom but I included it because it's got a great view of the hut.  That must be Douglas Rock???

Douglas Rock is a not a "serviced hut" - no hut warden.  I guess this also means the helicopter pad can be the size of a postage stamp.  REALLY?  We are landing where?

Out quickly and the pilot is off.  The cost is expensive, charged by the minute and the schedule is PROMPT.

Douglas Rock Hut - sleeps 8 (cozily), newly repainted this year. 

My two co-workers I hiked with from Douglas Rock Hut to Welcome Flat Hut.  Chris is the acting Conservator (think Regional Director - yikes!  and Helen is an admin assistant that came in 2nd a couple of weeks ago  in some burly mountain girl type mountain running race - yikes again!

The DOC green and yellow sign...I'm getting used to green and yellow instead of brown and white.

Inside Douglas Rock Hut.  Helen is signing in the log book.  She's got a background in search and rescue and told me how useful sign in books are for search and rescue efforts.  I learn so much from everyone here.

Hard not to look up at the scenery instead of down where I need to put my foot next.  This section of trail was REALLY, REALLY slippery, uneven...not really technical...but not really a walk in the park either.

Chris brought trail markers to do some trail maintenance along the way.  Nice to see the Conservatory helping out at all levels of the organization.  I was a good guinea pig for determining where an additional trail marker was needed.  Seriously, I was a bit of a liability I think.  

Lots of swing bridges on this track.  Many were fairly new.  People used to have to go through the river, which can be dangerous.  This is a really, really dynamic valley, the trail has to shift around slides and water washouts regularly. 

I can't tell you how many times I said "I can't believe how blue the water is'"  It's a beautiful blue color. 

First day of hiking over with, I was grateful to get there with only some sore thighs

.  

The hut that was hit by a land slide 13 weeks after construction, filled with 1.5 meters of debris, cleaned up, relocated, repaired and ready for business.

 

After dinner discussions regarding reviewing alternatives for floor plan changes.  Really, the drawings were out on the table...along with the red wine.  From left to right...Chris - area staff person who is in charge of maintaining the trail, Chris - acting West Coast Conservator, Helen - Admin, Tony - Project Manager (aka "The Director"), Ron - private architect with a specialty in New Zealand hut designs.  I really enjoyed this meeting.

Morning coffee - we invaded the hut wardens apartment.

Lunch prep for our hike out.

A photo of the hot springs.  It's hard to capture in a photo how awesome it was to soak here under the stars.  (Not my photo - grabbed this off the internet)

Another view in the morning of the hot pools. 

Tony - Project Manager on the left, and Sally the hut warden on the right.  She is an avid "hot springer" who travels all over to visit hot springs.  She has spent a lot of time in Colorado and knew all the hot springs I've been to in Colorado.  She's worked at this location for DOC for many years and has logged 500 nights sleeping at this hut.

On the way out - it was a good day at work.

Tony and Chris discussing needed trail improvements.  My saving grace was frequent stops to discuss the trail condition.  That gave me a chance to catch up with everyone.  It's not so much that my walking pace is slow, it's just that they've all had years of experience on these type of rocky trails and NZ hikers are part mountain goat.

Another trail/bridge discussion (or opportunity for me to catch up)

The foliage is incredible.

Turquoise blue water

End of the trail - last hurdle was a river crossing.  I love my Keens and they are super comfy hiking shoe but these ones really are a light hiker and this was a trail that probably deserved an ankle high MOUNTAINEERING boot.  No, really just a good boot that keeps you a bit dryer. 

So that was an awesome two days enjoying and learning about DOC assets.  I was pleasantly reminded about the adventure for several days, pretty much every time I tried to move my legs. 

Hoki Happenings

After our big two week road trip we decided to hang out in Hokitika for a few weekends. It's great to learn a little more about this community and the people who live here.

Fact - There is always a fundraiser going on for some club or event.  ALWAYS.  Everyday at the grocery store there is a card table set up with a raffle or something to buy tickets for.  Groups we've had the opportunity to support include: Girl Guides, Boy Scouts, Ukalale club, the Catholic School, the elementary school, the high school, Lions club, whatever.  A popular raffle prize is a load of wood for heating houses.

We decided to go to a fund raising event for the High School trip to Vietnam.  The main attraction of the evening included tasting liquor from a local shop that sells specialty schnapps.  $15 got you in, 1 free drink, free samples, yummy snacks, many desserts made with the schnapps liquors, quizzes (very popular here) for prizes, entertainment from the "the Red Moki from Hoki" (a neighbor and co-worker Don, who has an alter personality), contest for the best red outfit and many other door prizes. 

Lea and friends

Lea won 2nd place for her red outfit

Greg joined us for this one - see the necklace on Lea - I searched for red items in the grocery store

I had to beg Greg to put the wig on - he'll do almost anything for Lea

The Red Moki from Hoki with his better half - Sue, the event organizer

Fact - If you live here you own a pair of gumboots. 

Standard footwear for family of four!

 Fact - If you live here you hide your spare key in a gumboot outside your back door.  The secret is which gumboot. 

Is is a boot or is it a hide-a-key location.  Everyone knows the house key is in the boot...question is, which boot.

Fact - A sunset, sunrise, moon rise or moon set will always be awe inspiring.  Did you see the extra large full moon rise on Sunday, May 6th (NZ calendar).

Moon rising

Mezmerizing moon show

Fact - the oceans has moods. One of us takes at least a quick view of the waves each day.  Some days they are huge and scary others, calm and quite inviting.  Until you actually touch the water and think - that there is cold water!

We get to see the sea on a regular basis

Fact - We are in the midst of .Marmageddon

Marmite is a spread that New Zealanders put on bread or toast.  It is made in a plant in Christchurch that was damaged in the big earthquake last year.  The plant has to be relocated and therefore has stopped manufacturing the product.  Uh Oh, this is a problem because it's a staple in most people's diet.  So, what's a New Zealander to do?  Eat Vegemite, the Australian cousin of Marmite?  Apparently not! 

The shelf at the local grocery store

Vegemite on sale just below the out of stock Marmite sign.  Sales on Vegemite are just o.k by the looks of it.

I'm thinking this nearly untouched jar in our house may be worth something!  

Fact - Tea is very important

I recently helped with a community service project on a Saturday morning.  Supplies included rakes, weed cutter, and in the wheel barrel above, an extra fuel tank, hot tea in thermoses and biscuits.  All work was stopped for a morning tea break.

 Fact - Coffee may be even more important
 There are terrific coffee shops everywhere.  Cappuccino, Mochachino, Flat Black, Flat White, Espresso?  What's your favorite?  The baristas here know how to make the milk froth like you would not believe.  There is also a skill in pouring the foam to make a drawing in the foam.  Goodbye Starbucks, hello Hokitika Cheese and Deli, The Clock Tower Cafe, Cafe de Paris, plus others I haven't even tried;. There must be 12 or more places to get a good cappuccino in Hokitika alone. 

Cappachino - pure heaven with a sprinkle of chocolate, no sugar.