Do you have some experience in accounting matters, particularly using Xero and would be willing to volunteer some time to help FMC?

We are looking to appoint a person who won't need to be involved in the day to day accounting administration but would look after our small payroll (via Xero) and be prepared to generally monitor and offer advice on how FMC and the FMC Mountain & Forest Trust manage their finances.

We think the work would take around 50 hours per year and we are happy to pay an honorarium.

If you night be interested and would like more details please e-mail phil.glasson@fmc.org.nz before 31 May.

“A victory for the outdoor community, for the rule of law on public land, and for the intrinsic values of Fiordland”. – FMC President Peter Wilson

After FMC’s complaint to the Ombudsman, their investigation has found that DOC’s decision to trial up to 70 landings a day on the Ngapunatoru Pass was “unreasonable”.

DOC have said they will implement the Ombudsman’s recommended changes as soon as reasonably practical.

Here is a link to a complete summary of FMC's actions in response to DOC's decision to increase the number of helicopter landings on the Ngapunatoru Plateau.

Read the full ombudsman report here

A detailed article on Stuff

And a great editorial in the ODT

Photo above: View of the Ngapunatoru Plateau from Mount Tutoko - by Danilo Hegg.

The FMC Executive for the year 2018/19 took office on 10th May 2018. Peter Wilson and Jan Finlayson are serving their third years as President and Vice-President respectively. Four members stepped down, and we thank them for their services to the outdoor community: Di Hooper, Nessa Lynch, Rob Mitchell and Meghan Walker. Nessa Lynch does however stay on on the Backcountry Trust, where her outstanding contribution is greatly appreciated.

At the same time, we are thrilled to announce four new members joining our Exec: Crystal Brindle, Tania Seward, Jamie Stewart and Sarah Tiong. A complete list of the 2018/19 FMC Executive is found here.

And please let's not forget that all FMC Executive members are volunteers!

We've also had a change- over in our staff, with Danilo Hegg taking over from Jamie Stewart as executive officer at the end of April 2018.

We are pleased to announce that Ski Touring will be the celebrated activity for the 2018/19 Outdoor Community campaign. The campaign began in 2015 to identify and enhance the diverse array of recreational pursuits that member clubs and individuals are passionate about.

We've got a number of initiatives to promote Ski Touring, which are all explained on the website, but in the mean time, we're appealing to all FMC clubs (which of course include NZAC sections) to organise introductory Ski Touring courses and club Ski Tours for this winter. If your club already runs activities like this, please get in touch with us, so that we can share the details of your activities through our FMC Facebook Page and our Wilderlife.nz blog.

We’re also very keen to hear trip reports and stories from FMC members, clubs, supporters and individuals for us to share and inspire others.

If you have any other ideas how FMC can support Ski Touring, then please send an email to Dan Clearwater, our Development Officer.

Photos: Above, and bottom left: Ski touring on the Fox Névé - by Daniel Clearwater. Bottom right: Sutherland Stream, Dobson Valley - by Tim Dennis.

Have you been setting aside those top shots each time you return from a great trip? We're looking forward to seeing them entered in the 2018 FMC Photo Competition.

If your club doesn’t have a photo competition, why not volunteer to set one up? Its a fun, social event that most clubs seem to really enjoy. Have a look at the article on “How to run a photocomp” on our Wilderlife.nz blog site. If you’d rather not volunteer and still want to enter some photos, all you need to do is get approval from your club committee. However, each club can only submit one set of entries; so before you send yours to FMC, its probably a good idea to ask your club mates if anyone else wants to enter.

You've got until 1st September (for individual supporters) and 15 September (for FMC Clubs) to get your entries in. All of the information on how to enter, entry forms and rules are available on our website; www.fmc.org.nz/photo-competition.

Photo above: Cosy mountain refuge, Mt Somers - by Kane Hartill. Overall winner, 2017 FMC photographic competition.