FMC has recently published its new Strategic Plan 2018 – 20 document, and updated its Policies document.

Electronic versions of both documents can be found in our Archives using the links above.

Hard copies will be mailed out to member clubs early in 2019.

Two resource consent applications have been filed with the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC), for the development of a heliport in the lower Rees Valley (RM181262) and of a luxury lodge (or rather, a small tourist village consisting of 11 buildings) on pastoral lease land higher up the valley, right opposite Kea Basin (RM180678). FMC is asking for both applications to be publicly notified, and has written to QLDC formally requesting for this to happen.

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The Department of Conservation has extended the deadline for submissions on Aoraki / Mount Cook and Westland / Tai Poutini National Park Management Plans to February 4th, 2019.

We encourage all of our members to read both parks' draft management plans and submit on any issues of interest.

Also closing on the same date is the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment's consultation on a draft Tourist Strategy.

The swingbridge over the Lambert River, replaced in 2013, has been damaged by floods and river bed erosion - again. It is unsafe to use and will be removed shortly.

The swingbridge is critical for access to the Lambert Tops and the Garden of Allah from the Wanganui River. Here's hoping it will be repaired or replaced swiftly. In the meantime, we advise fellow trampers to seek alternative routes to access the ice plateaus in the Adams Wilderness.

Our friends at the Walking Access Commission have created a new, searchable database of tracks and trails called Find My Adventure. It contains more than 200 tracks for walkers, mountain bikers, and cyclists, and over the coming months many hundreds more will be added right across the country.

You can search Find My Adventure by region, by the type of activity you want to do – be it dog walking, mountain biking or pushing a pram. Each track includes information about what it is like, how to get there and any conditions you might need to beware of.

The Commission has also updated the rest of its website. It has popular and highly regarded maps to help you find legal public access, hunting and fishing spots and property information. It has a knowledge base of information about accessing the outdoors responsibly - including roads and walkways, rivers and lakes, and private land. And it has resources to help teachers and students enjoy the outdoors. 

walkingaccess.govt.nz

Ten years ago the New Zealand Walking Access Commission was established, tasked to lead and support the negotiation, establishment, maintenance and improvement of free, certain, enduring, and practical walking access to the outdoors.

The Walking Access Act 2008, which established the Commission, is about to begin its statutory review.

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Congratulations to all the winners of the 2018 FMC photo competition! The winning images were published in the November issue of Backcountry. We have also created a slide show of the winners, and of all the entries in each category. You can find instruction for how to download and view them through the public folder of our FMC Google Drive.

With the peak summer season upon us, its the perfect time to be out and about taking photos for the 2019 competition. When you're reviewing your photos after each trip, a helpful tip is to put a copy of the one or two outstanding shots into a separate folder on your computer. That way, when its time to enter, you've got your own shortlist for the year, ready to go!

For 2019, we are trialing a new category for highly technical long exposure images. The trial is intended to encourage more entries in the normal categories, by separating the highly technical long exposure photos into their own category. We hope to get more participation from entrants who are not put off by the thought of having to compete with such photos. This category will be trialed for 2019 and feedback is welcome; photocomp@fmc.org.nz

Also new is the introduction of an 'annual theme', which for 2019 will be Forgotten Lands. The annual theme is intended to encourage photography that documents topical places which we are fighting for, current campaigns we're battling and values under immediate threat. Any such photo would be entered in its relevant category as normal, but on the entry form you'd tick a box to say that it was a theme shot, since it was taken in one of those Forgotten Lands. There will be an additional prize for the best theme photo, and we'll used a selection images for a Wilderlife photo essay, and for future updates on the campaign.

The FMC office will be closed, and all of our staff will be on leave, from Saturday 22 December 2018 to Sunday 13 January 2019.

E-mails will be answered and membership matters will be dealt with when we reopen in January.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!