Projects

Muriwai update

February 2010  

Muriwai Surf School

Muriwai Surf School has operated from the garage behind Sand Dunz café at Muriwai for the last seven years. Surf school owners, Martin and Bridget Wallis, have had a sub-licence with the café owners to operate on the café site.

The surf school's licence to use the garage was due to expire at the end of March .  The expiry is something that the Muriwai Surf School have long been aware of.  Sand Dunz has generously extended the surf school's sub-licence in the past and has indicated that they are willing to do so again to ensure it can continue to operate for the remaining few weeks of summer.

The ARC and Muriwai Surf School have been working together for some time to look for options to allow the surf school to continue operating on the park.

The ARC values the service the surf school provides and acknowledges the benefits it offers the park and those who use it.  The council is supportive in principle of the Muriwai Surf School business continuing on the park and has suggested several options including a mobile unit or co-locating with the surf club (if the surf club is in agreement).

Martin has asked to shift the surf school to the campground.  The ARC has made it clear that the purpose of the campground is for camping only.  The Muriwai community has also made it clear over the years, via feedback to the concept plan and management plan as well as through informal feedback, that the campground should not be reduced in size or used for other activities.  In addition, the high level of use of the access way to the northern car park is not compatible with the foot and vehicle traffic associated with the surf school.

The ARC continues to balance the use of Muriwai parkland for multiple purposes, for both local people and regional visitors.  The council is very concerned about protecting the naturalness of the park as a wild and beautiful place and not cluttering it with structures. Through the Regional Park Management Plan and the Muriwai Design Guidelines processes the community has affirmed this.

What next?

No formal licence application for a new site has been received from the surf school by the ARC.  The ARC is looking forward to receiving an application that would enable Muriwai Surf School and hire business to remain available to locals and visitors to Muriwai Regional Park.

Down on the park

Southern car park reconfiguration update

The reconfiguration of the foreshore area in front of the southern car park has been a great success to date.  The planting of spinifex and flax by Muriwai Surf Club members and friends last year has yielded great results with these plants now being well established and now providing a degree of stabilisation to this area.

The prevailing winds have now presented us with another matter-a car park full of sand! In excess of 20m² of sand has already been removed. But the problem remains.  We are hoping that careful placement of a number of logs will help stop the movement of sand. An alternative, which may be considered at a later date, is to put in some appropriate fencing to catch the flying sand.

Replacement platform for gannet viewing

As part of the park's capital works program for this year, the southern gannet viewing platform will be upgraded with a new structure. The platform will sit within a similar footprint and be of similar size to the existing structure, which currently caters for 20 people.  Works have been scheduled between May and June to limit disturbance to gannets.  Pop into the ranger station to see concept drawings of the new platform. 

Dune restoration work continues-come along and help!

The Muriwai dune restoration project is well underway and volunteer help is needed.  This year, the planting site is approximately 500m north of the surf tower and continues on from the area planted last year.

Spraying of ice plant and other noxious weeds has already been carried out and any areas where treatment was not complete will be redone in the next two weeks.

Any necessary dune reshaping work will be carried out just prior to our first planting day in June. This helps prevent the exposed sand from being blown away. Planting of the 15,000 spinifex plants will continue through to the end of August. A community planting day is being planned and that date will be posted in the next newsletter.  Your help with that day will be much appreciated.

Maukatia retaining wall replacement

The old timber crib wall (as you drive into the Maukatia car park on the left hand side) will be replaced this year.  Initial designs for a replacement rock wall have been produced and we are currently finalising details.  Work is planned for after Easter-at the end of our summer season and after the gannets have flown away.

Waka on the move (briefly)

The waka discovered in the banks of the Okiritoto Stream is now in a more permanent location-on the other side of the ranger depot! A more durable lining was added to the 7m long tank where the waka will rest for up to two years in a waxy liquid solution.  This photo shows rangers carefully moving the delicate waka so that it can be well looked after while going through an important conservation process.

If you would like to see this historic treasure, drop into the ranger depot during working hours and speak to one of the team.