I want to come visit but it’s not that easy
I was astounded to read Andrew Simms’ recent comments in an ODT interview (16.12.24) of claims about the cost of Taeiri Gorge Railway.
Now that the railway has reopened through to Pukerangi, we have booked a new cruise which will call into Dunedin soon (neighbours have already been on one which they thoroughly enjoyed).
This will now be an annual return cruise which we are bringing friends, now we can book on your only significant tourist attraction.
After the rail trip, no doubt we will come back to the city for food and drink plus allowing time for our wives to go shopping.
We also planned with New Zealand friends to bike the Otago Central Rail Trail: we were very surprised not to find any direct flights from Australia to Dunedin now, therefore making the viability of our trip questionable.
We are forced to hire a return rental car from Christchurch.
The only other way to get to Dunedin is on expensive cramped commuter aircraft and all the other inconveniences.
Perhaps Mr Simms and others of his ilk would be better spending their time working on restoring and improving crucial services. The keyword is "connectivity".
I want veges
The Dunedin City Council has recently purchased land on Allans Beach Rd, and I would like to make a suggestion for its future use.
I recently visited Europe and was excited by seeing many instances of allotments. These are gardening spaces that are rented and carefully maintained to produce vegetables for personal use. They were highly sort after. I can never grow vegetables in the beautiful but shady Dunedin gardens I always seem to find myself living at. I believe this would serve a very good use of the area, whilst helping the community and maintaining the land sustainably.
It would continue the proud pastoral tradition of that historic piece of land, where sharing of produce happened frequently last century and the one before. But really, I would just like to grow some yummy vegetables, and others might too.
Flocking wonderful
I want to congratulate Stephen Jaquiery for another superb photo. The one of the flock of spoonbills (ODT, 28.12.24) is an absolute winner.
Reasonable question and easy answer
Bruce Eliott’s reasonable letter (Letters ODT 6.1.25) asks how Māori could possibly have understood what they were signing in 1840?
There is abundant material available that explains how the understanding was achieved: the missionaries, friends of Māori, not the evil agents of the Crown as portrayed by history rewriters of the last 30 years.
The missionaries spent weeks and months explaining to Māori chiefs as they travelled around New Zealand with the document.
It should be remembered that Māori chiefs petitioned the Crown to bring law and order to save Māori from themselves.
Then 512 Māori chiefs signed the document, understanding completely that they were cedeing sovereignty to achieve a future without killing, slavery and the continual revenge killings (utu).
[Abridged: editor.]
Address Letters to the Editor to: Otago Daily Times, PO Box 517, 52-56 Lower Stuart St, Dunedin. Email: editor@odt.co.nz
