Coromandel Forest Park
| Coromandel Forest Park | |
|---|---|
 Coromandel Forest Park, west towards Firth of Thames | |
  Coromandel Forest Park | |
| Location | Waikato Region, New Zealand |
| Nearest city | Tauranga |
| Coordinates | 37°01′32″S 175°39′51″E / 37.0254308°S 175.6640365°E |
| Area | 71,899 hectares (177,670 acres) |
| Established | 1971 |
| Governing body | Department of Conservation |
Coromandel Forest Park is a protected area and conservation park administered by the Department of Conservation, covering 71,899 hectares of the Coromandel Peninsula, in the Thames Coromandel District of the Waikato Region.[1]
It consists of hills and valleys covered in dense native bush.[2] One of the valleys, Kauaeranga Valley, also includes several swimming holes.[3]
The park borders the holiday resort town of Whangamatā.[4]
History
[edit]Early history
[edit]The forest park began as the Crosbies Settlement, an isolated group of five lots farmed by European settlers Thomas and Agnes Crosbie. The lots were only accessible by foot, horseback or horse-drawn sledge. The lots were sold to another family in 1917, who had abandoned by the land by 1926. Other attempts to farm the land were unsuccessful, and bush had reclaimed the cleared land by the 1960s.[5]
In 1970 and 1971, the lots were incorporated into the newly established Coromandel Forest Park.[1] A remaining woolshed was used as a trampers' hut until it blew down in the late 1980s.[5]
Modern history
[edit]The Department of Conservation built new huts in the park in 2010.[5]
A canyoner was airlifted out of the park in October 2019 following a fall.[6]
In January 2021, the Department of Conservation expressed concerns about the scale of illegal dumping of rubbish in the Coromandel Forest Park, including in waterways.[7]
Drone photography taken in June 2021 indicated possums were causing "top down" collapse in the Papakai block of the forest, while pest control was protecting native rātā trees in other parts of the park.[8][9]
Mining
[edit]Wharekirauponga Forest, in the southern part of the park, was initially rejected as a gold-mining site in the 1980s, but further exploration drilling from 2005 onwards suggested it could be viable as a gold-mining site.[10]
OceanaGold purchased mining interest in 2016.[10] It found gold and silver in the area in February 2019,[11] and formally applied for a mining permit in May 2019.[12]
An anti-mining group, Coromandel Watchdog, claims the area should be protected from gold mining because the bush has high ecological value, priority ecosystems, threatened species and the headwater of a major catchment.[10] It claims mining would also destroy an important habitat of the endangered Archey's Frog.[13] Former MP Catherine Delahunty has been involved in protests against mining Coromandel Forest Park.[14]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Nathan, Simon. "Conservation – a history - A background issue, 1908–1965". Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
- ^ Hughes, Eleanor (19 July 2021). "Exploring Coromandel Peninsula's remote coastal walkway". stuff.co.nz. Stuff Travel.
- ^ Thornber, Lorna (15 December 2020). "Six of New Zealand's best hidden swimming holes". stuff.co.nz. Stuff Travel.
- ^ "New Zealand's Best Beach: The finalists revealed in our quest for the perfect beach". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. Herald on Sunday. 17 January 2021.
- ^ a b c Hughes, Eleanor (3 November 2020). "Finding serenity in the Coromandel Range". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. New Zealand Herald.
- ^ Molyneux, Vita (27 October 2019). "Canonyer airlifted out of Coromandel Forest Park after falling 10 metres". MediaWorks New Zealand. Newshub.
- ^ Preston, Nikki (30 January 2021). "Dumping in paradise: The efforts people go to avoid tip fees". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. New Zealand Herald.
- ^ "Spot the difference - photos of Coromandel forest reveal impact of possums and pest control". stuff.co.nz. Waikato Times. 9 June 2021.
- ^ "Possums in Coromandel Forest destroy native trees and wildlife". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. Waikato News. 15 June 2021.
- ^ a b c Hope, Sharnae (9 December 2020). "Tunnel plan under conservation land raises ire of anti-mining group". stuff.co.nz. Waikato Times.
- ^ Piddock, Gerald (27 February 2019). "Gold and silver found on conservation land in Coromandel". stuff.co.nz. Waikato Times.
- ^ Piddock, Gerald (13 May 2019). "OceanaGold applies for mining permit in the Coromandel Forest Park". stuff.co.nz. Waikato Times.
- ^ Smith, Allison (11 May 2019). "OceanaGold applies to mine under conservation land on Coromandel Peninsula". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. Bay of Plenty Times.
- ^ Smith, Allison (14 September 2018). "Coromandel group protest against mining on DoC land block road". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. Bay of Plenty Times.