Robert Butson
The owners of Mt Nicholas Station might not be too keen
on having thousands of cyclists riding through their piece of
paradise, but if a national cycleway goes ahead they believe
they might as well benefit from it.
"I'm not into tourism.
"I like having no people around," Robert Butson says.
"We are very protective of our lifestyle, but, I figure, if
they are going to come through anyway, we may as well clip
their ticket."
Prime Minister John Key launched the national cycleway at a
national job summit earlier this year.
He initially proposed a cycleway running the length of the
country following State Highway 1, but has pushed ahead with
a plan to concentrate on selected shorter routes, passing
through smaller towns.
One of those routes is the 175km Southland-Queenstown Lakes
Around the Mountain trail.
Participants would depart from Queenstown on the TSS
Earnslaw, sailing across Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak
Station, before riding on the public road through Mt Nicholas
Station and around to Kingston.
Mr Butson's daughter, Kate Cocks, who manages the station
with husband Jack, said the family had had some contact over
the plans but it was as much a waiting game for them as for
anybody else to see whether it would go ahead.
Already, about 1000 cyclists passed through their property
each year.
Most crossed over from Queenstown on Earnslaw before
riding through Mt Nicholas Station on their way to the Mavora
Lakes and Southland.
Mrs Cocks said it would be a good thing if the cycleway meant
there was more infrastructure provided, as there would be
less chance of visitors fouling the land or leaving rubbish
behind.
The cycleway could also help the family develop the tourism
side of the station - although it is not something the family
has consciously decided to get into.
The only limits would be during lambing and during a
restricted fire season, she said, and the family would need
to be kept informed of where cyclists were.
Mrs Cocks said some visitors had left gates open on the road
in the past, so the family installed cattle stops to keep
stock from wandering.
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