Camping ground vital part of great NZ holiday
Kiwis have every right to be concerned by the news that our holiday parks may be sold to an Australian company.
I built Aspiring Campervan Park in Wanaka (now Top Ten Wanaka), which opened in 2000. Even then the comments from Australian visitors was how much more affordable it was to travel in New Zealand. Checking prices then showed Australian holiday parks increased their prices by over 100% during popular holiday periods.
I recently talked to another campervan traveller from Australia and again he stated there was a massive difference between rates charged in Australia and New Zealand, to such an extent it was no longer affordable to travel around Australia.
New Zealand has for far too long sold off assets to overseas companies which deny the everyday Kiwi a chance to enjoy our own country and environs.
Another other factor which must be taken into account is the value of the New Zealand dollar. As our currency continues and will continue to decline; overseas companies can continue to tout what great value it is to visit here.
For far too long New Zealand has sold off some of its most valuable assets. There are many countries which do not allow the sale of real estate or businesses to overseas enterprises.
Money must not be allowed to contradict the original concept of the Scaife family.
Our education city
We are told that "international student enrolments were up by about 495 but domestic students were down by about 670" at the University of Otago: "Hundreds of jobs are expected to go" (ODT 21.4.23).
Surely a loss of approx 200 students does not warrant so many job losses. How many staff are lecturing or working on research, or are there too many backroom staff members?
Everyone knows that strict budgets are always necessary — especially when using other people’s money.
We know that the Prime Minister (when minister of education) made several changes to our education system. Charter schools were soon banished and just look what has happened to our most successful polytechnics in Dunedin and Invercargill — as well as throughout New Zealand.
Will the Government save our university and staff? What is happening to our Education City?
Park life
My name is Lewis Wilson, I am 5 and my dad is helping me write this letter.
We recently went to Blenheim and stopped in Christchurch on the way up and again on the way back. My most favourite thing from the trip was the Margaret Mahy Playground and especially the water-play section.
I think the Dunedin City Council has made a big mistake by not building a park like this in Dunedin. Every time we went to the park there were heaps of people there having a great time.
Why can’t we have a park like this in Dunedin?
Lighten the load with passenger rail service
Great Editorial (ODT, 19.4.23). Trains were the norm for many years before being decommissioned by previous governments and councils. Now, in the current eco-climate of now wanting to reduce road vehicles, there is an opportunity to make a change. Your editorial put a positive spin on this venture.
Third-world countries are well ahead of New Zealand in respect of passenger rail services.
Although they may be unregulated in allowing passengers to stand between the carriages or ride on roofs, at least they have the trains on which to travel.
Cities like San Francisco refurbished the old street cars and trams (tourist wow-factor) while others have introduced light rail (all inclusive wow-factor) to connect with existing, successful train services.
Here in New Zealand, the tracks are already in place on main trunk lines. I believe Christchurch is already working on building carriages etc for the existing lines: come on Dunedin.
Apart from the financial aspect for passenger trains, councils are concerned with Otago’s "challenging terrain".
Really? Passenger trains used to operate before so what’s different now?
And compared with the successful trains that still operate in the Swiss Alps, Otago’s "terrain issues" would appear as no more than gentle inclines. Slow, heavy freight trains manage the hills, and passenger trains are lighter.
New Zealanders have achieved so much, including rocket science, yet we are well behind with regards to public transport services.
It’s time to catch up with the rest of the world and for the Otago Regional Council to start spending our money on what is really needed for the people of Otago — a decent passenger train service.
Good luck King Charles, you will need it
Best wishes for the coronation of King Charles III, but I remain puzzled why Queen Elizabeth chose to inflict the name "Charles" on the future king.
Charles I was beheaded in 1649 by the aroused populace when he waged civil war against Parliament.
Charles II carried on much the same way, and accepted a secret subsidy of £160,000 a year in 1670 from the King of France, betraying his own subjects.
Better luck to the third Charles.
He will need it.
Solar peaks and troughs
Gerrard Eckhoff (Letters, 25.4.23) suggests using more rooftop solar, instead of building the Lake Onslow storage scheme.
Queensland has solar on 82% of households, but still has the highest emissions for electricity of any state in Australia. Note too that Brisbane gets nearly 3000 hours of sun a year, Alexandra just over 2000, and that their power use peaks in summer, for air conditioning, ours on winter evenings, for heating.
Onslow would supply power in winter, when hydro flows are lowest, and power up in spring, when high flows are otherwise unusable. Sunny suburbs also correlate with higher income: people who have less money are likely to live in shadier places, and as renters, not be able to install solar panels any way. Government incentives for photovoltaic installation tax the poor to benefit the well-off.
Gerrard Eckhoff’s positive support of collecting sun for electric power (Letters, 25.4.23) should have a solar panel on every roof. Why stop at solar panels when rainwater could be collected in special house tanks? Once filled, tanker transport to a treatment plant for glass bottling and export from clean, green Aotearoa.
Address Letters to the Editor to: Otago Daily Times, PO Box 517, 52-56 Lower Stuart St, Dunedin. Email: editor@odt.co.nz
