Have you seen this?! Reward offered

This advertisment has been posted in the last four issues of the North Shore Times, January 2006. A reward of $20 (to be sent by cheque) is offered to the first person to send a clipping of this to the author in Japan, at the following address: The Research Cooperative, c/o Terado-cho, Hattanda 13-1-402, Hattanda, Kyoto 617-0002, Japan.

Why? So that we can learn how to promote this website more effectively in North Shore City.

If you are not interested in the $20, never mind, please comment below on the Long Bay - Okura Great Park proposal.

Personal and professional opinions, relevant information, previous submissions to the city council, alerts to newspaper articles on the subject, and so on are all welcome. If these are too bulky for our comments section, apply to become a blog member with posting rights (no cost involved).

To contact Peter directly, send an email with the words Long Bay in your subject line (address: pjm at gol dot com) or send a post card or letter to the above postal address.

Thanks muchly

Ecological tourism

The North Shore definitely needs more tourism options than simply roasting people on sunny beaches. The Great Park plan could provide sufficient space for making the North Shore a major travel destination, with greater economic benefit for the Shore than the proposed expansion of urban housing.

The Te Araroa Coastal Walk from Devonport to Long Bay is part of a network of walkways being developed from the northern to southern ends of New Zealand.

Comments about ecological tourism on the North Shore can added here (please click on the comments link below)

History and archaeology

Steve Hart has produced a documentary recording life at Long Bay through the eyes of the Vaughan family. This family first arrived in New Zealand in 1863.

Newspaper reports on the Orakei claim appeared in January 2006. The claim, which covers parts of the North Shore, is a sequel to an earlier settlement that covered a limited part of the lands occupied by Ngati Whatua. The Wai388 claim is briefly explained in the Ngati Whatua website.

Other Maori groups are also present on the North Shore. Some of their history has been summarised in an article linked to the Birkenhead Historical Society. Important materials for Maori history can be found through the Northcote branch of the North Shore Libraries.

Archaeological surface surveys have been carried out at Long Bay and Okura, but no serious investigation of potentially important underground materials in the wetlands at each end of Long Bay, or near permanent freshwater sources in the area. Archaeological preservation of wooden artefacts is best in permanently wet soils. Draining wetlands can destroy important cultural materials. This may have already happened to some extent at Long Bay over the last one hundred years or so.

Wetlands are also valuable for studies of natural plant and animal remains, long term environmental history, and can provide clues about ancient forests, and human activities over hundreds of years (burning, cutting, gardening, and hunting or fishing).


References

Foster, R. (1999) Cultural Heritage Assessment of the Okura Catchment Area Within North Shore City Between Vaughan's Road and the Okura River. Report prepared for North Shore City Council by Russell Foster and Asociates, Auckland.

Robinson, J. (1987) An Intensive Survey of the Proposed Dacre Crest Residential Development. New Zealand Historic Places Trust: Auckland. 105 pages. [a survey of coast on the northern side of Okura River, opposite the proposed Great Park].

Welcome

Welcome to the the Long Bay-Okura Great Park Development forum.

For many years a triangle of local residents, city councillors, and commercial developers have been fighting over plans for the development of the last remaining large open space on the eastern coast of Auckland city, New Zealand. Until now, there has been no widely accessible forum for discussion of the Great Park idea.

All residents of North Shore City, and all visitors to Long Bay and Okura, from New Zealand and abroad, are invited to participate in the discussion.