Catherine Delahunty, Chair of Coromandel Watchdog of Hauraki is walking the hills of her home area from Oct 4 til late November to highlight that Hauraki is too precious to mine.
“After 45 years of too many meetings I want to walk the tracks from Te Aroha to Te Moehau and down the eastern side of the Peninsula to re connect with the land we are protecting, and I am inviting people to join me along the way. We want people to know where all the exploration and mining permits are and show on social media the beautiful places at risk.
I was originally planning to walk the highway between the Hauraki maunga Te Aroha, and Te Moehau, but while training I realised one of my knees was not in agreement. So as a senior I am being more realistic and sticking to the bush tracks and shorter walks.”
The walk starts on Oct 4 at the Wairongomai Loop Track just south of Te Aroha (where Minerals Exploration are applying for a permit to explore 4000 hectares behind the town and over the mountain). We will also visit the old Tui Mine and tailings site that day and Catherine will explain what happened when that mine and tailings dam were abandoned and who paid the costs. Other sites of interest include the kauri walk at Waiomu Valley where Watchdog fought successfully to stop further mining and the Wires Track where RuaGold has applied for Resource Consents to start drilling in a magnificent forest area.
“I am really excited about walking up the beautiful Port Jackson Road beside Te Moehau mountain which, led by tangata whenua we defended from copper and gold mining in the 1980s. There are so many stories I can share about the action to protect the area in the past and so much to defend right now.”
The gold mining pressure on the southeastern Peninsula, and beyond of Hauraki, is huge right now as the price of gold is high and the Government is determined to help foreign miners access it. Catherine will be walking in the southeast area to highlight the very real issues affecting the conservation forests and some private land and because these areas are very important for biodiversity, water and future generations.
Donations for the cause are welcome and you can donate to protect their favourite place via the Donate button above (account number there also for the who would prefer direct to our account).
Walk schedule will change so please click this live link to keep up to date – and do join us when and where you can!
Photos to come!