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What would you do?


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Me: solo in trailer yacht arrives Bark bay (Abel Tasman) after a hard upwind sail.

Him and her:  in oversized tinny outboard thing with accommodation. They just get into the lagoon on rising tide before me and anchor in the north corner. (which is as far from permanently staffed Doc Ranger hut as possible to get) Now this was a  spot was where i had been previous week and I  calculated that I would dry out and re-float no problem on the neap. Further in the Lagoon may have been problematic on the neap tide and i did need to get home. It seemed there was room for two so after he had set up bow and stern anchor,  I snuck inside and setup 30 metres or so from them saying hello and that i believed there was room for both of us in that pool. 

Knackered, i retired below to a cold beer or two with intention of going over to be sociable.

Now contrary to the build up there was no conflict about space or anything like that. The Boats stayed in relative position no problems.

Suitably revived, i looked over to see them covertly hoisting their dog into the inflatable and taking it ashore to do its business- off lead. :-( This is a huge no- no in a national park. Bark Bay has been the scene of re establishment of endangered birds. I like dogs actually, but they are banned from National parks for good reason.

I didn't go and say hello and quite ruined my evening wondering whether i should wander over and have a word with the Doc Ranger, but who wants to be a nark?

I didn't, nark that is, but i did wake at 5.30 am and get out of the lagoon on an already falling tide. No sign of wakefulness from the other boat and i can only hope they missed the tide and had to spend all day waiting for the next.

What would you have done?     (getting up earlier isn't the answer i am looking for :-))

 

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Had the same thing a week or so ago at Great Merc. Turkey turns up in big new gin palace, slides tender out of stern locker , puts dog in dinghy and takes it ashore for a stroll and crap. This is at a crowded Peachgrove bay. Was going to give him a Billy Graham but he must have seen the way I was eyeballing him and gave me a wide berth on the way back out. Not long after he picked up the pick and left. A....hole.

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What I did:

Shakespear park, bird sanctuary - predator proof fence with numerous no dog signs. Young guy took his mongrel dog up to the waterfall. I nearly hit the roof and felt like starting a confrontation. Missus calmed me down and we carried on our walk. We past him on the way back down the path, so I started a pleasant conversation "nice day, lovely spot etc, and then casually, 'oh, you know you aren't allowed dogs in here?' - 'oh, no, really' - 'yeah, their presence scares the kiwi and other rare birds'.

To be fair, straight after, I drove around to the rangers and told him, who promptly picked up his clip board and sped off in his ute.

You can't get into a confrontation, so when the red mist settles, engage in a friendly conversation about the weather or the serenity or something, and quietly slip it in.

It must also be tough for dog owners who want to go away and can't or wont leave their dog behind (I'm not a dog person so don't get this), but that doens't mean rules should be broken. Keeping it on a lead would be  good start. Better would be toilet training it on the boat. Just did a week at Kawau. Every night at sunset there would be the procession of dinghys to this one tiny beach that forms as the tide drops, all to take their dog (or cat) for a poo.

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Same at Ponui last week.  Old guy, small dog, dinghy pulled up directly in fromnt of the "Private Property, No Fires, Camping, or Dogs" sign.  Off lead meander along the beach and back...

I think its a mix of causes.  Ignorance, pets as substitute children, assumption of an inherent right to do what you like.  Same stuff that drives other mildly selfish antisocial behaviour like parking in disabled carparks on on the grass berm (pet peeve).

Fish is right - confrontation is not useful.  Education/Information is more useful.  

Refering infringements to an appropriate authority is not "narking".  Its how the system works.

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39 minutes ago, aardvarkash10 said:

 

I think its a mix of causes.  Ignorance, pets as substitute children, assumption of an inherent right to do what you like.  Same stuff that drives other mildly selfish antisocial behaviour like parking in disabled carparks on on the grass berm (pet peeve).

 

Seems to be so much worse recently? The ****ers parking on the beach and on the grass in the reserve near us recently... what an entitle bunch of wankers. There's no shortage of narking but getting the council/AT to do any enforcement takes some doing. 

 

 

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15 minutes ago, Norwester said:

Dogs should be allowed ashore if they are on a leash. I take my dog everywhere on the boat. Usually all the parks have walking trails.

Great Mercury is privately owned so should be up to the owners to dictate conditions. Dickheads end up ruining it for everyone. 

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13 hours ago, Norwester said:

Dogs should be allowed ashore if they are on a leash. I take my dog everywhere on the boat. Usually all the parks have walking trails.

That is incorrect.  Most islands you can NOT take dogs ashore. Any islands owned by DOC do not allow this. Rotoroa, and Great Mercury are privately owned but don't want dogs on shore.

DOC Auckland: https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/know-before-you-go/dog-access/where-can-i-take-my-dog/auckland-dog-access/

DOC Northland: https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/know-before-you-go/dog-access/where-can-i-take-my-dog/northland-dog-access/

 

 

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On 13/01/2022 at 9:25 PM, chariot said:

 Dickheads end up ruining it for everyone. 

Yes!  This is true in so many areas. I am the first to say that civil disobedience in the face of bureaucratic incompetence is the duty of every citizen, but most of the rules such as no dogs in national parks are there for very good reasons. I love dogs and when i retire will probably adopt one, but i wont be trying to sneak it into the national parks.

 

 

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Thanks for the affirmations. I didn't report them but now wish i had.

I did have an encounter of another sort  a few days ago. Motoring up channel at 5 knots which is max speed against outgoing tide for me, a powerboat passed me at estimated 25 knots and within 5 metres. (not 50metres!) Of course i gesticulated! Caught up with them at the ramp. Asked the skipper whether he was aware of rules. He wouldn't meet my eye, but his hatchet faced wife accused me of having an attitude problem.

I used to be against compulsory boat registration and skipper licencing, but i am changing my views! I have the video of this encounter, and would share it with HM if the boat had ID. 

 

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I see absolutly no problem with a dog on leash at any beach,providing its to do it bussiness in a secluded part,below the high tide mark,rock pt etc.Ashore and back again.

Allowed to run off,there lies the problem.

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