The club was formed in 1978 by a number of regular users of the Orongorongo valley who shared a common interest in the preservation of the area’s unique natural and historical characteristics, and wanted to encourage and promote the continued usage of this unique resource for future generations.
The
club has grown to include a membership in excess of 250 members, covering
a diverse range of user groups and backgrounds. Family membership is
predominant within the club and members include casual visitors to the
valley, private bach owners,
bach users, hunters,
supporters of the clubs objectives and
former users of the area. Membership includes many people resident
within and outside of the Wellington area and also includes some
ex-patriots living outside New Zealand.
The club is keen to promote family usage of the unique Orongorongo valley area and also encourages multiple usage by the diverse range of people and user groups that visit and frequent the valley and young people in particular. The club supports and promotes multiple usage of the network of privately owned baches which provides for a wide range of opportunities for users of the valley.
The club is active in and
participates in a wide range of Activities
The club is a strong advocate of conservation and preservation of the unique nature of the Orongorongo Valley and its environs, and particularly supports the continued presence of baches and their multiple usage in the area. The club continues to campaign for bach licences to become transferable to allow the wider community to own baches in the area.
The club negotiates with the Orongorongo station and the Department of Conservation for regular access to the valley by vehicle, for the servicing and maintaining of baches and also obtains special vehicle permits to transport elderly and disabled club members and members of the public into the valley. The club advocates long term continued access for vehicles set at 12 times per year and believes restrictions should be set at this level. This would achieve the least impact and the best balance amongst the valley’s multiple users and user groups.
The club annually organises a Road maintaince weekend to repair and upgrade the 4wd access road into the valley and the tracks through the river flats in the mid valley. This work includes clearing and/or installing culverts and drainage channels, filling potholes and re-metalling the road surface, trimming and clearing over-grown vegetation and also rubbish removal from within the valley.
The club organises machinery, excavators, vehicles and trailers to undertake this work. Members usually contribute between 500 and 600 person hours of work during these weekends, and many family groups and non-vehicle users are regularly involved in assisting the club. A BBQ is usually held on the riverbed following the completion of the work.
The Club has been in negotiations with the Department of Conservation for a number of years and has put forward many proposals for the club and its resources to undertake a more active role in servicing and maintaince work within the Orongorongo Valley. The club currently assists some Tramping clubs with servicing their Huts in the area and believes it could make a significant contribution towards servicing of DoC hire cabins and other facilities in the area. As the Club makes a major contribution towards the upkeep and maintaince of the 4WD access road into the valley, we believe that the club’s large resources could be further deployed in maintaining and repairing the valley’s network of walking tracks to bring them back up to their former standard. The club believes its resources could extend as far as re-metalling work on the main walking tracks. Negotiations are continuing with the Department of Conservation to reach a workable arrangement.
The
club supports and assists with the manning of the Catchpool carpark Vehicle
security caravan during weekends and holiday periods. Members stay
overnight in the surveillance caravan and monitor activity in the carpark
area to assist with vehicle security during the hours of darkness. The
caravan is linked by cellphone to DoC and the Police.