A More Normal Summer

By Brian Megaw | January 19, 2024

A More Normal Summer A more normal summer at River Valley Lodge on the Rangitikei River? I think so. We have been experiencing some beautiful warm and hot days of late, though today we have needed warm rain, replenishing pastures that had started to burn off and, no doubt, topping up the river by tonight. [...]

Can Tourism Help Small Communities?

By Brian Megaw | May 3, 2023

Can Tourism Help Small Communities? Here are a few thoughts and observations regarding the effects of tourism on small communities after having just ridden the Alps to Ocean Cycleway. The Alps to Ocean Cycleway is one of New Zealand’s Great Rides. It starts at either Aoraki/Mt. Cook or at Tekapo. Over the following days of [...]

Fresh Eyes: What a Fantastic Country We Live In

By Brian Megaw | April 6, 2023

Fresh Eyes: What a Fantastic Country We Live In Some friends recently stayed at home with their motorhome for a few days. From Taihape, they journeyed south to explore Cape Palliser, Castle Point and Riversdale Beach, all on the Southeast Coast of the North Island. Amongst the messages, I got from them was this one. [...]

Picking Yourself Up Again

By Brian Megaw | February 21, 2023

Picking Yourself Up Again Picking Yourself Up Again I can only barely comprehend the scale of damage that Cyclone Gabrielle has wrought on parts of the North Island, especially just over the Ruahine Range in Hawkes Bay. There will be a staggering cost in money, materials, time and mental health before the devastation is remotely [...]

To Take That Photo or Not?

By Brian Megaw | February 9, 2023

To Take That Photo or Not? Over the last few years, farming and farmers have taken a bad rap. Most of this bad rap has been driven by the impact farming practices have on the environment. These impacts range from methane emissions from bovine animals, cattle in particular, contributing to global climate change, to the [...]

Unprecedented Summer River Flows mean Great Rafting

By Brian Megaw | January 22, 2023

Unprecedented Summer River Flows mean Great Rafting A typical summer rafting season on an undammed free flowing North Island, New Zealand river such as our home river, the Rangitikei, works something like this. Spring – September to mid-November – plenty of water, but overall, river flows tend to taper off by late November, but even [...]

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