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Sharing the Gorge’s stories
MEDIA RELEASE
Thursday 19 July, 2012
Sharing the Gorge’s stories
Carved by the flow of the Manawatu River long before diggers existed, the Manawatu Gorge is an area steeped in history.
It’s the only place in New Zealand where a river begins its journey on the opposite side of the main divide to where it joins the sea. It has long been a haven for native birds, trees and wildlife and it’s now set to star in its very own book.
The Manawatu Gorge Biodiversity Enhancement Group (MGBEG) is embarking on a project to collect and record the Gorge’s history from its very beginnings over 1.5 million years ago right through to the current day.
The resulting book will celebrate the Gorge’s unique landscape and defining features through a series of stories and photographs gathered in conversation with the local community.
Horizons Regional Council environmental officer Neil Mickleson Neil Mickleson says recording the Gorge’s history has always been part of a wider project between Horizons, the Department of Conservation, Tararua District Council, iwi, KiwiRail and Palmerston North City Council to preserve, sustain and enhance the biodiversity, scenic and recreational values of the unique site.
“We know there are so many interesting stories out there involving the greater Manawatu Gorge. Now we want people to come forward to share their stories and photos so we can shape them into a book that will celebrate the past and look forward to the future,” Mr Mickleson says.
He says while the exact flavour of the book won’t become clear until the group starts gathering information, it is intended to be quite visual with chapters on the different aspects from rail and road to culture and native habitats.
Experienced author Michele Frey will collate the stories and photographs. She has co-authored three books in the past and is looking forward to seeing what comes out of the woodwork with the Gorge book.
“I feel sure there will be some brilliant stories and photographs out there. The Gorge is such an iconic feature of the region and the project team is very keen to get started on gathering information,” she says.
Anyone with a story, memory or photo to share should contact Horizons Regional Council on free phone number 0508 800 800. Callers are asked to provide their name, contact details and a brief summary of their information so a member of the project team can get in touch.
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