Wilderness and noise

Forest and Bird, Issue 279, 1 February 1996, Page 3

Wilderness and noise

Dunedin

H.P. Dietz

Thanks for the "Comment" by Gottlieb Braun-Elwert (November). Our family had the unpleasant experience of a tramp to a small lake in the Franz Josef area, ruined by the buzzing and circling of a helicopter. Noise pollution can ruin a trip into the bush. I do not think we should sacrifice the opportunity for New Zealanders to enjoy our wilderness, in order to cater for what Gottlieb describes as "fast-food tourism". Let’s keep our wilderness areas clean and quiet and not worry about tourists who cannot accept us as we are. They can go to Las Vegas. If we turn New Zealand into a theme park, we ruin it for our own people. Lois Griffiths Christchurch

Gottlieb Braun-Elwert shows us one important aspect of highyield, high-expenditure tourism rather clearly. I’m sure there are lots of people out there who have been sickened by the drone of an aircraft engine or outboard motor while attempting to have a "wilderness experience". Please — let’s do something about this form of pollution and ban the use of combustion engines in and above national parks and marine reserves. And do it before the tourism lobby is strong enough to run the country as a huge amusement park.