National Parks

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31097, 28 June 1966, Page 16

National Parks

Sir, —I am not as “A. Menity” seems to suppose, opposed to all development in national parks. I am opposed to development, of a certain sort. My conviction that much tourist development is contrary to national park ideals derives from a belief that the provision of facilities in a mountain area such as an overseas tourist expects tends to destroy the wilderness character of the area and divert visitors to the parks from activities in which they may discover something of the joys and refreshment of being in undisturbed wilderness. Dur country will have lost something necessary for the ful! life of its citizens if our refuges from the noise, mechanisation, and stress of city living are lost. The development which does take place in our parks should ensure that wilderness experiences are still possible while at the same time accessible to a much larger proportion of New Zealand’s population. Yours, etc., JOHN WILSON. June 26, 1966. Sir, —From time to time you publish letters attacking a named person, permitting the writer to hide under a pseudonym. In Saturday’s paper you showed extraordinarily bad taste in allowing a nameless person to accuse John Wilson of “ignorance” and of having a “selfish attitude.” On another page it is clear that John Wilson was the last person dragged out alive from the fatal Mount Rolleston avalanche. Please be more tactful and return to the principle of a nameless person not being allowed to criticise anyone by name.—Yours, etc., H. June 27, 1966.