A homage to midge (the one on the left, above)
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Midge
He looks at me with pained eyes and pleads with me in words I cannot hear. His silence accuses me. He is of course a dog’s dog, alpha to his brother’s beta, can steer him with a nudge, scowl a warning, scold him with a growl think him, share his fears and excitement. But to me he has always been mine, knows my voice, the fall of my foot, my commands, the scale of my promises – my soons and laters and tomorrows – reads my intentions anticipates my moods and frowns and needs follows, finds me is always my companion. But what use am I who am deaf as a rock to his pleading and stony-eyed to his pain; can manage only the simplest of tasks: breakfast by the strike of a clock water in an empty bowl belatedly, a walk when the desire takes me? He pants, sighs eyes me beseechingly. I pick up the phone. March 15th 2015 |
Ode to a dead dog
The sky is sullen staring, the sea refuses to play. The hills lie heavy on their haunches; trees hang their heads. Only the fantail that he thought as his friend dances uncaring that he is gone. March 28th 2015 |
New Zealand has a rather negative attitude to dogs. They tend to be blamed for all sorts of things: from fouling footpaths to terrorising people, as well as attacking livestock or, most heinous of all, killing kiwis. As a consequence, dogs are all too often banned from walkways and public areas. In addition, many roads in New Zealand are often dangerous places to walk, in rural areas especially: there are no sidewalks, visibility is poor and many drivers show little awareness about pedestrians.
In their own neighbourhood, most dog-owners have solved this problem by sussing out the local places where it is possible, and enjoyable, to take a walk. In a new area, however, it's not so easy. Type 'dog-walks' into your internet search engine, and you're likely to find a number of heart-felt pleas from newly arrived dog-owners asking 'where can I walk my dog?' Try and find a place for a holiday, where the dog can come too and where walks will be available, and the choice is likely to be limited. Likewise, when travelling, it's often difficult to work out where you can stop and take a stroll to relieve the dog and give the driver a break.
In my own experience, however, things aren't quite as bad as they seem. There are lots of dog-walks out there: the problem is that they aren't well publicised. In recent years, DoC has improved its act and its website now includes an option to search its reserves for ones where dog-walking is allowed (though it's still not wholly accurate or complete). And some local authorities have reasonably good web pages indicating which walks are dog-friendly: in this category, I especially commend Top of the South and Marlborough. More often, however, all we get is the negative evidence: there are symbols on maps or instructions in the brochures saying 'Dogs not permitted', but rarely a clear indication of the opposite - that dogs really can be exercised here. So it's not uncommon to arrive somewhere and find that poor old Fido is banned. On the other hand, call in at a local i-site and you're likely to be told by one of the friendly staff about the unsung places where they walk their dog.
So that's what this website is all about. It's an attempt to list and describe as many walks as possible in New Zealand where dogs are explicitly welcomed, and thus where you can walk your dog without fear or guilt. It's not the only site on the web that provides information of this sort, but it aims to be both the most comprehensive and most reliable - for in every case the access status is clearly stated, and in many cases I have personally done the walk and seen the signs! Many walks are also described, and/or links given to further information (e.g. websites, maps, leaflets) where available.
Deciding which walks to include and which to exclude wasn't easy, and was often somewhat subjective. In general I have only included walks that are greater than 1.5 kilometres in length (or 750 metres one-way for 'there-and-back' walks) or which take at least 20 minutes to complete. In some cases, however, where there is something special to see - or the walk offers a rare oasis in a dog-unfriendly desert - I've included shorter walks.I've likewise tended to exclude mane beach-walks. This is not because I don't like and use them (we live near the coast so a beach-walk, where our springer spaniel can chase the sandflies or fetch sticks from the sea, and our Airedale terrier can stroll in sedate peace) is a daily treat. Instead, it's because most beaches (outside the Auckland Region, anyway) are thankfully dog-friendly, at least for most of the year. Again, however, I've included a few favourites, and given them more attention where other walks are scarce.
One word of warning: things change (OK, make that two)! And though I'd like to, I can't get back to every site listed here every year. So look out for new signs that tell you if dogs are now no longer welcome - and, however reluctantly, abide by them. (Though be aware, also, that signs on the ground can be misleading or out of date.) When I hear about changes, I list them on the Alarums and Excursions page, until I can check things out and find time to update the relevant page. So check this for recent messages - and always check the Further Information links iof you're unsure.
And one last thing: if you know of good dog-walks that aren't included here, please share them with us. But first, confirm that they really are dog-friendly and that we really will be welcome if we turn up with our best friend.
To contact me, email: andthedogcametoo@gmail.com
In their own neighbourhood, most dog-owners have solved this problem by sussing out the local places where it is possible, and enjoyable, to take a walk. In a new area, however, it's not so easy. Type 'dog-walks' into your internet search engine, and you're likely to find a number of heart-felt pleas from newly arrived dog-owners asking 'where can I walk my dog?' Try and find a place for a holiday, where the dog can come too and where walks will be available, and the choice is likely to be limited. Likewise, when travelling, it's often difficult to work out where you can stop and take a stroll to relieve the dog and give the driver a break.
In my own experience, however, things aren't quite as bad as they seem. There are lots of dog-walks out there: the problem is that they aren't well publicised. In recent years, DoC has improved its act and its website now includes an option to search its reserves for ones where dog-walking is allowed (though it's still not wholly accurate or complete). And some local authorities have reasonably good web pages indicating which walks are dog-friendly: in this category, I especially commend Top of the South and Marlborough. More often, however, all we get is the negative evidence: there are symbols on maps or instructions in the brochures saying 'Dogs not permitted', but rarely a clear indication of the opposite - that dogs really can be exercised here. So it's not uncommon to arrive somewhere and find that poor old Fido is banned. On the other hand, call in at a local i-site and you're likely to be told by one of the friendly staff about the unsung places where they walk their dog.
So that's what this website is all about. It's an attempt to list and describe as many walks as possible in New Zealand where dogs are explicitly welcomed, and thus where you can walk your dog without fear or guilt. It's not the only site on the web that provides information of this sort, but it aims to be both the most comprehensive and most reliable - for in every case the access status is clearly stated, and in many cases I have personally done the walk and seen the signs! Many walks are also described, and/or links given to further information (e.g. websites, maps, leaflets) where available.
Deciding which walks to include and which to exclude wasn't easy, and was often somewhat subjective. In general I have only included walks that are greater than 1.5 kilometres in length (or 750 metres one-way for 'there-and-back' walks) or which take at least 20 minutes to complete. In some cases, however, where there is something special to see - or the walk offers a rare oasis in a dog-unfriendly desert - I've included shorter walks.I've likewise tended to exclude mane beach-walks. This is not because I don't like and use them (we live near the coast so a beach-walk, where our springer spaniel can chase the sandflies or fetch sticks from the sea, and our Airedale terrier can stroll in sedate peace) is a daily treat. Instead, it's because most beaches (outside the Auckland Region, anyway) are thankfully dog-friendly, at least for most of the year. Again, however, I've included a few favourites, and given them more attention where other walks are scarce.
One word of warning: things change (OK, make that two)! And though I'd like to, I can't get back to every site listed here every year. So look out for new signs that tell you if dogs are now no longer welcome - and, however reluctantly, abide by them. (Though be aware, also, that signs on the ground can be misleading or out of date.) When I hear about changes, I list them on the Alarums and Excursions page, until I can check things out and find time to update the relevant page. So check this for recent messages - and always check the Further Information links iof you're unsure.
And one last thing: if you know of good dog-walks that aren't included here, please share them with us. But first, confirm that they really are dog-friendly and that we really will be welcome if we turn up with our best friend.
To contact me, email: andthedogcametoo@gmail.com