New Zealand has had a reputation for being ‘clean and green’ – a country of environmental beauty, blessed with so much fresh water.
Fresh water is our greatest natural asset, it is crucial to our way out lifer, our environment and our economy; however waster is not an unlimited resource and must be managed well. Water covers more than 70% of the Earth’s surface. Almost all organisms on Earth today contain at least 50% water in their bodies. It was with water that life on Earth started, so it is not surprising that all living things on our planet need water.
We value it for recreation and spiritual wellbeing. For Ngai Tahu, the rivers and lakes are considered ancestors. Each waterway has its own mauri (life force), creating a deep connection between Māori people and the natural environment. In te ao Māori it is acknowledged that the balanced natural order of ecosystems and ecological thinking is characterised in the expression ’Ki Uta Ki Tai’ which refers to the journey of wai (water) as it falls from the sky, flows over the land and out to sea. This view describes a Māori understanding of sustainable land management. Within this approach, all parts of the system have a relationship with each other and nothing can be separated.
Generations have built a way of life around our waterways, boating, fishing and swimming in New Zealand’s pristine aquatic environments. Whether you live in the city or the country, water quality matters to all of us and we have a responsibility to ensure that protect our greatest asset.
For us, the aim is quite simple – to share our love of the water and the astounding beauty of the region with our visitors. From an early age we remember the importance water has to our kiwi way of life, the ecosystems it supports and the enjoyment it is able to bring.
David Attenborough once said “No one will protect what they don’t care about; and no one will care about what they have never experienced”; this is why our team are passionate experts with an absolute love for their jobs, a passion for the outdoors and water, picked for their personalities and a want to share why we love what we do.
With emphasis on sustainability mounting rapidly and a growing demand for responsible tourism, we are using our tours as an effective tool to educate our guests on our ecosystems, the pressures on them and steps that can be taken to improve them. This includes a focus on invasive freshwater pests (like didymo) that can be spread easily by activities in our waterways and projects being done focusing on combating and removing these invasive freshwater pests.
