Way up in the remote valleys of Westland are a sprinkling of old alpine huts. Frequented by hunters and hardy trampers, these huts have been deemed too hard to maintain by the Department of Conservation.
Outdoor enthusiast Andrew Buglass has formed a band of like souls to maintain these huts. To promote the cause and record information about the state of the huts, Andrew decided to establish a website.
GroupSense Collaboration consultant Simon Gurnsey helped Andrew to create the Remote Huts Westland site. It took Simon about 25 hours.
Simon also helped Andrew to start Permolat, an Online Group for people participating in the maintenance of the remote huts. Permolat is on the Online Groups site. Permolat is venetian blind material, recognised by back country folks in small strips nailed to tree trunks to mark little-trodden tracks.
Simon lives with his partner Sara on a patch of regenerating bush in the Lyttelton Harbour basin. Over the last three Sundays, Andrew has clocked up 25 hours up the back of Sara and Simon’s place, on his own, slashing at the noxious weed, old man’s beard.
I want to be there cousin Andrew.