Recreational users in Kaimanawa and Kaweka Forest Parks

Abstract

This research has been undertaken under contract to the New Zealand Forest Service. It has arisen from a major study of recreational hunting in the Central North Island (Groome, Simmons, Clark, 1983). A significant data base on Forest Park Users in the Kaimanawa/Kaweka region was assembled for the recreational hunting study. While the principal purpose of that data was to explore the compatibility of a Recreational Hunting Area with existing uses of the Forest Parks, the comprehensiveness of, and response to the surveys suggested that further analysis would also be useful to management. The aim of this report, then, is to separately describe key recreational user groups within the Kaimanawa and Kaweka Forest Parks. It is envisaged that this will have direct benefit to planning and help determine promotional activity by describing recreational preference and participation behaviour of park users.