Success Stories
Rotorua Sustainable Tourism Charter members are always implementing new and innovative sustainable business practices. Check back here regularly to learn about the contributions Charter member businesses are making towards sustainability.
Walking Legends
Aug 26, 2009
Hilary Sheaff and Robert Franklin met while guiding on the Routeburn Track, started Walking Legends, which guides people around Lake Waikaremoana, joined the Charter, branched out to Tongariro National Park and now have two adorable kids (Phoenix and Leila). This short historical summary is a good indicator of how valuable time is for Hilary and Rob. Rob jokingly claims that they decided to have kids together because the alternative would have been too time consuming.
The nature of the product offered by Walking Legends means sustainability was always going to be an integral part of the business. “We’re walking in some of New Zealand’s most pristine environments with rich Maori history so sustainable practices are a key issue” says Hilary.
A key factor when operating in these environments has been the relationship with Tangata Whenua. When Rob and Hilary first told people about their intention to offer guided walks around Waikaremoana the response was “those Tuhoe people will eat you”. “The reality was very different”, says Rob. “Everyone was very supportive and while there have been challenges we’ve managed to develop a good relationship with Tangata Whenua”.
On a more operational level, waste was a key issue that needed attention. “For us the strategy around waste had to be avoidance if possible. Not only did we have to carry everything out with us but we also had to transport it back to ‘civilisation’ where it could be composted or recycled” says Hilary.
Another issue they still struggle with is the company’s carbon footprint. Visitors need to be transferred a large distance into the walking area and this contributes to carbon emissions. “We do all the usual things like maintaining the vehicles to a high standard and ensuring they’re used at optimum capacity but we’re still left with a relatively large carbon footprint” says Rob. Bio diesel was considered but according to Rob there were storage issues which made bio diesel an impractical option. “In the end we decided that if we can’t use bio fuel we can at least contribute to its development. We are investigating making contributions to a team at Lincoln University who are working to develop bio fuels from algae”, says Rob.
On the conservation side Walking Legends donates $5 per person guided on the walk to the Waikaremoana Kiwi Recovery Programme which is run by local hapu. Hilary and Rob were guest speakers at the Ecotourism Conference in Nelson which was held at the beginning of August. They used this opportunity to take a break from the business and introduce their children to the South Island. “They won’t remember much” says Hilary “but we’ll have a ball”.
