Riverbed cycle challenge in Kgalagadi

[Lisbeth]

Mel

Certainly the lions will be scared to death

Apart from that, they will be invading their territory.......and not only that of the lions

[Richprins]

The first Newspaper article sums up the whole project, albeit with incorrect distances involved, as publicised by SanParks. It adds that there has been significant opposition to the event on SP's own online forums, with the relevant SP reply from there. Then a reference to annie's blog stating the opposition comments as earlier on this thread.


The first reply newspaper letter later as quoted by Toko goes as follows:


Kgalagadi is daar vir natuurbewaring

In die berig “Onmin broei oor fietsren in oorgrenspark” (DB, 31.10) sê die voorsitter van die Wesrand-afdeling van Sanparke dat hy “onkant gevang is deur die negatiewe reaksies” oor die voorgestelde fietstoer in die Kgalagadi-oorgrenspark. Kan jy dit glo?

Die park is ’n natuurpark wat daargestel is vir natuurbewaring en nie vir fietstoere nie. Daar is baie ander plekke vir diegene wat wil fietsry om hul sport te beoefen. Hoekom moet dit in ons nasionale parke beoefen word? Waar gaan dit eindig?


KTP is there for Conservation

In the article it is stated that the chairman of the West Rand branch of the Honorary rangers was "caught offside" by the negative reaction. Can you believe it?

The Park is a nature park, and not for cycle tours. There are many other places for those wishing to exercise that sport. Why should it be in a national park? Where will it end?

Dis g’n fietse wat Kgalagadi sinkplaat ry

Met die lees van die besware teen die fietswedren in die Kgalagadi (DB, 31.10) wonder ek of ek nie dalk ’n paar maande geslaap het en dat dit eintlik nou 1 April is nie.

Dit is darem nou so tipies van ’n groot deel van ons Suid-Afrikaners dat niemand anders iets gegun word nie.

My maggies, vergelyk ’n bietjie die skade aan die omgewing deur 50 fietsryers en helpers wat met fietse deur die park ry met die skade wat dieselfde getal mense in volgelaaide motors en sleepwaens aan die omgewing aanrig.

Dink net aan al die plastiek en glas en ander gemors wat in daardie volgelaaide yskaste en vrieskaste en kratte ingery word en van ontslae geraak moet word.

Kyk net hoe sinkplaat is die paaie gery. Deur fietse?

As ek ’n beswaarde was, sou ek versigtig wees om so op ’n omgewingimpakstudie aan te dring. Dit kan dalk net aanbeveel dat die park vir alle mense toegemaak moet word en aan die diere en plante oorgelaat word om te floreer.



It's not bicycles causing Corrugations on KTP roads!

Reading the protests regarding the cycle race, I wondered if I hadn't been asleep 'till April 1st! It is typical of a large number of South Africans that nobody is given their place in the sun!

Heavens! Compare the damage done to the environment by 50 cyclists and their support crew to the damage done by the same number of people (tourists-sic) in fully-loaded vehicles and trailers!

Just think of the plastic and glass and other rubbish created by those fully-stocked freezers and fridges and crates carted in that must be removed!

Just look at how the roads are corrugated! By Bicycles!? If I were a concerned party, I would be cautious about demanding an EIA. That may just result in the Park being closed to all humans, for all plants and animals to simply flourish!

[Mel]

Agreed. The tourist cause a lot of rubbish and damage to the road.
Theoretically all parks would need to be closed to the public to keep them natural.
But that's a different topic. A pretty fundamental one...

However, in this case we're talking about existing roads, not unnatural trails to be created.

Sorry, but that response is a bit silly. To put it politely...

[Lisbeth]

If I were a concerned party, I would be cautious about demanding an EIA. That may just result in the Park being closed to all humans, for all plants and animals to simply flourish!

Maybe that would be the right solution!!

[Richprins]

Ja, but then the waterholes would have to be dismantled too?

[Peter Betts]

Forget EIA's, Cycling on roads, Cycling on River Beds, only 50 cyclists, Recce been done already, 'Only a once off (HA HA) etc etc ...Bottom line ....this sort of thing DOES NOT happen in KTP...Go raise your funds (If that was REALLY the intention) elsewhere, at gala Dinners, Networking, Golf Days, Appeals, Donations, Pledges etc...Just do the right thing and can it...I wont then say 'Told you so' to the HRs everyone makes oopsies from time to time

[BunnyHugger]

Once again, SanParks ignores what parks are all about

Are you saying Indy,that it's not about the money? Is there more to wildlife conservation than money?

It seems SANPARKS have lost touch with the real issues of protecting our heritage and wildlife conservation and will prostitute themselves and our heritage for money.

Several years ago, I suggested a similar thing in KNP on the SANPARKS forum. Not to go tearing around the riverbeds or in any way having some adverse effect on the environment. Just getting some well know cyclists together and cycling on the tar roads from Pafuri to Melelane. I calculated that it would take about 4 cars (including a 'guide car with a ranger for safety), a pace car with a big banner saying something like "Our speed is 30 km per hour, what's yours?"

The idea was to highlight the speeding issues withing Kruger and the objective to raise funds for speed equipment. No more than ten cyclists would be invited. The idea was shot down and I can't say I am surprised given the possible risks of being "meals on wheels".

But what does come from this whole thing is that SANPARKS "management" will do anything or allow anything as long as it makes money.

As an avid cyclist, it would give me an enormous amount of pleasure to ride a bike around / through our reserves. Bikes are at least environmentally friendly because they don't burn fossil fuels and they don't make a noise. What better way to observe nature than to see it from a noiseless vehicle with an unrestricted view?

There is however, a huge difference between racing and touring. A cycle challenge implies racing and the focus shifts from being aware of the surroundings to being aware only of your immediate surroundings. (Like the bike in front of you, the one possibly next to you, and the one behind you. The lead cyclist will only be aware of the immediate obstacles and probably the best (faster) way around it.) Just taking a pleasure ride and stopping to take in the sights and sounds is vastly different and would be far less intrusive and in my opinion, less disturbing to the animals.

Please forgive my support for something like this, but there are already guided walks and overnight hikes in Kruger. Why not have a stringently controlled cycle tour? If it was done correctly without motor vehicle support, I can't see too much harm in it as long as the tour doesn't harm the environment. And it should be a slow ride, not a race. Each cyclist should carry his / her own water, clothes and food. Kit should be checked going in, and all empty containers must be brought back out. (hence the kit check.)

[Richprins]

You're allowed your opinion, BH!

You make some good points!

Practically it would appear not to be too dangerous during daytime, and small scale things like the KNP mountainbike trail seem not to have had much of an impact, as stated above somewhere!

The etos is different with this one...plain commercialisation, and that's my biggest problem!

[BunnyHugger]

That and exploitation RP.

Lets just rewind a bit here. We pay tax and the governmunt is supposed to budget for some of that money to go towards the conservation of the national parks, and for the protection of our heritage. Since they would rather spend more money on wild parties, the upgrade of the plebidents house and give huge sums to the poor in the form of grants, the money now has to come from somewhere else. The issue I have with the whole exploitation thing is the management in power have no idea of conservation (in my opinion) and I believe that many of them are there just occupy a chair and draw a salary. A huge one at that. So to sustain this lavish lifestyle, the fancy cars, and the like, they shortcut on the things that really matter. Like conserving nature and out heritage. They fail to provide basic equipment for the staff on the ground (Simple things like water bottles) and they expect things to run smoothly. They are ignoring maintenance and they sure as heck aren't cleaning up all the litter in the reserves. So what choice do they have but to come up with some hair-brained schemes to make more money for bigger company cars and to keep up the lifestyle.

They can exploit people who are willing to pay huge sums to go riding, and walking, and keep pushing up the costs of a visit to paradise and think that all is well. For examle, I did a comparison a short while ago. I can go to a resort (with spas, super tubes, hot and cold pools and all manner of entertainment) for less than it costs me to go to KNP. SANPARKS management are in the business of exploitation and commercialisation and it is my opinion that it has nothing to do with conservation and everything to do with mismanagement

One only has to look at the Rhino poaching stats to see that SANPARKS management are failing dismally. A brief look at the infrastructure that no longer works is another example of a lack of management. Just seeing all the litter and the total disregard for the rules and then not enforcing those rules is an idictment against the entire board and they should be fired.

If we take that up a level, the same can be said for the rest of the country. Crumbling infrastructure everywhere and yet the electorate are to idiotic to see this. They still somehow believe, after 18 years, that the ruling party will deliver on the broken promises.

Until we can rectify this whole thing from the very top, I'm afraid that our heritage will soon be a thing of the past. The Rhinos and everything else will be gone.

So those are the problems, other than ousting the ruling party, how do we fix this?

[iNdlovu]

Well said BH
As far as the cycle thing goes, a think there is a vast difference between having a cycle challenge on tar roads in Kruger (although I still don't like the idea), let's face it, Kruger is nothing more than a very spread out zoo and is already fully commercialized. However to hold a cycle challenge in KTP, in the dry riverbed, not on existing roads, is pure sacrilege.
To even consider it is irresponsible and worse when it is put forward by the HR's