Jellekes Hoek

About half way around the Kaitangata loop track there is a sign called Jellekes Hoek (Jellekes Corner). Jelleke was a young Dutch woman who came here as a member of a tour group. This is what she said in an email, sent to us after she had returned to the Netherlands.

"I find it very difficult to express in words my feelings when I stayed at Queen Charlotte Wilderness Park. I had already problems to tell my friends and family why that was the greatest part of my stay in New Zealand. I really loved it there, it's was the most beautiful I've ever seen. Even when I walked through the rain (soaking wet), the second day to the Lighthouse I've felt extremely happy from top (head) to toe. Here you could listen to the silence. I really felt at peace with myself and my surroundings. You've created back a kind of balance between plants, animal and human, essential for the earth. I think that balance is destroyed at many places over the world, and people should take your/our place as a good example how you can repair the balance".

Jelleke seems to think that we would have a far better world if humans were to harmoniously share their space with nature, rather than to try to exist quite separately and in competition. We think that if more people thought like Jelleke then we might yet get to avoid the social and economic disruption that is just around the corner. This is why we have dedicated a corner of our Park to Jelleke so that her plea for respect for nature and sustainability in everything that people do can be passed on.

Certainly as far as we are concerned Jelleke has most elegantly defined exactly what our Park should represent and we thank her for that. We are proud and pleased that Jelleke will always have a corner here.

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