Thursday Field Trips
Thursday 17 November
The field trips are inclusive with your registration fee, except for those delegates who are registered for the Wednesday only.
You can choose to attend one field trip – see below for details. If you do not wish to attend a field trip, please indicate when registereing online.
Field Trip 1 - UNDER THE COVERS
A guided tour of the Forsyth Barr Stadium, the world's first permanently covered stadium with natural turf. Highlights will include hearing from Dr Richard Gibbs who researched and completed the design and supervision of construction of the pitch and hearing from the current turf manager on the ongoing challenges.
Forsyth Barr Stadium is more than just a sports field, it is purpose-built as a highly versatile facility capable of hosting all kinds of business, community and educational conferences and events, such as the NZRA National Conference and concerts by top class artists such as Elton John. This field trip provides an opportunity to hear an overview on the challenges of construction and management of such a venue.
A short walk across the road from the stadium is Logan Park. The Logan Park complex is a multi-purpose venue with a wide diversity of sports code users including athletics, cricket, rugby and soccer. The complex is home to Otago Cricket, Otago United AFC and the training base of the Otago Highlanders. The wider environs also includes lawn bowls, hockey (a water & sand filled turfs), tennis and squash. Logan Park provides both diversity of sports code uses and variation in games played from grass roots to elite. This park has all the usual issues of conflicting user groups, and seasons extending & overlapping with the added conflict of a Historic Places Heritage building situated right in the middle.
Field Trip 2 - ON YA BIKE
Signal Hill is the place to mountain bike in Dunedin. This field trip shows what can be done when Councils engage with community groups, especially those with a passion. Mountain Bike Otago have, with very little help from the Dunedin City Council, created world class mountain bike tracks. Hear how they achieved this and what their future plans are. Signal Hill once the premier spot in Dunedin for those downhill types now has an access track 2m wide that climbs the 300 meters over approximately 6 km with an average gradient of 2 degrees. Designed by the Mountain Bikers as a multi purpose track they are encouraging walkers and runners to venture up and down as well.
The field trip leaves from the Stadium, on your bikes (or one we can provide), and explores the new track, with historic fish hatcheries, old rifle range butts and stunning views. After a robust frank discussion you can either bomb down one of the down hill track (at your own risk) or take a more sedate ride through Ravensborne and return to the Stadium via the new Harbour Access track. Either way it will be downhill all the way; apart from the uphill bits!
Field Trip 3 - OUT IN THE GARDEN
Established in 1863, Dunedin Botanic Garden is the oldest in New Zealand. It is a lovely place for a stroll through a range of gardens, in a native forest setting. From the formal garden beds to the hillside native forest, the 28 hectares contain over 6,800 plant species. In 2010 it was recognised as a Garden of International Significance for its excellence as a public garden as well as for its botanical collections. Check out the native pant collection, rhododendron dell, and the latest feature, the Mediterranean Garden.
This field trip also visits a lovely rhododendron garden, Lady Thorn Dell. This trip highlights the rehabilitation of an old bluestone quarry at Port Chalmers. The local Lions Club has been involved over the last 10 years in developing the Dell and they have received several awards to date for their efforts.
Field Trip 4 - TRAINING
Education and Research
Industry Training Organisations – what is the future for on the job training? Dr Grant Davidson (Skills Active).
Tertiary sector – bridging the gap between the workforce and the tertiary institutions. Dr Neil Carr (Otago University), Dr Bob Gidlow (Lincoln University), Robyn Cockburn (Australia and New Zealand Association of Leisure Studies).
Research – what's out there and where are we heading? Sue Walker and Grant McLean (SPARC)
This session will be broken into three sections, the first section will focus on the Industry Training Sector and the changes that have been implemented and the future changes that will shape on job training for the bulk of the employees in the recreation and sport sector.
The second session will feature a panel discussion with Tertiary education representatives about how the tertiary sector and the workforce sector can and must look to create a closer relationship moving forwards.
The final session will feature an open discussion with Sue Walker and Grant McLean from SPARC regarding what research is out there and what research is actually needed.
These sessions are designed as open forums for discussion and debate with the presenters and panellists, to clarify what is available now and to set some challenges for the future for the workforce, education and research sectors.