After 38 years’ service as a park ranger in the Waitakere Ranges Regional Park, John Walsh has written a book about his experiences.  His connection to WOPS goes back nearly as far.

Christine McLeod writes:

Before our very first WOPs course Liz and I asked John if he would take us on a guided tour of the Karamatura Loop Walk to share some of his vast knowledge of the local flora. At the end of the walk he said, “I don’t think you two know what you are starting”… prophetic words.

From then on he became a valued and ardent supporter of WOPs, being instrumental in WOPpers becoming involved with Auckland Land Based Search and Rescue both as participants on SAR exercises, usually as lost/injured trampers waiting to be rescued and stretchered out, and later as valued team members in actual searches.

Such was his support that a few years later, we arranged to meet John at the start of a WOPs walk in the Lower Karamatura carpark where, in a memorable ceremony, he was escorted by Liz and me behind a flax  bush. With the help of a pair of hedge clippers he was deftly "dismembered”, thus becoming an honorary WOPper and was presented with a WOPs t-shirt.

This is still memorable to John, as in a recent email about his book he says "I often reminisce over losing a vital piece of my kit behind a flax bush in the Lower Karamatura Valley…"

Click here for purchase details of the book and click here for a preview of the cover.