Overview The tourism industry has been an essential contributor to the local economy of the Te Anau Basin since the formation of the Milford Track in the late 1800s. Following the opening of a vehicle route to Milford Sound in the 1950s, the number of visitors to the district has grown to the extent that an estimated 650,000 people a year spend at least a few hours at Milford. Dave Moss, has just retired from the local hospitality industry after about 35 years involvement. First, he was at Milford...

Abstract Interviewee: David Thomas (Dave) Moss Date of Interview: 7 July 2006Interviewer and abstractor: Morag ForresterSony Counter: Sony TCM 939Tape 1 Side A006: States he is DAVID THOMAS MOSS and that he was born in 1949 in CLYDE HOSPITAL. 018: Replies that his FATHER was REX THOMAS MOSS while his paternal GRANDFATHER was THOMAS MACHIN MOSS, adding that it was about 1910 when his GRANDFATHER immigrated to...

Overview The face behind the voice, Carol Brown, has spent the last thirty-five years being the personal link for crews working on helicopter venison recovery or commercial fishing in the Sounds and Fiordland hinterland. From the relative comfort of her kitchen in Te Anau, Carol kept in daily contact with Alpine Helicopters staff when she first accepted the role of radio co-ordinator on a voluntary basis in 1973. Eventually, her input was recognised financially and she continues to provide radio contact...

Overview The Baker family's connections with the Te Anau Basin go back more than half a century when Russell's father worked on the electrical supplies during the last stages of the Homer Tunnel construction. By 1964 Te Anau had become the family's permanent home and it wasn't long before Russell combined two of his favourite pastimes deer-hunting and aviation. In the late 1960s he was involved in venison recovery as a meathunter and after passing his commercial pilot's licence in 1975 he used fixed...