SWMBO has sinned…
Recently TRM ‘posted’ a video – or more of a funky slide show – to warn tourists about the crowding issues on NZ’s most popular bucket list one day walk – the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. Everyone feels they have to tick that box. TRM do this sort of thing as a ‘public service’. We were just trying to pass on inmates’ concerns but we erred. We showed peaks and lakes that are spiritually and culturally banned. They do not want their photos taken.
TRM have now been found out by the authorities. We have sinned.
Apparently even the cover photo image is illegal. Surely you must have realised that. Why didn’t someone warn us?
By a stroke of luck, (or genius?) the video presentation above conveniently lacks any commercial “credits’ which might have identified who produced it exploiting Mt. Ruapehu logos etc. without permission! Otherwise they would probably have been arrested and imprisoned or worse – subjected to home detention with other inmates at TRM.
TRM managment have been interrogated but not surprisingly denied any knowledge of its origins… None of the suspicious shady characters in the video could be identified either (TRM Manager should have gone to spec-savers?)
The Marketing Co-ordinator for Mt. Ruapehu (SWMBO did not even know there was such a position) recently warned TRM:
“We came across the following video on your YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3vfYLq1G50
We would love the opportunity to share this on our Social Media channels, however due to the cultural significance of the Crater Lake we aren’t allowed to share any footage with the crater lake in it.
If you’re happy for us to share this – do you have a version without the crater lake? (highly unlikely as this is the most amazing part of the hike isn’t it!)
Also, have you had correspondence with somebody else here at Mt Ruapehu?
I see you have used our logo and a picture or two in the video above.”
SWMBO reluctantly fronted up and pleaded guilty and apologised to the world for whoever may have been responsible. Naturally She has no idea and I can’t remember who may have committed such a hideous crime – a serious breach of mountain and National Park protocol. But as TRM’s Manager of everything She has to carry the blame.
Indeed, to avoid having to explain, as She is so upset about her confession and any damage inflicted on the cultural and spiritual well-being of the local hobbits, She fled Turangi today for two weeks sick leave in Thailand for a spiritual trauma recovery course. (Pumpkin is temporary manager during Her absence.)
The only person who might have known was the TRM housekeeping staff at the time the video was produced – the lovely Hannah, but she is now skiing (or snow boarding) conveniently in North America. That is Hannah drawing someone’s lucky number out of a hat at TRM last year.
In further correspondence, after TRM profusely apologised for SWMBO’s dreadful lack of judgement and mistakes, they were so kind to reply:
“We loved the video, hence why we want to share it so badly!
But RAL is prohibited from posting or sharing pictures of the Crater Lake and the mountain’s peaks for cultural and spiritual reasons but everyone else is free to use them.”
So if you happen to be watching the offensive video please look away if you see anything resembling the crater lake or rugged landscapes vaguely resembling mountain peaks. In this modern age of digital animation enhancement perhaps they might have been added later. Or photo-shopped? TRM might have been set up?.
In the meantime, to recover some goodwill, SWMBO donated Hannah’s other video to demonstrate the exhaustive altitude training necessary for her to qualify as a TRM guide, to show our dedication to protect and maintain the alpine environment.
It has been carefully checked by our legal advisors to determine there are no insulting images of lakes or mountain peaks, to make sure it is clean.