Centenary Hut Restoration

Neil your idea regarding Centenary hut is very noble and appropriate for modern-day SA. It would probably be the more difficult option to follow though, or rather, a more lengthy one. Simply fixing up some of the basics on the hut is more under our control. Your idea would require more negotiation and liaison with EKZNW, and could well span a year or more (assuming they even give their approval), and the entrepreneur would also need ongoing mentorship and nurture, at least for the first 2-3 years. It also assumes that a proper business plan is in place. There would also need to be an initial capital towards getting some of the basics up and running, which may not be within the means of the elected entrepreneur. It would also raise the need for things such as a proper solution for sanitation, whereas if the hut simply gets some basic maintenance by us, this issue doesn't need to be addressed, at least not right away.

Regardless of which route we go here, we still need a project leader/champion (could even be 2 people) that is going to make this all happen, and see it through to completion. This is currently the biggest hurdle we have, which I mentioned at the start of the thread. Without this leadership the initiative may not even get out of the starting blocks, or it stands the risk of failure.

I would like to hear more responses on this, bearing in mind that the Park Management Committee meeting is on April 21st, so we need to have a concrete direction by then, else I could simply indicate to them that the initiative is in a state of flux, in which case we will have to wait for the next meeting. Either way I need to know where we are at in about 2 weeks.

Warwick and RichardHunt have agreed to work together on leading and coordinating this project. Thank you to both of them for being willing! Please show them your support! I also hope that this project will demonstrate that we can all work together, from various groups and organisations, to make a difference in the Berg.

Let's hope we get a green light from EKZNW.

It seems sensible to us to define a stage 1, which is to get the window panes replaced and to give the hut a good clean-up. This involves an initial trip to get measurements and to start preparing/cleaning where possible. We will get a quote for the costs of the material once we have all the measurements, and then we will know where we are at as far as money is concerned. Thereafter however many trips it takes to get the panes in. This seems a reasonable bite-sized task to get done first and the results would make the hut a lot more usable, even if it takes a while to do more.

Once stage 1 is complete, depending on agreement and available resources, we can look at more stages to fix the bunk-beds, replace the ceiling, masonry repairs and so on.

Wanted to add that our restoration of the hut is not mutually exclusive to having it run by a local entrepreneur. Should the latter become a reality, we may well have to assist in this regard anyway. I don't foresee the entrepreneur idea happening very quickly though, whereas basic hut restoration has quick results that will benefit all hikers. As mentioned, the entrepreneur route will also need a lot of support and involvement over a longer period - I don't imagine EKZNW will take on the responsibility of that necessarily, especially if it isn't their own initiative. A proper assessment may also need to be done if such an initiative is permissible and desirable in the conserved areas of the park, considering impacts on the environment, sustainability and knock-on/synergistic effects and so forth.