Obituary: Dave Whittaker
The Golden Bay tourist industry and the community generally lost a dogged and determined supporter with the recent death of Dave Whittaker.
Dave was best known as the Labyrinth Rocks man. A mine engineer by trade, he came to the Bay in 1992.
After being shown the area that became Labyrinth Rocks, he saw its potential as a tourist attraction. With typical persistence and sheer hard work, Dave transformed what had been a wilderness of barberry and gorse, accessible only on hands and knees, into a genuine attraction, full of surprise, delight and whimsy. Thousands of tourists visited the rocks, which offer a very popular wet or cloudy-day diversion, especially to families.
Dave’s friends, who supported him in his lengthy battle with cancer, say that the Labyrinth Rocks Park will be his permanent legacy. They say he was a very hard worker with a strong belief in what he did and lots of determination.
When he knew that he was not going to be able to keep the rocks open himself, Dave devoted a lot of energy to trying to make sure that they would not simply revert to a weedy wasteland. This included offering land to the council for car parking.
Dave regretted that the re-opening of the rocks has been delayed until next year but he was grateful for the efforts of local people to preserve what had been his project.
Dave’s legacy will also live on through the Naked Possum Community Charitable Trust which was set up last year.
The Naked Possum managing director Jocelyn Rae said: “Dave shared our passion for the promotion of tourism in Golden Bay and for the nurturing of our natural environment. His enthusiasm was infectious, his encouragement invaluable and his generosity remarkable. An amazing man and a very dear friend. ”
Dave was also a loyal supporter of the Golden Bay Promotion Association. He drove the project that led to the publication of the association’s famous Yellow Map, and worked hard in support of the association’s affairs.
A memorial service and ‘farewell party’ will be held at the Naked Possum in early May.
Neil Wilson
