Redwoods forest enthusiasts love 'The Manky'

A new fabric forest map called ‘The Manky,’ a combination of the words ‘map’ and ‘hanky’, has become a popular navigational tool for Whakarewarewa Forest and Redwoods enthusiasts.

Rotorua District Council (RDC) recently updated old forest leaflets and maps and combined them all into one single booklet called ‘The Redwoods, Whakarewarewa Forest Recreation Guide’.

‘The Manky’ soon followed. Made of micro-fibre the forest map is durable, legible when wet, can be washed and dried, is absorbent, anti-bacterial, eco-friendly, re-usable, and doesn’t require an origami degree for folding.

RDC’s The Redwoods manager Julianne Wilkinson says she has received heaps of positive feedback since introducing ‘The Manky’ to The Redwoods Gift Shop & Visitor Centre recently.

“’The Manky’ is just right for those who want something easy to carry and who need a convenient navigation tool. It’s got mountain biking information on one side and walking info on the other.

“A lot of people are buying both the updated recreation guide and ‘The Manky’ as both serve useful purposes. They take the more comprehensive guide home to sort their route out and when they return to the forest they bring ‘The Manky’ with them.

“They think it’s awesome, and have come up with other handy uses for it while going about their forest activities, such as wiping their hands and glasses, and wrapping things in. Then they stuff it in their pockets, bags, or around their bike handlebars.”

‘The Manky’ is available for $10, and ‘The Redwoods, Whakarewarewa Forest Recreation Guide’ for $6.50 at The Redwoods Gift Shop & Visitor Centre, Rotorua i-SITE and various bike shops around Rotorua.