If there is one person who knows all about toilet paper, it’s Department of Conservation ranger Daryl Sweeney.

The North Canterbury ranger’s job is to not only clean public toilets at DOC sites but also replace the toilet paper.

Now DOC has revealed how much toilet paper was ordered by regional offices around Aotearoa for the 2024/2025 period, a whopping 15.5 million metres nationally.

That’s roughly 15,500 kilometres of paper which would stretch the length of New Zealand nearly ten times.

The figures reveal across DOC’s operational regions the most toilet paper was ordered by the Southern South Island which includes Fiordland and the Great Walks (3,103,037 metres), followed closely by the Northern South Island which includes Abel Tasman Great Walks and the iconic Tōtaranui campground (3,069,369) and in third place, Hauraki Waikato Taranaki (which includes the Coromandel) 2,727,160 metres.

Daryl Sweeney looks after DOC sites in Canterbury including the toilets at the hugely popular and culturally significant Kura Tāwhiti/Castle Hill on the highway to Arthur’s Pass and the West Coast.

“What we do outdoors makes all the difference for New Zealand’s unique nature. This includes toileting responsibly. How and where we go is key to ensuring we do no harm to our great outdoors.

“Visitors are encouraged go to the toilet before they start their trip and plan stops at toilets along the way. Those heading further into the backcountry need to know what to do when there’s no toilet – you can find this advice on DOC’s website.”

And it’s not just about using the facilities provided, says Daryl Sweeney.

“It’s shocking how much toilet paper is used. Sometimes it’s piled up beside the toilet in a mountain. The state some of the toilets are left in is also appalling to be honest,” he says.

“You wouldn’t do this at home so why would you do it in public toilets. Everyone has a role to respect the natural environment and not leave rubbish in and around these places.”

North Canterbury Operations Manager Leeann Ellis says Daryl is just one of the hard-working rangers nationally who drive kilometres every day across multiple sites to replace toilet paper and keep facilities clean, including over the weekends and on public holidays.

“Many people don’t realise this is a core role DOC undertakes. It takes a huge amount of time for our rangers and some of what they deal with would turn your stomach,” she says.

With the opening of bookings for all the Great Walks this month, and on the eve of King’s Birthday holiday weekend, DOC says it’s a timely reminder for people to look after public facilities at DOC sites, to read the signs and not leave rubbish around for others to pick up.

Daryl Sweeney says everyone has a part to play in looking after nature and says it would be a huge bonus for him if the toilets were left in a better state.

“I’m answering other people’s calls of nature,” he jokes, “but it’s about time people answered their own, and respected the amazing places they are visiting. I feel like if people had to do my job for a day, they’d understand. My message is use the toilets provided, use less toilet paper, fold the paper, don’t “scrunch” it, put it in the toilet or the bin and leave the toilet in a tidy state. It’s simple.”

Find out more on the DOC website: Poo in a loo – and be prepared for when there isn’t one: Know before you go

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