Trampers are being asked to take care and check in with the Department of Conservation before heading onto Taranaki Maunga after recent storms felled trees, created huge washouts and forced some tracks to close.
A tree windfall on Waingongoro Track, Taranaki Maunga. Photo: Tamsen Walker / DOC
The upper Ihaia Track to the Waiaua Gorge Hut is shut due to a large washout and the hut is inaccessible from the western side of the mountain.
Taranaki district ranger supervisor Andy Johnston said that caused the Around the Mountain Circuit to be closed until the Ihaia Track could be re-routed.
"In this case in particular, it's just cut quite deep down into the stream channel creating steep banks on either side, so where the track line was it's now quite a steep drop down to the bottom of the stream bed."
At this stage, it was unclear when the track would be reinstated, Johnston said.
"We are not sure yet on access to Waiaua Gorge on the top of the Ihaia, that's a bigger job, so we'll just be access that first and then we'll know a time frame on that one."
It was not unusual to have track damage after stormy weather like the country had experienced recently, Johnston said.
"We had an awful lot of rain and high winds so there are track washouts and tree windfalls which we are clearing and re-routing as fast as we can.
"We have stream channels particularly on that western side of the mountain that can be eroded by heavy rainfall. They are gravel banks on those streams and they do just occasionally get chunks that come off them."
There was also another slip below the Plateau to Dawson Falls section of the Around the Mountain Circuit - which could be traversed with caution - and there are trees down across the Waingongoro Track on the Maunga and at Ratapihipihi and Everett Park Scenic reserves.
"At Waingongoro, that's just trees down and a small slip that's come off the side of a stream just up from where the track crosses it, so we've just got trees and stumps and broken branches come down across that stream which has caused a bit of a mess there."
The Waingongoro Track should be cleared in about two weeks time, Johnston said.
DOC was still making its way through the network of tracks both on and off the Maunga and urged people to get in touch if they have noticed any problems, he said.
Anyone coming across track damage on public conservation land we'd appreciate photos and GPS coordinates sent through to us at egmontvc@doc.govt.nz, he said.
Meanwhile, trampers were urged to check the DOC website or contact North Egmont Visitor Centre prior to heading onto the mountain.
Once in the national park they should take extreme care and be aware they might encounter damage and be prepared to turn back.
