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The long-closed southern portion of the Okura Bush walkway, battered by last summer’s extreme weather, is to remain off-limits for the foreseeable future – and last month the Department of Conservation (DOC) raised the prospect that it may, in fact, never be reinstated.
The track, which runs from the end of Haigh Access Road through mixed coastal forest to Karepiro Bay, is popular with recreational walkers and trail runners.
“Given the extensive damage to the walkway, finding a solution that will withstand future severe weather events will be challenging and likely very costly,” DOC’s Auckland mainland operations manager, Rebecca Rush, said. “This may result in a decision not to reinstate the walkway.”
“If a solution is found to reinstate all or part of the walkway, it is likely to take some years to plan and undertake this work,” she added.
DOC first closed the walkway in May 2018 in a bid to stop the spread of the soil-borne pathogen that causes kauri dieback disease. Some tracks were upgraded in 2019 and 2021 to mitigate against the risk of the disease, but the walkway remained closed as more work was found to be needed.
It was still closed when last summer’s severe weather caused major slip damage to four sections along the southern end of the track. One landslide spanning about 40 metres extends from the top of the cliff to the sea, making the section impassable. Three other slips have either destroyed or severely compromised the track.
“Sadly, there are no easy fixes for Okura Bush walkway,” Rush said. “We have sought a geotechnical report and are working closely with mana whenua to continue to explore options for the long-term future of the track.”
Rush acknowledged the process has been a long one and that it was frustrating to have the walkway closed for recreation.
“However, we’re now dealing with both significant landslides in addition to concern over the health of kauri – some of the trees are centuries old.”
The kauri is one of the longest-living tree species in the world, and some of those in Okura Bush were growing in the 1600s when Māori settled in the area, DOC said.
Hibiscus and Bays Local Board member Alexis Poppelbaum, who grew up in Okura and later returned to live there with her young family, said the community was “devastated” to learn that most of the walkway, popular with locals and visitors, will remain closed for the foreseeable future.
“I am deeply concerned about the upsurge in pest animals and plants since control programmes were halted since 2018 with the [kauri dieback-related] rāhui and then later due to the pandemic,” she said.
It was only late last year that DOC gave Friends of Okura Bush the go-ahead to put predator control lines back into the area.
“We still don’t yet know what the impact to native species has been with pest animals being unchecked for so long,” Poppelbaum said. “We need DOC to produce a plan with stakeholders as soon as possible to reinstate the track so the community can enjoy this remarkable area again, and for groups like Friends of Okura Bush to gain more volunteers to help with the essential ecological programmes they run.”
The northern section of Okura Bush walkway, from Stillwater to Karepiro Bay, does remain open. It is managed by Auckland Council.
