Access to popular Tararua tramping areas closed
Trampers wanting to access popular huts in the northern Tararuas (including Kime Hut, pictured) are likely to face access problems for sometime.
The section of Ōtaki Gorge Road known as Blue Bluff remains unstable and is likely to remain closed for the peak summer period.
As well as a camping ground, it is also a major entrance point for trampers and hunters accessing the Tararua Forest Park.
The slip, 12km in from SH1, is a major one. Kāpiti Coast District Council Access and Transport Manager Glen O’Connor says expert geotechnical advice is that further slipping could occur at any time, and may be extensive.
Engineers are waiting for the slip to move before deciding what the best long term solution is.
The Department of Conservation is working to find alternative public access to the huts and walks in the forest park and is expected to have options for trampers by summers.
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