A vehicle losing its rear wheel and dragging its undercarriage along the road sparked the fire that swept through 3000 hectares of Tongariro National Park in November. 

A fire investigation report released under the Official Information Act describes witnesses seeing a vehicle with no left rear wheel being pushed on State Highway 47 by three people.

About 50 metres away, a fire was quickly growing, which a member of the public called in just after 3pm, 8 November last year.

The vehicle in question was discovered parked in a layby on the opposite side of the road, hidden from sight, about 400m from the specific fire origin area.

Specialist wildfire fire investigator Grant Detheridge-Davies said inspection of the road showed marks consistent with an item being dragged across the surface from about 60m before the specific fire origin area and then on for approximately 320m.

Based on physical evidence gathered at the scene, witness statements and photographs, Detheridge-Davies concluded the probable cause of the blaze was the “wheel, contacting the road surface creating hot metal sparks setting roadside vegetation on fire”.

Remarkably, documents show a second fire was sparked in the same area in similar circumstances just 30 days later. Read more from RNZ.

DOC sees surge in summer visitor numbers across four regions

DOC has reported a remarkable rise in visitor activity across its network of campsites and huts during the 2025–26 summer season. The department’s latest end-of-season report reveals that more than 323,000 overnight stays were recorded at DOC-managed facilities nationwide.

Among the regions that experienced the most significant growth year-over-year were Otago (+30 per cent), Wellington/Kāpiti (+35 per cent), Wairarapa (+71 per cent), and Taranaki (+96 per cent). The central North Island and Marlborough also saw steady growth, supported by new bookable huts and campsites. Read more from DOC.

Summer paywave trial piles up $22,000 at Punakaiki pancake rocks

A paywave donations trial by the Department of Conservation in Punakaiki has harvested $22,000 in five months.

At a West Coast Tai Poutini Conservation Board meeting in Okarito last Thursday, DOC South Westland operations manager Wayne Costello said the donation trial began on October 20.

He noted there had been issues with donation boxes in the past, including vandalism.

“There have always been challenges with either donations or ‘iron rangers’ (metal pipes used for payments) for campsites,” Costello said. Conservation board chairman Mike Legge told LDR one of the reasons for the Punakaiki trial was that people were “used to paywave”.

Board member Ashley Cassin asked whether DOC was looking to begin trialling paywave donations at other locations too, but Costello did not specify the locations at the meeting, saying they had been asked the same question. Read more from One News.

Generous grant to allow more accessibility on West Coast Wilderness Trail

Thanks to the incredible support of Te Matapuna Waiora a Io Trust and a generous grant from a private trust, a Motom has been purchased for riders with accessibility needs on the West Coast Wilderness Trail. This will open up our trail to many who otherwise may not be able to experience the amazing environment.

The Motom will be managed and cared for by Trustee, Cindy Hopper, and her family—right on the trail at West Coast Scenic Waterways. Read the full Facebook post from the West Coast Wilderness Trail.

Rescue Helicopter Urges Trampers And Hunters To Take Precautions

Hawke’s Bay Rescue Helicopter’s crew is urging anyone planning tramping or hunting trips around the region heading into the cooler months to invest in a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) before setting out.

It follows 19 search and rescues undertaken by the service in 2025, including several incidents of trampers lost in dense bush.

Experienced tramper John Sharpe, recalls how quickly things took a turn for the worse and being stranded in remote bush alone.

“I had a five-day loop planned and have walked this area before – I have been tramping through the North Island for twenty or so years with no issues prior to this. I had a route planned with reasonable days, nothing too long or technical.”

“Midway through day four it was becoming apparent something was “off “ – I began to struggle to achieve a sensible distance between breaks and felt very weary over a short period of time despite being well hydrated and eating well. Hallucinating there was a zebra on the path at one point really brought it home that I would likely be in a bad way if I managed to complete day four, and day five was really not looking good.”

Read more from Scoop.

Mangakara Nature Walk reopens, caution urged

The popular Mangakara Nature Walk in Pirongia Forest Park has reopened today as DOC continues clean-up, repair and assessment work after the wild storm that swept across Waikato in February.

DOC Waikato Operations Manager Niwha Jones says his staff have been working hard to reopen and assess tracks, and the latest to be made available to the public is Mangakara Nature Walk.

Niwha says the storm destroyed two footbridges on the track – meaning the loop of the walk cannot be completed. “It’s going to take us several months to arrange replacement of those bridges, so until that work is done, the Mangakara Nature Walk is a ‘there and back’ experience to two end points,” he says.

Meanwhile, DOC staff have used a drone to capture footage of some of the landslips further up Pirongia maunga. The footage shows two large landslips near the Mahaukura Track, which includes a helicopter pad used by DOC for various operations. Read more from DOC.