Drone footage by Fire and Emergency NZ (FENZ) has revealed large tracts of Tongariro National Park blackened with ash from a 3,000-hectare wildfire that broke out over the weekend.

Minister of Conservation Tama Potaka’s office said part of the National Park is open, but the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, Tongariro Northern Circuit, Tama Lakes and walks near Whakapapa Village would be closed until at least Monday.

DOC and Ngāti Hikairo ki Tongariro have announced two restorative rāhui placed on parts of the park. The first rāhui is for seven days, to allow time for the land to settle and for FENZ, DOC and others to assess the burnt areas. “That means our staff aren’t worrying about visitors coming into the tracks or the visitor centre – they can fully focus on ensuring the fire is out and assessing damage,” Coutts said.

The second rāhui was set to last 10 years and covered the fire ground itself. Ngāti Hikairo ki Tongariro spokesperson Te Ngaehe Wanikau explained it was about maunga ora, or wellbeing of the mountain.

“It’s not about keeping people out. It’s about restoration, it’s about the spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being of Tongariro,” he said. “We’re being very strategic in placing this rāhui. Our biggest fear is two weeks, two months down the track everyone forgets about the fire, and we’re left with a landscape of weeds.”

MSC wants Brewster Track trampers to be better prepared

A major increase in rescues on a popular Mount Aspiring National Park track has prompted a new safety campaign. MSC hopes a new video that highlights the rugged terrain and rapidly changing alpine conditions on the Brewster Track will help trampers better prepare, after two deaths in five years and 26 rescues in the past two years.

Chief executive Mike Daisley said people often fell into trouble trying to cross the Haast River or beyond Brewster Hut on the exposed, rugged and unmarked route to Brewster Glacier.

He said an inter-agency taskforce was set up in April 2024, with representatives from the council, DOC, Land Search & Rescue New Zealand, MetService and police. “We wanted to find a workable solution that didn’t stop people from enjoying this environment,” he said. “It’s not about saying ‘don’t go’ – it’s about being prepared.” Read more and watch the video at RNZ.

British rowers make history on unsupported trip across Pacific Ocean

Jess Rowe and Miriam Payne have made history by becoming the first female crew to successfully row non-stop and unsupported across the Pacific Ocean. Their journey started in Callao, Peru, in May and finished in Cairns, Australia on October 19. It was a 12,792km odyssey that took 165 days.

“We had a lot of things go wrong,” Payne tells The Athletic, “But it always got better and we just kept going.”

One week into the trip, a broken rudder left them stranded at sea. Drinking water issues were partly fixed using underwear to repair the water filter. A lack of power on the boat meant no navigational lights or radio, there was sleep deprivation and the impossible task of consuming 5,000 calories a day.

“For most of the crossing we barely saw any boats, probably like half a dozen. But then once we got close to Australia, we crossed through a shipping lane and had a lot of boats,” Payne said.

Payne had a saying written on the inside of the cabin. ‘The difference between an ordeal and experience is your attitude,’ it read. Read the full story from The Athletic. 

Hikers ignoring trail closure risk being crushed, DOC warns

Visitors are ignoring safety barriers and warnings at Wairere Falls Track near Matamata, putting themselves at serious risk from falling rocks, the Department of Conservation (DOC) says.

The popular Kaimai Ranges walk has been closed since June after a three-metre-wide unstable boulder was discovered above the track, threatening to fall onto the stairs below. Despite clear signage and fencing, people continue to enter the closed area to reach the top of the falls.

DOC Tauranga operations manager Kris Theiss said the track attracts up to 40,000 visitors each year and that anyone ignoring the closure was endangering themselves. Theiss said DOC was “working with all possible care and speed to return it to full capacity” but that repairs would take time due to the complexity of the site.

While the gorge section of the track remains closed, the lower section and access to the International Seat of Peace are still open. DOC has also used the closure period to begin structural upgrades, including replacement of the upper lookout platform, Bouldery Stream bridge, another platform, a set of stairs, and installation of two new safety barriers. Read more from The Waikato Times.

Locals come up with a cunning plan to save closed track

A West Coast community group has joined forces with DOC to reopen a historic tramway and restore one of the region’s best-loved day walks, connecting Hector and Seddonville. The southern half of the popular Charming Creek Walkway, about 45km north of Westport, has been closed by multiple slips since 2019.

Community Action Northern Buller (CANB) co-ordinator Jo Douglas said, “DOC did try to reopen it, but a digger got buried in a slip — it’s still there. 

The group had begun cutting the new track through the private land access and had invited search and rescue workers to inspect it, Ms Douglas said. Since May, the volunteers had put in nearly 900 hours of work, saving DOC about half of the $40,000 cost to repair.

If all goes as planned, the route from Hector to Seddonville should be open again by the end of next year, she said. Read more from RNZ.