It could be months before walks like Piha’s Tasman Lookout Track and Laird Thomson Track reopen in the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park. Some may not open at all.

A number of tracks in the Waitākere Ranges were badly damaged and in some cases destroyed when Cyclone Gabrielle hit Auckland. The bridge at the Bethells end of Te Henga Walkway was washed away, and multiple tracks remain littered with large slips.

While other regional parks in Auckland reopened after clean-up missions, Muriwai Regional Park, Te Rau Pūriri Regional Park and Waitākere Ranges Regional Park remain closed.

Auckland Council western principal ranger Reg Phillips said park rangers and staff continue to assess damage and accessibility. “A number of tracks suffered major slips and flooding that are unlikely to be resolved in the near future. However, we are still receiving geotechnical advice to work through what our options are. No final decisions regarding long-term track closure have   been made at this point.”

Damaged tracks that Phillips estimates won’t open for some time include Laird Thomson Track, Tasman Lookout Track, Marawhara Track, White Track, Lion Rock Track and Lake Wainamu Track (full loop).