The start of Great Walk season has been delayed by the weather in the South Island, with several tracks damaged or at risk from avalanches.

The Department of Conservation’s (DOC) southern South Island operations director, Aaron Fleming, told RNZ there had been slips, flooding and track damage across many of Southland’s popular hiking spots.

The Routeburn Track is partially closed, with the section between Routeburn Falls Hut and Lake MacKenzie Hut inaccessible due to waist-deep snow and significant avalanche danger.

The Milford Track’s reopening has been pushed back by another week due to ongoing avalanche risk after recent snowfall. The track was already delayed by two weeks earlier this month because of avalanche damage, and the opening date was now expected to be 19 November.

The Kepler Track is expected to be inaccessible between Luxmore Hut and Iris Burn Hut due to avalanche risk, and has also been affected by flooding in low-lying areas.

Trampers with bookings on any of the affected tracks were being contacted by the department for refunds or to discuss their options, and people were encouraged to report damage to the department. Read more from One News.

Sign vandalism costing DOC over $500k a year

DOC has issued a plea for people to stop wrecking its signs, saying they were increasingly being damaged or stolen. Recent vandalism included signs being riddled with bullets, driven over, or keyed to the point they were unreadable.

More than 900 South Island spots now need signs repaired or replaced. A total of 1155 signs had been replaced or repaired in the past three years. DOC maintains almost 27,000 signs around the country.

The department had allocated more than $500,000 to repair signs this financial year, up from $350,000 during the last financial year. Damage to them created a significant amount of work, including carrying materials to replace or fix signs in remote locations.

DOC strategic asset manager Kushla Tapper said it was not just a vandalism issue, but also public safety. “Some signs lose their reflective quality when vandalised, and that means they can’t be seen in poor weather conditions or the dark. This can be the difference between safety and significant harm for travellers,” she said.

Members of the public who encountered damaged signs were being encouraged to record the location, take a photo if possible and send the information to the local DOC office. Read more from RNZ.

Popular West Auckland walking track significantly damaged by fire

One of Auckland’s popular walking tracks has suffered significant damage from a fire on Sunday, which has forced its closure, just over a year after it reopened to the public.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand were called to a vegetation fire at Fairy Falls Track in the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park about 8am on Sunday.

Auckland Council western principal ranger Dave Markham said the fire destroyed a large platform near a popular swimming hole, as well as about 80m of stairs. It also damaged a bridge that crossed the waterfall.

Fairy Falls Track re-opened in September 2024 after being closed for six years to prevent the spread of kauri dieback disease through the ranges. The council spent $1.6 million to renew it before its grand opening last year.

Markham said they were grateful to FENZ for their hard work in containing the fire at a busy time of the year. The track was now closed, and while the cost of damages was yet to be assessed, he said they would get to it as soon as the initial clean-up was completed.

A FENZ spokesperson said its investigations into the cause of the blaze was still ongoing. Read the full story from One News.

Government announces $10.8 million grant for central North Island cycle trails

Central North Island leaders are welcoming a $10.8 million Government funding boost for tourism. The Government will fund the progression of Te Hangāruru and the completion of Te Ara Mangawhero cycle trails in Ruapehu in an effort to build “regional resilience” by boosting tourism.

The $10.8m, from the International Visitor Levy and the Major Events and Tourism Package, will be allocated to the respective iwi to lead the remaining developments of the cycle trails. The projects are due to be completed by early 2027, leaving just one more section of the trail to complete the full 231km journey.

Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston said the Major Events and Tourism Package was designed to drive visitor spending, support local businesses and create jobs. “Ready-to-go projects like these cycle trails will bring more visitors to the region, entice them to stay longer and build confidence in the local economy,” Upston said. Read more from The Whanganui Chronicle.

80 year old sets record as oldest woman to hike Appalachian Trail

On September 12, Betty Kellenberger finished thru-hiking the entire 3535km Appalachian Trail, becoming, without realising it, the oldest woman ever to do it.

The Appalachian Trail had interested Kellenberger since she was a primary school student. Kellenberger was an intermediate school teacher for more than four decades. In her spare time, she was an avid cyclist, biking across every state in the US and every province in Canada.

Kellenberger’s first attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail didn’t go as planned. She started training in 2022 in her small Michigan town, where the closest thing to a mountain was the staircase at a local hospital. When she embarked on the actual trail, Kellenberger suffered a series of setbacks: Lyme disease, dehydration, and a concussion.

In 2023, Kellenberger started the hike again, though near the midpoint of her hike, she fell and went home. But this year she was successful and broke the record for the oldest woman to thru-hike the trail.

Morgan Sommerville, director of visitor use management for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, said Kellenberger’s hike has resonated widely with people. “Finishing the AT at any age is an incredible accomplishment,” he said. Read the full story from The NZ Herald.