Offroad-Express

The Maratoto gate has been closed following a program of maintenance work paid for by the NZFWDA. Due to the late start to the work, the track is now very soft and it is asked that all vehicles please stay away. The creation of ruts now will accelerate erosion over the winter months.

oh good it been repaired ,it was getting beyond a average 4x4 drive, that it should of been .

I am aware that there are a lot of people planning trips to Maratoto/ Wires track and Loop Road at labour weekend. I need to make you aware that the track is still closed to all vehicles and it cannot be opened until we have Department Of Conservation approval. Despite our best efforts, at this stage we do not have that permission, and there is no guarantee that we will get that permission in time to open the track at labour weekend. NZFWDA is very very aware that with so many other tracks closed, Maratoto is a very important track to get open for the summer but we can only do what is possible. Rest assured we will be doing everything humanly possible to get the track open as soon as possible but at this stage do not rely on it being open at Labour weekend. I will keep you informed.
Tony Burgess
Public relations
New Zealand Four Wheel Drive Association

Is that E.W (Waikato Regional Council) doing their standard whinge about sediment getting into waterways again and making DOC out to be the bad guys??

Not this time. in simple terms it is because there is no signed agreement for NZFWDA to manage the track. It has been sitting at DoC legal for several months and i understand it is ready for us to see the latest version, but we don't know what is in it. Kauri dieback is one issue that could be problematic.

On the plus side, it will save it from getting hammered over labour weekend and give it more time to dry out if it does get te opened.

Kauri die back is an interesting argument from DOC. That whole area has been extensively logged 3 times, first for the big kauri, then for what ever was left, and finally they came back and tried to burn the roots out from under the stumps to get the stumps. It's also been farmed up there to, but stopped due to Vitimim K deficiency I believe.

So short of the odd juvenile kauri here and there and the ones we have planted over the years, there aren't any mature trees of significance left due to extensive logging and farming!!!!

DoC confirmed yesterday that they require the gate to remain closed until a plan to manage the risk of Kauri die back can be defined. There are many Kauri in the catchment bounded by the vehicle tracks, including one in the top ten of the country's biggest. DoC have, in the past few weeks mapped the location of many of the Kauri along the edges of the main track as part of their planning.
Some work may need to be done to prevent silt runoff being directed into areas with Kauri and it is likely that a policy of 'clean' vehicles, along the lines of the Didymo campaign, will be implemented.

A major challenge of course will be managing motorcycles etc who can avoid gates in many instances.

Interesting times and DoC point out that they've already closed all access to a site behind Whitianga where die back has been found.

Doesn't bode well for outdoor recreation on public land in general

DieselBoy wrote:Doesn't bode well for outdoor recreation on public land in general

Sadly I think you are right.