Cliff stairways closed before they officially opened
Hit gutbuster stairs zigzagging up Palmerston North’s Anzac Cliffs have enjoyed huge popularity since their construction.
However, from today, the steep steps with the spectacular views that descend from Vaucluse Heights in Summerhill down to the Manawatu¯ River, will be closed by developers Kevin O’connor and Associates for maintenance.
Until the subdivision above is completed and the reserve vested in the Palmerston North City Council sometime in March, the developers still own the land and are responsible for its safety and maintenance – the reason why the track is not yet officially open.
Engineers inspected the track and decided to close it for three weeks to carry out repairs.
One end of the Vaucluse Heights road was already closed to traffic while construction crews work on the subdivision. Now, the closure of the steps will be signposted from Thursday morning.
Some of the wooden-framed stairs packed with earth had slumped and are tricky to negotiate. Recent rain caused some scouring either side of both stairways and there are concerns about the lack of support railings.
Diana Schaefer, from Wha¯ ngarei, in Palmerston North for this week’s 125th New Zealand Chess Congress, said she heard a woman had taken a tumble and hurt herself on a section of the climb, and she could see that parts of the stairway would be tricky to negotiate.
Schaefer was using the stairs as training for an attempt at the Tongariro Crossing.
Others enjoying the challenge of the track were philosophical when they were told about the closure. ‘‘Some of the steps do need to be replaced. You could do your achilles, but people can see the dangers and see the stairs are steep, and if they don’t feel confident, don’t do it,’’ said Brad Rapera, who was accompanied by his three children Aja, 13, Ihaka, 9 and Manaki, 8. He appreciated that his family could enjoy the stairs.