Rain causes further damage to Dun trail

Last week’s heavy rain has put remediation work on the Dun Mountain Trail behind schedule, following fresh damage to the fence and walking trail.

Nelson City Council communications manager Paul Shattock confirmed that a new slip had occurred on the Four Corners to Third House section of the trail.

A short section of the Brook Waimarama Sanctuary’s 14.4km pest-proof fence was also damaged by the slip. While the fence was fixed by volunteers last Tuesday, there was a large amount of remaining debris still covering the trail which needed to be cleared, Shattock said.

Contractors and geotechnical engineers were assessing the damage, which would help to ascertain a timeframe for reopening the section.

The Brook sanctuary posted photos of the affected area last week, showing the extent of the latest damage.

Work began in late July on the final remediation of a longstanding slip, resulting in an anticipated eight-week closure of that section of the trail.

The work was being carried out by the sanctuary trust and contractors Ground Anchor Systems.

The original slip, which occurred in 2015, was located on hillside land between the Dun Mountain Trail and the pest-proof fence bench track below.

The section of trail had been temporarily closed several times for the initial stages of repair work.

This latest slip has also forced a change to the course for this weekend’s Dun Run race.

The Four Corners to Third House section of trail was planned to temporarily reopen for the September 1 event, which would have allowed runners access to the classic trail route. However, with the route deemed impassable, a detour is now in place between Junction Saddle and Four Corners, by way of Black Diamond Track and Fringed Hill.