A new Taranaki experience
Pitched to rival the Tongariro Crossing, the Pouakai Crossing project has been beset by delays and has morphed into the much more ambitious Taranaki Crossing Experience. reports.
On a clear Friday morning Rob Needs shuttles four people up to Mt Taranaki, so they can hike the Pouakai Crossing.
The Pouakai Crossing goes across the slopes of Mt Taranaki from North Egmont, through Ahukawakawa alpine wetland, before ascending the Pouakai Range and descending through the bush to Mangorei Rd.
It is a spectacular walk across a variety of unique and intriguing landscapes.
Needs, who owns a mountain shuttle business, first put forward the idea of a Pouakai Crossing to Venture Taranaki 15 years ago and has been promoting the one-day walk ever since.
But his concept really got traction in 2014 when he met up with former New Plymouth National MP Jonathan Young and expressed both his vision and his frustration that nobody had seen the potential on Taranaki Maunga.
Young ‘‘picked up the ball and ran with it’’, establishing a group to push the concept, Needs says.
In the six years since then, there have been more twists and turns to the story than there are on the crossing itself.
It seems like a new idea pops up every week but nothing gets finished, Needs says.
Everyone keeps asking him what is happening up there but he does not know either.
In Needs’ view, work should have been done on the Pouakai Crossing first, creating an iconic hike and then all the other work being done would flow from that.
But in the past three years, the Pouakai Crossing has been relegated to just one part of what has become Maunga ki Moana: The
Taranaki Crossing Experience.
More than $25 million has or will be spent on making this a major tourism attraction for the region with estimates of visitor numbers ranging from 35,000 to 40,000 a year, which will bring $3.7 million into Taranaki annually.
But constant delays keep pushing out a completion date.
The experience includes another day walk – from Dawson Falls to the North Egmont Visitor Centre (NEVC) – the foundation for a multi-day walk and a series of short walks.
Long term, a track will be
‘‘How it is going to be marketed is going to be Taranaki-centric, as opposed to across the central North Island.’’ Jonathan Young
‘‘The key for us is ensuring that our narrative is represented and respected throughout.’’ Liana Poutu
developed from Pouakai to the Pukeiti Gardens.
Included in the overall vision is a shared walking-cycling 12.2-kilometre track from Pukeiti to Oakura to be funded by the Taranaki Regional council (TRC) and built by the New Plymouth District Council (NPDC), creating the whole mountain to sea experience.
The project bears little resemblance to the original idea of a hike to take pressure off the overpopulated Tongariro Crossing but is now a ‘‘more comprehensive Taranaki story’’, Young says.
‘‘It is a good overall comprehensive upgrade of facilities on Mt Taranaki and how it is going to be marketed is going to be Taranaki-centric, as opposed
to across the central North Island.
‘‘I would say that is the shift that has taken place and for the people of Taranaki it is all going to be very positive for us.’’
Young is pleased progress is being made but says ‘‘it has taken a heck of a long time’’.
Funding for the Taranaki Crossing Experience has come from the former National Government, the Labour Government’s Provincial Growth Fund (PGF), TRC, NPDC, Stratford district and South Taranaki district councils, and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.
And in Young’s view, the need to get alignment across all the different stakeholders is one reason progress has been so slow. Bureaucracy is another.
The original Pouakai Crossing project got a major boost in October 2016 when Lonely Planet declared Taranaki the second best region in the world to visit. This was in part because of the Pouakai Crossing, which the renowned travel authority suggested could rival the one at Tongariro.
But before the hordes of tourists expected on the back of the accolade could go tramping over Pouakai, it needed work.
So, in May 2017, while Taranaki was still basking in the glow of Lonely Planet publicity, the then National Government announced it would contribute $3.4m, as part of the $76m DOC tourism infrastructure package released through Budget 2017, to do some work on the newly renamed Taranaki Crossing.
The Pouakai Crossing’s name was changed to align with the Tongariro Crossing and a Tarawera Crossing, Young says.
‘‘Three Ts. There was going to be marketing support for those three walks.’’
The $3.4m was handed over in April 2018 and the work was expected to take two or three years, to be finished in 2019/20.
But nothing happened.
In the meantime, any advantage from the Lonely Planet award had long gone, which a tourism marketing expert declared was like Taranaki scoring ‘‘an own goal’’.
Asked under the Official Information Act (OIA) about the delay, DOC said any work on conservation land needed to ‘‘be
carefully visitors assessed planned along and the with risks the to impacts But as on more the national than $240,000 park.’’ of assessments business case were for a being much done, bigger a project Experience – The – Taranaki was put forward Crossing by the Taranaki) Tapuae steering Roa (Make group way as for part of an Provincial application Growth for $13.34m Fund (PGF), from the which 2018. was approved in March,
Then, once more, nothing happened.
A letter obtained under the Official Information Act shows that in April 2019, the steering group, which includes Taranaki’s mayors and Nga¯ Iwi o Taranaki representatives, wrote to then regional economic development minister Shane Jones declaring their ‘‘dismay’’ at the lack of progress.
There were delays at the beginning, steering group co-leader Awa iwi chairwoman Liana the a putting arrangements. some series discussions experience long ‘‘There ‘‘Some ‘‘The A announcement hui of Poutu of time in them delays meetings today of the were design before about it says. were funding was is were concerns the work the that in to unavoidable.’’ came not first terms do visitor contract will started. with ideal and because in begin of a it but was incorporating Poutu opportunity cultural for ensuring ‘‘This the says. project. narrative is that where to our cultural explore The narrative we might key get what narrative, for an look us is the is like represented throughout.’’ Taranaki Iwi are Crossing supportive and respected Experience. of the
needs ‘‘But to there be done,’’ is a lot Poutu of work says. that
been ‘‘The perfect process and has it is not difficult always when you but I are think managing it will have multi some interests and positive I think outcomes the key in for the us, iwi really, space is
the cultural narrative that goes along with it and ensuring that is a part of the visitor design process as we go through.’’
In June last year, one iwi walked away from the project in disgust at the lack of progress and annoyed they were unable to find out what the money was being spent on.
Ironically, around the same time former conservation minister Eugenie Sage and Jones announced the first work,
850 metres of boardwalk on the Mangorei Track had been completed.
The initial PGF funding, released in October 2019, was $10.3m for stage one, which was then added to the $3.4m DOC got from Budget 2017.
This means $8.624m will fund work on the mountain, while the remaining $5.076m will be used for maintenance and depreciation.
Tracks on Mt Taranaki deteriorate quickly due to high rainfall, snow, erodible soil and extreme weather events, so maintaining 30 kilometres of Taranaki track is equivalent to
100km or more of track elsewhere in the country.
Stage one includes improving
25km of track, at a cost of more than $3m, and upgrading the Pouakai Hut.
Because of the inclusion of a series of day walks, the tracks have to be at a higher standard than would be necessary if the visitors were experienced trampers.
The short walks include the walk to Wilkies Pools, the Plateau from Dawson Falls, and from the skifield from the Plateau.
But easy tracks can still turn to tragedy says Kevin Lockley, who has been rescuing people off Mt Taranaki, with the Taranaki Alpine Cliff Rescue, for 30 years.
‘‘Most rescues are people underestimating the mountain.
‘‘They are not prepared. They do not take the right equipment.’’
It is easy to take a wrong turn off the track – there are a lot of little loop tracks up there, he says.
‘‘Even the simplest tracks get people. It is not always the technical climbs. Many a day walk has gone wrong. They are not familiar with the tracks. They do not have a map.
‘‘They are not up with the conditions. There are four seasons in one day up there. [The weather] looks good in New Plymouth but it might not be on the mountain.’’
As custodians, it is up to DOC to educate people about the right equipment and let them know the potential risks, he says. ‘‘They have a responsibility.’’ DOC expects the first stage of the Taranaki Crossing to be completed by the end of summer
2022, the contract with the PGF stipulating it must be finished by January 2023.
Stage two, with $3m of funding from the PGF, is an upgrade to the North Egmont Visitor Centre (NEVC) that will provide a more substantial cafe and will fully display iwi heritage material.
The upgrade was not part of the plan when the PGF funding was first being looked at, so when it was included it reduced the overall spend on the tracks by $3m, resulting in track designs being scaled back and the number of lookouts and shelters reduced.
Stage two won’t begin until after stage one is finished, so late 2023 at the earliest.
Venture Taranaki boss Justine Gilliland says it took longer to work through the process with central Government than she would have hoped. ‘‘But work is under way so it is good.’’
The Taranaki Crossing has been designed to provide a range of options, Gilliland says.
‘‘It will allow for both a multiday experience for people who want to have that longer experience and stay on the mountain, as well as short walks and day walks. It is supposed to be providing people with multiple different options depending on what they want to do.’’
It was never designed to be in competition or to be a rival of the Tongariro Crossing.
‘‘It is really more about being complementary and possibly easing the load on Tongariro. So it might well be people do come here to do the full Taranaki crossing or parts of it, whichever bit might appeal to them.’’
Venture Taranaki does not market one specific aspect of
Taranaki, such as the maunga, Gilliland says. ‘‘When we are marketing to families, for example, we put all the amazing things they can do in Taranaki. We would be putting in walks on the maunga, along with Puke Ariki and the Coastal Walkway.’’
In the future, Te Ara a Ruhihiwaratini trail will be added to the list. This is a 12.2km shared walking cycling pathway from Pukeiti to Oakura.
Stage three of the Taranaki Crossing is linking Pouakai to
Pukeiti Gardens.
It has not been included in the PGF funding and won’t be considered until after stage one and two have been completed. This is the link that creates the whole Maunga ki Moana – mountain to the sea experience. The remaining leg – from Pukeiti to Oakura – is the responsibility of TRC and NPDC.
TRC has upgraded a number of existing tracks throughout Pukeiti to open up further access within the garden and to the rainforest that will provide a connection from Pukeiti to Te Ara a Ruhihiwaratini trail, regional gardens manager Greg Rine said.
‘‘Included is the construction of the Pukeiti Rainforest Bridge which will be a spectacular suspension bridge between the established garden and the Pukeiti rainforest.’’
A budget of $2.5m has been allocated for the bridge construction project which is currently at the resource consenting stage, Rine says.
Feeder track work from the Pukeiti car park has been completed and work on the historic tramline is currently at the resource consent stage with a budget of $525,000.
TRC has allocated $3.5m towards Te Ara a Ruhihiwaratini, which will be built and maintained by NPDC.
Work was expected to begin on the project at the end of 2019 but the resource consent process, which has cost $350,000 so far, has stalled.
A report to NPDC’s strategic projects committee agenda on November 18 said that as a result there will be additional consequential costs that were not budgeted for.
‘‘It is likely that the project will miss the 2020/21 summer construction window and the commencement of works will be delayed until the summer of 2021/22 at the earliest.’’
TRC and NPDC put in a joint bid for $13.6m to the shovel-ready projects fund but were turned down. The application has been moved to the PGF for consideration. This would cover Te Ara a Ruhihiwaratini and new car parking at NEVC.
If the PGF turns down the application, the work will still go ahead. Eventually.
But each delay takes the project further away from Lonely Planet’s global publicity for the Pouakai Crossing, which Canterbury University business school Professor Michael Hall says should have been acted on straight away.
The Pouakai Crossing should have been finished and promoted before work began on the other walks, Hall says.
‘‘Strike when the iron is hot, while you had that profile.
‘‘It was scoring an own goal not to,’’ Hall says.
‘‘So it might well be people do come here to do the full Taranaki crossing or parts of it, whichever bit might appeal to them.’’ Justine Gilliland