Wild weather blocks new Great Walk
Extreme weather on the West Coast has prevented the middle section of the Paparoa Track from opening until March.
A 20-metre slip closed the new Paparoa Track before it was officially opened. The track was partially open from December 1 for walkers and bikers who had already booked, but the ‘‘difficult to fix’’ slip means the middle section of the track will be closed until repairs can be made.
Department of Conservation Greymouth operations manager Shane Hall said the slip had become worse. Further debris had come down because the ground was saturated.
Contractors were unable to work safely in the area until conditions improved, he said.
DOC expected to have the full track open on March 1.
‘‘We know the extended partial track closure will be disruptive and disappointing to visitors who have booked their huts and made plans to visit the Coast, especially over the Christmas holiday period,’’ Hall said.
Hall said 2642 people had booked into the huts between December 22 and February 29, paying a total of $137,200. Refunds had already been given to 944 people who had booked
A section of the new Paparoa Track has to be realigned as a result of this slip. with 177 groups on the Paparoa Track during December.
They were still able to walk or cycle part of the track at either end, and those who had already booked could complete overnight trips to either the Moonlight or Pororari Huts.
Hall said of those who had already received refunds, about two-thirds opted to still walk or bike to one of the huts.
The West Coast had been battered by severe weather, rain and wind over the past few months, he said.
‘‘In the first 10 days of December, Greymouth and Westport experienced double the average rainfall – this is on top of an unusually wet November.’’
The slip happened on a steep face between the Moonlight Tops Hut and the Pororari Hut. The area was formally closed, meaning it was illegal for any unauthorised person to enter.
The Paparoa Track is a 55-kilometre trail from Punakaiki to Blackball.