Te Mata Peak protesters stick it out at Craggy Range Winery through long weekend

Protesters disappointed with a new deal struck for the controversial track on Te Mata Peak's eastern slope continued their demonstrations throughout the long weekend.

More than 50 people stood outside Craggy Range on Friday evening after the winery and Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi announced on Thursday an agreement to close the track, buy 28ha of land and create an alternative track.

While the announcement was first signalled as an end to the controversy it instead sparked anger in Waimarama mana whenua who said it went against what had been agreed at a hui two weeks ago, which was to have no track at all.

Waimarama kaumātua Robert MacDonald said protests against the latest proposal continued throughout the weekend, despite the region's wet weather conditions.

"On Sunday it was quite cold but they had about 20 people at the most, it wasn't a large number of people, and there were a few more the day before."

The response from motorists driving past or pulling into the winery had been "excellent", he said.

"We found people who weren't from the area weren't quite up with the play and happened to stop and talk to us so we found that very interesting."

He said those visiting the region from bigger centres like Auckland and Wellington were "genuinely interested" in hearing from the protest group and some actually turned away from the winery.

"I think our presence did have some impact on the people going in, because they said all of the other wineries that they'd been to were full and that they had only come to Craggy Range because it was the only one that was able to take people."

MacDonald said he didn't consider the matter resolved and would return to protest once the venue was reopened; the winery's cellar door being closed from June 4 to June 12.

"We don't agree with what the iwi has done and have had quite a groundswell of support that feels that it was an agreement that we knew nothing about in terms of detail," he said.

At Thursday's announcement, Craggy Range chief executive Michael Wilding said the current track would be closed and a cultural impact study would guide the new track.

The new walk would be longer, more culturally sensitive and purchased in a trust. The benefactors would be Ngāti Kahungunu and the Hawke's Bay community.

Despite the track being closed last December it was still walked by many who ignored posted signs.

However, people were caught out on Friday after higher fencing was installed to further prevent walkers from using the track.