Cyclone Gabrielle: Parihaka closed due to dozens of slips, people urged to stay away

Parihaka has been affected by slips following Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo / Supplied

Whangārei District Council is asking people to stay off Parihaka on the weekend due to dozens of slips affecting the mountain.

The top part of Memorial Drive has been locked off and Parihaka is closed until Wednesday, March 1.

Council spokesman Peter Gregory said people needed to keep off all tracks on the town side, but the lower bike track on the Whareora side could be used by cyclists as far as Spider Junction.

“Many of these slips are still on the move and we don’t want anyone to get hurt,” he said.

“We are installing a locked gate about 800m before the lower carpark on Memorial Drive to stop vehicles. We don’t want people to walk past the gate for now.”

Council and contractors would be working in the area for at least two more weeks, and Gregory asked people to keep out of fenced-off areas of the lower carpark, where slips were undercutting the carpark edge.

The upper and lower carparks would remain closed while stability testing is conducted during the next two to three weeks, Gregory said.

Memorial Drive would remain closed to traffic for several months at least, until slips stopped moving and a solution to permanently secure the road was in place.

Council was establishing carparking facilities at the locked gate, and expected to reopen the rest of Memorial Drive to walking and cycling traffic by March 21, Gregory said.

Anyone cycling on the lower mountain bike track to Spider Junction was warned to be alert and aware it was a constantly changing environment.

The council’s message to stay away from the slip-affected area was supported by Te Kahu o Torongare.