Mangamuka Gorge reopening brings relief to Far North residents

Transport Minister Simeon Brown (centre) surrounded by local dignitaries and elected officials at the opening. Photo / David Fisher

It’s been two long years, and a couple of shaky years before that, but Far North residents can finally return to normal with the long-awaited reopening of the Mangamuka Gorge.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) opened the troublesome stretch of State Highway 1 through the Mangamukas – the main route between Whangārei and Kaitaia - to motorists on December 20.

Far North resident Kaye White had to travel to Whangārei regularly for cancer treatment which started last December and lasted around seven months.

Because of the SH1 closure, the usual two-hour trip to Whangārei turned into a three-hour drive each way for White, who lives in Victoria Valley, just north of Mangamuka.

“When you’re not well and having to do that extra mileage, it was difficult ... surely, they could have made some allowance, but they didn’t.

“There’s so many other people in the same situation.”

White said she was “really relieved” the gorge was now open.

Her Auckland-based family have also “thought twice” about travelling north, she said, particularly with the lengthy and repeated closures over the Brynderwyn Hills since Cyclone Gabrielle.

“It did make it challenging for them to come north,” White said.

“It’s taken a long time [to reopen the Mangamukas], but it makes a huge difference to people.”

The official opening was held on December 19 and was attended by Transport Minister Simeon Brown, Northland MP Grant McCallum, Far North Mayor Moko Tepania, local iwi and NZTA staff.

Mike Wright, whose business NZ Palms is based 3km north of the Mangamuka Gorge, said being able to use SH1 again was “fantastic”.

After years of “no passing traffic at all”, he and his wife Rosemary were looking forward to a bit of normality.

Mike Wright from NZ Palms is looking forward to customers visiting his business, 3km north of the Mangamuka Gorge.

“The cost of moving the palms to Auckland or Waikato or Wellington was always more expensive because we had to do a huge circle up to Kaitāia then Awanui and back south along SH10.

“It was putting a heck of a cost on transport.”

The Wrights supply palms, cycads and subtropicals to landscapers around Northland and New Zealand, along with direct sales to the general public.

The last several years had been tough, Mike Wright said.

The road through the steep and winding Mangamuka Gorge is a crucial link for people travelling between Kaitāia and the rest of the country.

It has been closed extensively for three of the last four years forcing motorists to take lengthy detours through SH10.

This has had an impact on the area’s economic situation, with the delays meaning extra costs to get goods to and from the Far North.

A 1-in-500-year-storm caused major slips and forced its closure in July 2020. The gorge opened in June 2021 and repairs cost $16.2 million.

The stretch of road was destroyed by dozens of slips during another major storm in August 2022, and yet another storm in 2023 delayed repairs and bumped up the cost from $160m to $204m.

Far North residents are looking forward to the reopening of the Mangamuka Gorge after two years of taking lengthy detours.

“With the gorge closing and before that we had Covid, then the previous closure, so it’s been a quiet time,” Wright said.

“Local people from Kerikeri and Whangārei just don’t come here.

“We’re really looking forward to relaunching our business to coincide with the gorge opening.”

SH1 over the Mangamuka Gorge in the Far North has been closed twice in recent years.

Hazley Windelborn’s forestry business Pine Tree Marketing and Harvesting has been hit hard by the double-whammy of closures due to extra transport costs.

The Whangārei-based real estate agent also travels to Kaitāia regularly and has started a house moving company, Whare Nekeneke.

Windelborn said the Mangamuka opening was a “big relief”.

“We’ve been in survival mode for a bit.

“The economy has been struggling, and when you have to pass on the costs to others, people tend to spend a bit less.

“It’ll make things easier to get more work done and be more efficient.”

Kaitāia Business Association co-ordinator Andrea Panther said she was “super excited about the reopening”.

Hazley Windelborn (right) is relieved the Mangamukas are open so he can get his forestry and house moving businesses back on track.

Businesses, organisations and community groups had already undertaken a huge spring clean of the town, she said.

“It will make a massive difference to people travelling in and out of the area.

“It’s been a long time coming.

“The place is ready and waiting for an increase in visitors which will flow on to others in town.”

NZTA project director Mark Ware said roadworkers are currently finishing line marking, installing barriers, reinstating road signage, and completing the final site clean-up to ensure the road is ready for the busy Christmas period.

“Workers will return on the week of January 13 to complete anchor work on two remaining slips.

“The road will stay open and the team will do their best to minimise disruptions, but there’ll be temporary traffic management, such as reduced speeds, stop/go, or traffic lights in place.”

NZTA expects work to continue until April 2025.

Mangamuka closures

• Major slips close the road in July 2020 until June 2021. Repairs cost $16.2m.
• The road closed again after another major storm in August 2022 caused 15 slips.
• Yet another storm, in April 2023, triggers 20 more slips, delaying repairs and escalating the cost.
• The total cost of the August 2022 to December 2024 closure has ballooned to more than $200m.

Jenny Ling is a senior journalist at the Northern Advocate. She has a special interest in covering human interest stories, along with roading, lifestyle, business, and animal welfare issues.