Tongariro Alpine Crossing reopens after 7-day rāhui

The Tongariro Alpine Crossing has been reopened following the fire that tore through Tongariro National Park with “hundreds” waiting to hike the trails.

The seven-day rāhui was lifted this morning, reopening most of the park’s tracks.

The devastating fire that ripped through nearly 3000ha of land started on November 8 and was contained by November 10.

Mangatepopo Track, which forms part of the Tongariro Northern Circuit Great Walk, will remain closed because some areas of the track have been heavily affected.

Department of Conservation’s Central North Island operations director Damian Coutts said it would require time to understand the magnitude of the impact on plant and animal life.

“This damage will take some time to repair, but thanks to some quick work, access to tracks and huts is almost back to normal.”

Coutts said DoC and Fire and Emergency New Zealand were confident the open tracks were safe for visitors.

The Tongariro Alpine Crossing has re-opened following the lifting of the seven-day rahui placed after the Tongariro National Park fires. Photo / Libby O'Brien - Department of Conservation

“We will continue to monitor for hot-spots across the fire area, but we are satisfied the Tongariro Alpine Crossing can be safely opened.

“It won’t look quite like it did before, from the scorch marks on the pou Te Ririo, to the blackened landscape, it’s a sobering view.

“We’re inviting people to visit respectfully, to come back with a sense of awe and compassion for this place.”

Ngāti Hikairo ki Tongariro spokesman Te Ngaehe Wanikau said it was with sorrow and joy that hapū had lifted the rāhui over the track.

“The mamae we feel for our maunga is deep. Tongariro has carried our stories, and our identity for generations, and seeing the land scarred has touched many hearts across Aotearoa.

“For some, returning to the crossing will be like a pilgrimage, a time to stand with the maunga, to breathe with him again, and to acknowledge the journey ahead.”

The Mangatepopo Hut will reopen but the Mangatepopo car park will remain closed, because of damage.

Mangatepopo Rd end will be restricted to registered shuttle operators only.

Ruapehu mayor Weston Kirton said there were “hundreds” of people ready to hike the trails this morning.

“It’s a historic day, it’s still subject to caution but it is great to see so many people there.

“It’s certainly a different landscape, with the 3000 hectares burnt, we just hope that we can have a good response from Government and the Department of Conservation to get it restored to some sort of normality.”

Coutts said local businesses had been hurting over the past week.

“This is a really good chance for those who wish to walk the Tongariro Alpine Crossing to support local shuttle operators who provide transport options for the track.”

Bookings for the Tongariro Alpine Crossing are open through the DoC website, doc.govt.nz.

Fin Ocheduszko Brown is a multimedia journalist based in Whanganui.