Severe weather across the country

Date: 04 February 2023

The storms across the upper North Island have caused slips, washouts, fallen trees and flooding, which is likely to have damaged tracks and facilities. Heavy rain for Westland District on the West Coast is also forecast this weekend.

Until we have been able to fully assess the damage, we are encouraging people to use common sense before accessing public conservation land in these regions.

Check the alerts on individual hut and tracks webpages: safety alerts on our website. We will also be updating this webpage as information comes to hand.

List of confirmed site closures.

If you need to cancel your booking because of flood damage email [email protected] to avoid standard cancellation fees.

Regional updates

Northland

Visitors are advised to check local weather for updates.

Rangers are assessing tracks and other facilities such as huts, campsites and bathrooms in preparation for Waitangi Weekend.

Tracks and facilities may be damaged with slips, washouts, fallen trees, or flooding. We advise using common sense before accessing public conservation land in Northland and check the alerts on the track or site web page.

There are no current track, camps or hut closures in Northland.

Auckland, Hauraki Gulf Islands and Aotea/Great Barrier Island

All DOC accommodation including huts, lodges and campsites are open across Auckland, Inner Hauraki Gulf Islands and Aotea/Great Barrier Island.

DOC rangers are assessing all tracks and other sites across the greater Auckland region.

Check the relevant DOC webpage for track alerts before setting out. Some open tracks may have minor damage or branches down, so take care when accessing tracks.

Further damage, including slips, remains possible.

Coromandel

Periods of rain are forecast for Friday, with cloudy and showery conditions forecast for Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

All huts and campsites in DOC's Northern Coromandel District are closed.

Rangers are inspecting tracks and campsites for damage.

The walkway to Cathedral Cove and the cove itself has reopened. The Cathedral Cove carpark is available, but has sustained some surface damage.

Visitors should be aware Coromandel's road network is compromised and detours are place, with a number of road closures and sections down to one lane. Check Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and Thames Coromandel District Council websites for the latest road information.

With the current state of the roads in the Coromandel, people are advised to avoid unnecessary travel to the peninsula.

If you do need to travel pack a supply of food, water and any medications and ensure you have sufficient fuel should there be a sudden slip or road closure and you need to take the lengthy detour around the Coromandel to get home.

Southern Coromandel

Tracks across DOC's Hauraki District in southern Coromandel may be damaged by slips, washouts and flooding due to recent severe weather.

Rangers are in the process of checking all tracks and facilities. Some tracks and facilities be unsafe to use, and we urge visitors to exercise caution and common sense.

Damage or concerns can be reported to the Kauaeranga Visitor Centre by emailing [email protected].

The Kauaeranga Valley and its campsites and huts are open from Friday morning - excluding the Shag Stream campsite.

Maniapoto

There are no weather watches or warnings for Maniapoto (Te Kuiti).

The forecast for the area is for rain on Friday, and showers throughout Waitangi Weekend.

DOC staff in Maniapoto are carrying out site visits and inspections. This is likely to take several days at least, due to the isolated locations and the time it takes to get to some DOC-managed sites.

At some DOC sites, there is a layer of silt from recent surface flooding. Visitors to any DOC sites in Maniapoto are urged to be cautious and use common sense.

Several sites in DOC's Maniapoto district were closed or partially closed in 2022, and these closures remain in place.

West Coast

Westland District

MetService has issued an orange heavy rain warning for Westland, covering the area south of Otira, from midnight Saturday 4 February to 9 am Sunday 5 February.

This follows an orange warning which was in place 2-3 February.

DOC's Welcome Flat Hut on the Copland Track is closed through to Monday 6 February when the track will be reassessed.

Visitors are advised not to use the track as side streams can become impassable during heavy rain and the landslide risk significantly increases.

Grey District

An exposed section of the Paparoa Track Great Walk between Ces Clark and Moonlight Huts will be closed on Sunday 5 February, from midday to 9 pm due to forecast high winds.

Site closures

The following sites have been confirmed as closed due to the recent weather. Check alerts for a full list of closures.

Auckland

Kawau Island

• Mansion House

Aotea/Great Barrier Island

• Bush's Beach Track
• Lookout Track off Old Lady Track
• South Fork Track

Coromandel

Kauaeranga Valley

• Shag Stream Campsite
• Waiotahi Track
• Waiomu Track

Northern Coromandel

• Fantail Bay Campsite
• Fletcher Bay Campsite
• Port Jackson Campsite
• Stony Bay Campsite
• Stony Bay Bach
• Waikawau Bay Campsite

Hauraki

• Waiomu Kauri Grove Walk
• Te Pua-a-Tāne Circuit

Bay of Plenty

Otawa Scenic Reserve

• Otawa Trig Track

Westland

• Welcome Flat Hut
• Copland Track

Media releases

DOC's Coromandel campsites and huts closed amid weather emergency: 1 February 2023

DOC advice on wildlife, tracks and facilities in greater Auckland region: 31 January 2023

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