CONGRATULATIONS to TRM’s viewers who responded to the concept of replacing what has been lost to tourism in the lower Tongariro River, by extending the Tongariro River Trail with a loop track up to the Poutu Dam. When all the history and physical aspects are compared, it seems so obvious.

All together, TRM’s blogs on this concept have received over 40,000 views, etc. Thank you to everyone for their contributions – that was very encouraging.

Hopefully, GENESIS have to now realise the depth of feeling about the sad loss of lower-river access and the ease with which it could be replaced in the upper river.

When this trail up to the Poutu Dam was first proposed by the Advocates for the Tongariro River over 15 years ago, meetings were held with other affected land owners such as the Department of Corrections and NZ Forest Managers. At that time, they were enthusiastic about the proposal and using their labour force who had built the original river access tracks over 100 years ago. They even offered to maintain the tracks as well! As they extend alongside the Corrections farm, it was such a suitable fit.

Unfortunately, the timing coincided with the land also being subject to Waitangi Tribunal compensation attention and did not progress any further. The Advocates continued with linking up the original anglers’ access tracks to form the loop up to Red Hut but did not take them any further. Then they fell into the too-hard basket. Now it is time to revisit the track surveys and bridge costings.

The proposed extension could then connect with the other Kaimanawa trails up there leading to the Tree Trunk Gorge. We understand a resource consent application has been submitted for another trail surveyed south of Tree Trunk Gorge Road by the same operators of the 25km downhill bike trail north of Waiouru.

There are popular tourist facilities in the form of three camping grounds with toilets and a covered cooking structure to keep out the rain – see photo above. These presently form the base for other popular hiking tracks up into the Kaimanawas – the Umukarikari and Urchins Tracks.

As mentioned above and in previous blogs, TRM’s tourists have long suggested that a suitable compromise is to offset the loss of downstream fishing opportunities by developing new access on both sides above the existing limits, up to the Poutu Intake.

Thank you again for all the support – it has been amazing and has encouraged us to pursue the matter further.

If they refuse then you can probably assume they most likely may have something to hide.

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