TLC for Tongariro track

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 480, 6 April 1993, Page 10

TLC for Tongariro track

The Tongariro Crossing, often described as the best one day walk in New Zealand, is in danger of being 'loved to death'. Together with thousands of pairs of New Zealand boots an equal number of foreign feet annually walk the track from the Mangatepopo Valley up and over Mt Tongariro. All this attention in a volcanic area, where the soil is highly erodible, has resulted in severe damage to parts of the track. To help stem the flow of erosion and track damage the Department of

Conservation commissioned APR Consultants Limited, a multi-disci-pline company based in Rotorua, to investigate ways of minimising environmental damage, and up-grade the track. Although APR was given the brief in April 1992, heavy snow and bad weather hampered much of the initial research work. "The type of pressure this track is subjected to is probably unprecedented in New Zealand," said Paul Richardson, an engineer with APR. "In its current stage a significant length of the

track does not provide ad'equate protection of the natural environment, nor has the track been constructed to an adequate standard to meet current and future user demand," he said. Mr Richardson believes that the experience of the Tongariro Crossing is devalued by the environmental degradation that the high number of users cause. The current condition of the track is not capable of sustaining this use, he says. APR's report presented yesterday to the Department o f

Conservation, investigates several management options. The most desirable option focuses on reconstructing sections of the track most affected by uncontrolled water run-off, short-cuts and the multiplications of paths. "At the moment we're testing different surface

agents as well as greywacke, to see what works best," said senior conservation officer Terry Slee. "It's not just a matter of resurfacing the track - tracks have to tempt people to use them otherwise they'll just walk all over the place and we won't have solved any-

thing." "We are reviewing past techniques and hoping to come up with an economical and longlasting track surface which will work in this , volcanic area and other highly erodible ground," Mr Slee said. Because of the short construction time avail-

able, people walking the track won't notice much of a change for the next two to three years. The aim is, however, to have an environmentally sensitive area of high quality track which will require little maintenance and provide a safe and enjoyable experience for the visitor.