Summer work helps keep walkers' feet dry

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 13, Issue 593, 4 July 1995, Page 7 (Supplement)

Summer work helps keep walkers' feet dry

Summer 1994-95 was very busy for Tongariro National Park and other nearby DoC land, new Whakapapa field centre manager Dave Rothchild reports. He has taken o ver the post from Don B ogey who has departed to serve the department at Franz Joseph Glacier. Task Force Green workers were employed for six months to upgrade tracks and roads, and for possum control work. The Whakapapanui track, T aurewa track, Mangatepopo track and Tama Lakes track had their surfaces re-metalled, upside boards and cross boards replaced where necessary, and some board walks were built. Maintenance work was carried out on roads in the Tongariro Forest where culverts were cleared and vegetation was cut back. Approximately 2000 possums were trapped in the Erua Forest by the

Task Force Green worker. However, acontractor has been hired so as to ensure the protection of coprosma turneri an endangered native tree. A successful summer programme was run once again, with DoC staff carrying out tours of natural features within the park and guided walks of the ever-popular Tongariro Crossing. Several mid-summer fires caused by lightening strike in the Tongariro Forest were reported to the department by hunters and passing planes. These were quickly put out by helicopters using monsoon buckets. Coming up is a civil defence exercise based around a lahar from Mount Ruapehu. The aim of the exercise is to ensure DoC's safety plan works and everyone is quickly evacuated from the threatened areas. The visitors centres' ski history display is to be upgraded, with a video showing old ski footage and a mural by local artist Malcolm Warr.