Track opened at National Park

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 3, Issue 31, 24 December 1985, Page 14 (Supplement)

Track opened at National Park

A newly discovered waterfall in a wilderness area of the Erua State Forest is now accessible to the public along a new track. The track begins at National Park and average walking time to the falls is about an hour and a half. Kevin Murcott, National Park's county foreman, noticed the falls when he was flying over the area with the late Roy Turner and began to cut a track into the dense forest. After four years of spare

time work, helped at first by Cyril Forbes and later by Alan McGinty of National Park, he got to the falls. Several weeks ago three NZ Forest Service workers, Bill Guinan, Bill Newman and Chris Fraser, all of Ohakune, began clearing the track for the public. Ray wise, environmental forest ranger for the NZ Forest Service at Karioi, said people are always looking for short walks and believes the track will be popular with locals as well as skiers in the winter.

If the track proves popular, Mr Wise said a lowprofile camp-site may be set up near the falls. The falls, which cascade into the Tuapakurua Stream which may provide the name of the falls, are surrounded by dense bush full of wild life including deer, goats and native birds. A number of other new tracks are to be opened shortly, including one in the Taurewa Forest and several for horses, trail bikes and walking in the Tongariro. State Forest.