DART TRACK REOPENS!!!
Feb 28, 2017
DOC Wakatipu staff are celebrating as trampers will again be able to complete the full Rees-Dart circuit from the 1 st March 2017.
The track reopens following a three year closure due to ongoing issues caused by the Te Koroka / Slip Stream area landslide.
To reopen the track has taken a team effort across a number of areas: 2.7km of track has been rerouted, 111m of blasting have taken place, 13m of stairways and 1 12m steel truss bridge have been installed. Numerous man hours, come rain or shine, have been needed for the hard slog of hand clearing debris such as fallen trees.
The landslide first occurred on 4 th January 2014 and formed a 3km long lake which appears to be here to stay. Initially the Department had to wait for the new lake and riverbank to stabilise so that a safe and enduring route could be found. Further delays were caused by the unstable weather and October 2016 weather bomb which caused large areas of treefall and sections of track to slip away.
Trampers are advised to contact the Queenstown or Wanaka DOC Visitor Centres for the latest information. Information is also available at www.doc.govt.nz
Source: Glenorchy DOC office. More to come vie regional media release.
Leave a comment