2 May 2014

 

Most of the West Coast Wilderness Trail is open for business following the devastating Easter Thursday storm, but one section will require significant remedial work.

 

The section of the Trail from the Milltown Forestry Track (Mawhera Land) to Cowboy Paradise is closed until further notice.

 

A detour is in place to allow Trail users to continue full access of the Trail from Greymouth to Hokitika.

 

“A large number of significant trees were dislodged or uprooted during the storm in this particular section of the Trail,” said Peter Anderson, Operations Manager with Westland District Council.

 

“This will require a carefully planned and executed recovery and repair programme that we anticipate will take up to two months.

 

“We need to work with sensitivity to the environment and with a strong focus on safety, so this is not a task that can be rushed,” said Anderson.

 

The programme of work will include clearing wind fallen trees and repairs to the damaged track surface. A detour has been established to ensure Trail users continue to have full access to their ride from Greymouth through to Hokitika while the repair work to this section is completed.

 

The detour includes access to Cowboy Paradise. West Coast Wilderness Trail service providers are all back to full operational delivery following the interruption of the storm.

 

Regular updates on the repair work will be posted at www.westcoastwildernesstrail.co.nz