Mauao Summit Track Reopens as Base Track Recovery Begins

Tauranga City Council has completed repairs on the Mauao summit Motukauri 4WD track following severe weather in January, though a reopening timeline remains unconfirmed. Recovery manager Charlie Rahiri stated that restoration work has now shifted to the base track, Te Ara Tūtanga, as the council manages the complex, high-hazard environment created by 42 separate landslides across the mountain’s primary trails.

Landslide Impact and Remediation Progress

The damage to Mauao, a 232m mountain, followed a January storm that dumped 274mm of rain in 24 hours. According to WSP NZ, the firm contracted to assess the site, the weather event caused 42 landslides across the mountain’s three main walking tracks. Of those, 24 slips were categorized as severe enough to require significant remediation rather than simple debris removal. The base track, Te Ara Tūtanga, sustained the most extensive damage with 31 affected areas, while the Motukauri 4WD summit track recorded seven. Other structural damage included destroyed wooden steps near the northern campground and undercutting of track widths.

Operational Challenges for Public Access

Tauranga City Council recovery manager Charlie Rahiri noted that returning access to the mountain must be done “gradually and carefully.” While the summit track is repaired, the base track remains a high-hazard zone due to the scale of the slips. Current efforts are focused on clearing debris from tracks and adjacent beach areas to facilitate further restoration. Because of the active nature of the recovery, some sections of the mountain will stay closed to the public while others may reopen once safety assessments are finalized. Rahiri emphasized that the project is intended to restore connections between the community and the mountain, though he provided no specific date for when visitors might return to the closed sections.

Future Risk Assessment and Recovery Outlook

The reopening of Mauao’s tracks is likely to depend on ongoing geotechnical evaluations of landslide risk. As contractors continue to clear debris and stabilize slopes, the council expects that recovery timeframes will become clearer over the coming months. The January storm remains a significant point of context for the current recovery efforts, as one of the landslides triggered by the weather event struck the Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park, resulting in six deaths. The council has indicated that safety remains the primary factor in all decisions regarding public access to the mountain’s network of tracks.