As Aucklanders head outdoors during Easter to enjoy the warm autumn days,
visitors to the stunning Te Ngāherehere o Kohukohunui / Hūnua Ranges are being reminded
by Auckland Council to play their part in protecting one of the region’s most important
natural assets.
Visitors to the stunning Te Ngāherehere o Kohukohunui / Hūnua Ranges are being reminded by Auckland Council to play their part in protecting one of the region’s most important natural assets.
The ranges are the largest remaining native forest in the Auckland region and, critically, they remain free of the deadly kauri dieback disease, says the council.
With more people expected to explore the popular Hūnua Traverse cycling route and surrounding tracks over the Easter break, the council says it encourages everyone to follow hygiene rules carefully.
A 2023 survey confirmed that 95 per cent of kauri in the ranges are healthy, a remarkable achievement when compared with nearby forests such as the Waitākere Ranges, where the soil-borne pathogen has already taken hold.
The council’s policy, planning and development committee chair, councillor Richard Hills, says Te Ngāherehere o Kohukohunui / Hūnua Ranges represents a vital stronghold for the ancient trees.
“Te Ngāherehere o Kohukohunui / Hūnua Ranges is the last large kauri forest in our region still free of kauri dieback, and that’s something we all have a role in protecting.
“We want people to enjoy these incredible places over Easter, ride the Traverse, explore the bush and spend time in nature but please follow the hygiene rules.
“They exist to protect a taonga that can’t protect itself. It’s on all of us to protect our forests across Tāmaki Makaurau for today and for future generations,” Hills says.
The Hūnua Traverse runs between Clevedon and Kaiaua along 26 kilometres of Watercare service roads, climbing to elevations of more than 1100 metres.
Riders and walkers pass two scenic reservoirs and travel through towering stands of kauri and rimu.
The forest is also alive with birdsong, including the distinctive call of the reintroduced kōkako, along with tūī, bellbird and even the occasional kārearea, the native falcon.
Senior ranger Bronwen Lehmann says most visitors are trying to do the right thing, but hygiene stations are not always being used correctly.
“We’re really grateful for the high level of compliance we see in the Hūnua Ranges, especially from riders using the Traverse.
“But our monitoring shows that while many people attempt to use the kauri dieback stations, they’re not always scrubbing and spraying properly.
“Walkers tend to comply better than horse riders and mountain bikers.”
The council says visitors must scrub soil from footwear and tyres and spray them at the hygiene stations before entering and leaving the forest and at the additional four stations along the ride.
Coming in clean also helps prevent the spread of other threats, including Myrtle Rust, pest plant seeds, and even tiny wildlife such as skink eggs.
“Enjoy the adventure, take in the incredible scenery but please clean your gear and stick to open tracks,” Lehmann says.
“A few extra seconds at the hygiene station can help keep the Te Ngāherehere o Kohukohunui / Hūnua Ranges disease-free for generations.”
