Ranger regards work on track ‘pointless’

Press, 28 March 1980, Page 2

Ranger regards work on track ‘pointless’

Any attempt to improve the track round Crayfish Point on the Heaphy Track is pointless because of periodic slips and wash-outs in bad weather, according to the forest ranger at Karamea (Mr N. Stopforth). Mr Stopforth was asked yesterday to comment on criticisms of the track made by an Australian tramper, Mr Tony Nolan, and reported in “The Press” yesterday. Mr Stopforth said that the point was “a moving scree slide of rotten granite.” There had been plenty of attempts to improve the track there and several years ago a team of Army men spent several days realigning that section of the track.

“But when the next big tide came it was wiped out by slips,” said Mr Stopforth.

Mr Nolan had suggested that the track be re-routed to avoid Crayfish Point, but Mr Stopforth said that this was impossible because the country inland of the point rose steeply to a height of 920 m.

Mr Nolan also asked that tide charts be supplied. Mr Stopforth said that they had

f been put in the huts in the past, but had been stolen by trampers. However, he would suggest to the forest park’s advisory committee that it supply tide charts in the Heaphy Hut, at the Ka a ramea end of the track, and at each side of Crayfish Point, perhaps mounted in a frame and covered with perspex.

If trampers “used a bit of commonsense” there was no danger at the point, said Mr Stopforth. “You just look at the sea. If the waves are breaking up against the foot of the hill the tide must be in, and you just have to sit it out for a couple of hours.” Mr Stopforth said that of the 3000 trampers who regularly made the walk each year, only a handful ever told the Forest Service that Crayfish Point had been any danger to them. However, if people were concerned that the signs were not clear, they would be changed.

“We have already commissioned a man to re-word the signs. The signs will then say not to cross at high tide butead of saying it may be dangerous to cross at that time,” said Mr Stopforth.