Te Araroa Trail Trust has launched a fundraiser to reroute some sections of the trail through the Longwood Forest Conservation Area, west of Otautau and Riverton, and build boardwalks across other parts to make the walk a bit less muddy and a bit more pleasurable.
Trust executive director Matt Claridge said the Longwood Forest section of the trail had been deteriorating over the past six years and in some of its worst parts, walkers were battling through waist-deep mud.
"With more walkers going through, they typically look to try and avoid the mud, so they go wider and that, of course, ends up making it worse or widening the mud bath.
"It’s a really fragile area," Mr Claridge said.
The trust was working with the Department of Conservation (Doc) to help protect the ecosystem and allow it time to recharge back to its natural state.
The reroute would still take walkers across the top of the Longwood Forest, but via a minor detour.
"The Longwoods is stunning and beautiful. It’s the most southern forest, so it’s got its own unique ecological environment."
A 1 km boardwalk would initially be installed between Martin’s Hut and Turnbull’s Hut.
"That part of the trail is important to both Doc and the Te Araroa Trust, which is why we’re doing our bit to fundraise for the boardwalk," Mr Claridge said.
"It’s a cool little community project."
He expected the project’s first phase to cost $150,000.
Donations had already been received from the Southland community and various trusts towards its first goal of $30,000.
Invercargill Prison inmates would build prefabricated boardwalk rafts that would be installed by Backcountry Trust volunteers.
"There’s a huge number of people in the community that want to go and do the good work in the backcountry so they can enjoy it, but then others can enjoy it."
The trail, which officially opened in 2011, is walked by about 2000 people annually and countless more walk the different sections.
About 40% of the trail crosses private land but the remainder is owned by Doc.
Mr Claridge said protecting the physical and ecological environment was an important goal of developing the trail.
"We ask walkers to register, and we ask international walkers to pay their way. So effectively, it’s a user-pays trail."
The trust employs one trail manager and a fulltime trail maintenance worker.
"With 3000km we can’t cover it all, so we’re looking to build our volunteer network."
— Toni McDonald
