Update - 19 July 2016

The Ōhope to Ōtarawairere Bay track should be completely opened by the end of this week. We will, however, be undertaking ongoing improvement works on the track over the coming months.

The Ōhope to Ōtarawairere Bay section of the Ngā Tapuwae o Toi Walkway will be closed for a month – from 13 June to 18 July – while contractors rebuild staircases and install barrier rails on the track leading down to the bay.

The closure will mean that walkers starting at the Whakatāne end of the coastal section of the walkway will need to take the track from Ōtarawairere Bay up to the Ōtarawairere housing area and then follow Ōtarawairere Road and Ōhope Road to gain through-access to Ōhope. Walkers starting from Ōhope will need to follow Ōhope and Ōtarawairere Roads to gain access to the walkway via the track down to the bay.

Whakatāne District Council Places and Open Spaces Manager Mike Naude says the closure is required for safety reasons. "The walkway will be totally impassable while the work crew is constructing staircases on sections where the track is benched into the hillside. With no alternative safe access available above or below the track, closure is the only safe option," he says.

The track leading from West End up to the viewing points on the headland will be open, but walkers will have to return by the same route.

"We appreciate that Ngā Tapuwae o Toi is very popular with walkers. The closure is timed to avoid the busiest times of year, but inevitably, there will be some inconvenience for regular walkers," Mr Naude adds. "This work is part of an ongoing upgrading process for the walkway and will significantly improve one of the most-walked sections of the track."