Pokeka        alternative access
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  The track to Pokeka at present leaves the end of the Waitotara valley road, and follows a paper road through farmland to a forest boundary some 5 - 6 km away. Unfortunately the access at the road end is controlled by the farmer who runs a tourist hunting venture. Because of this he denies all access to hunters, and denies access to trampers when he has "clients". Yet the DoC publication giving the Recreation Opportunities Review decisions of this area state that this "landowner has advised that existing access over his land remains available" and give this as one reason for not relocating this track to our Conservation estate adjacent. The other reason for not relocating the track is that it "would be seen as provocative to the adjacent landowner who has concerns about hunters trespassing / poaching and stock disturbance." (p 36).
DoC Wanganui acknowledges that this farmer grazes DoC land, including the ecologically valuable Rotokohu wetlands, with no licence. He has been allowed to farm deer on the boundary of a forest that, until recently, had not been invaded by this particular pest. Yet DoC don't want to provoke him by removing Pokeka track from his land (it is a public road!) and relocating it in adjacent DoC land!!! Here is a chance to have hunters control the deer that invade this part of the forest and DoC is not interested. One has to wonder what is going on here.

Therefore it was perhaps not surprising that in the original Recreation Opportunities proposals, DoC decided to close this track. With the huge public submissions against this proposal though, the next decision was to simply not maintain the track. (It hasn't been maintained for ages anyway!) Because this was such a contentious issue, the final decision was to seek community maintenance. Sounds fine. But newspaper articles since the release of the final proposals have DoC Whanganui making it quite clear that without community maintenance, the track AND Pokeka hut AND Maungarau hut would go, and no shelters would be built to replace them. The official DoC publication does not state this requirement for the huts. Again, what is going on here?
DoC is disinterested in Wanganui Tramping Club's alternative proposal to bridge the river near the road end and provide this route to Pokeka, through totally DoC land. It would be undoubtedly the most scenic track in the whole of this forest. (see photos). A number of other opportunities would result from this bridge that do not result if the bridge is built at Kapara which is the DoC intention. (we wonder if this bridge only happens if the community maintains the tracks too?)
Other opportunities would be:

  • a very scenic loop track could go from the road end to the Rotokohu wetlands and back along the river as a Day visitor experience.
  • The Pungarehu rapids and lower Pokeka river are a scenic road end attraction when viewed from the other side of the Waitotara river to the road. A bridge would give this access.
  • A ridge top track to Trains hut would provide an unmarked alternative and more scenic route for remote seekers than is provided by the farm track that is the present access.
  • It overcomes the access issue given for the reason to close Pokeka track.

    All these photos are taken from DoC land on the alternative track proposed.
    Want more information on this alternative proposal?
 


  
a kahikatea grove on the proposed route

an alternative track to Trains along this ridge

 
 
 "farmed" Deer - on DoC land

a decent sized kahikatea tree

DoC land providing free grazing so why not an easier access too?

another view