A rainstorm and a never-ceasing battle with sandflies did not deter the efforts of conservation staff who, on their third attempt, have completed a new 3-wire bridge at Loch Maree, on the Dusky Track.

The Fiordland National Park track improvement is part of ongoing Department of Conservation’s three-year programme to repair the area after the destructive February 2020 flood.

The previous two attempts at fully constructing the bridge had to be postponed due to high river flows and the bridge site on the true left of Seaforth River being inundated with water, DOC programme engagement coordinator Helen Matthew said.

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“It is 60m from tower to tower, but 83m overall - so a big job. This will make the river crossing easier and the whole experience a lot drier for trampers,” Helen Matthew said. 

The staff had a huge sense of pride in completing the bridge, after a significant rainstorm flooded the work area and threatened their equipment, she said.

DOC’s Program Governance group, the Experience Design Team and other program-supporting personnel visited Fiordland last week to review the work successfully completed in Tranche 1.

Simply stunning . . . scenery from Loch Maree on the Dusky Track. PHOTO: DOC

They also got a first-hand experience at the site about the proposed work ahead for Tranche 2. 

“The feedback was positive and it was great to have everyone in town for those few days,” Helen Matthews said.

Tranche 1 of the project focused on repairing damage to five visitor sites during the 2020-21 summer season, with some of this work continuing as scheduled.

Contractors completed the Cleddau Flood Protection Scheme repair, and track repairs took place at the Humboldt Falls Track at the lower end of the Hollyford Road.

This track now open but other tracks accessed from the Hollyford Road remain closed.

Tranche 2 focuses on the medium-term reinstatement of visitor opportunities at selected sites in the northern part of the Fiordland National Park.

This includes the Lake Howden shelter and toilet, the Hollyford Track and the Chasm.

Scooping, assessment and planning work began in January and the project team will have a clearer picture of what needs to be done by mid-year. Iwi engagement has begun and stakeholder input is being sought.

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The Hollyford Track received significant damage and landslides, so a geological hazard assessment has been commissioned to inform any decisions about what to do there.

DOC has also commissioned a Climate Change Adaption Action plan to inform decisions and make sure the repairs will be resilient, considering future severe weather events.

Repairs to the last 3km to the damaged Hollyford Road are progressing and trampers should allow about 60 minutes to walk one way from the Girder Creek carpark to the track.

Priority fast-tracking and support processes are still in place for commissionaires whose operations were affected by the February 2020 storm.