Ngāti Rangi is delighted to announce the start of its much-awaited eco-tourism initiative, Te Ara o Mangawhero, having met all necessary requirements for its concession. Te Ara Mangawhero is a 21.3 km hiking / cycling trail located on the flanks of Mount Ruapehu connecting Tūroa and Ohakune.   Those who have been associated with the work leading up to the development of the trail are invited to gather at 1 Mountain Road, Ohakune next Tuesday 18 July 2023 for the turning of the f ..read more

It's time to support the next phase of ensuring our connected pathways deliver great experiences for locals and visitors.  The proposed Te Ara Mangawhero trail provides a safe connected alternative to Ohakune Mountain Road, and delivers a journey that travels over old bush tramways and tramping tracks, for a spectacular meander through the ngahere. This project is being led by Ngāti Rangi, for the community and as their part of Mountains to Sea - Nga Ara Tūhono connected pathways. Ngāti ..read more

The popular Ohakune Old Coach Road, opened in 2009, has helped to transform Ohakune tourism. Around 20,000 visitors annually enjoy the 18m ride or walk between Horopito and Ohakune that blends heritage and nature. The highlight is the massive Hapuawhenua railway viaduct 284m long and 45m (9 stories) high. This historic viaduct follows a graceful curve through a rimu forest setting. This week the Department of Conservation arranged for a condition inspection of the paint work on this massive stee ..read more

Sunday’s ANZAC Day gathering in the Mangapurua Valley is a contender for NZ’s most remote commemoration. Wounded Gallipoli survivors were amongst the 71 returned WW1 soldiers that from 1917 took up land in the Mangapurua soldier settlement scheme. Many started families there with wives prepared to build a dream in the harsh remote conditions. Descendants retain a strong connection with the valley and come from afar to meet there on Anzac Day every second year. In this remote valley up the Wh ..read more

Concrete seems really strong and likely to last forever … but it can deteriorate. The large concrete Bridge to Nowhere requires attention to preserve it as a heritage feature long-term. This is like dental work: remove the plaque then find and fill the defects when they are small.  ..read more

The vision of truly connected pathways from Mountains (Tūroa) to the Tasman Sea (Whanganui) is set to become a reality thanks to the announcement by the Minister of Regional Development Shane Jones, that the Ruapehu sections to trails will receive $4.6 million in funding from the Provincial Growth Fund.  This coupled with existing funding that was held over from the original NZ Cycle Trails development under the last government means work will get underway on the final sections. (Total inv ..read more