A popular Hunua Ranges Regional Park river crossing gets a major upgrade this month to improve access to surrounding tracks and showcase the impressive 30-metre high Hunua Falls.
Auckland Council’s southern regional parks team has fast-tracked a new $350,000 bridge. This replaces the aging footbridge that carried countless visitors from Falls Road carpark across the Wairoa River at the western edge of the regional park.
All tracks accessed by crossing the river are closed until mid-September while the bridge replacement is under way. This includes the Hunua Falls Lookout and Upper Loop tracks, and the internationally renowned Cossey Massey Loop Track (combining Massey, Wairoa-Cossey and Cossey Gorge tracks in an 8km day walk).
A short walk to the Hunua Falls will remain open while access to the Falls Rd car park is available. Visitors are advised to check online before leaving home as intermittent car park closures may be required: Hunua Ranges Regional Park (aucklandcouncil.govt.nz)
With around 300,000 people visiting this area in the past year and its popularity growing, Southern Principal Ranger Trent Taylor says the new bridge will be more resilient to climate-related weather events and offer better accessibility.
“This new bridge is one of many enhancements we've made after severe flooding impacted the area in early 2023, recognising this site as a key attraction and entry point to the Hunua Ranges Regional Park for many Aucklanders and visitors alike.”
“We’ll have a fitting gateway to this unique environment – so more people can come and experience the sights this special area has to offer, now and well into the future,” says Trent Taylor.
Repairs to upper sections of the Massey Track will be completed during the bridge upgrade, addressing slip damage from last year’s storms.
Final maintenance to the Wairoa-Cossey Track will be finished at the same time, completing an extensive upgrade that has occurred over several years and enabling the track to reopen once the new bridge is in place.
Road maintenance is also set to be completed in August.
Once the new bridge opens in mid-September, access to the following tracks will be fully restored:
- Massey Track
- Cossey Gorge Track
- Wairoa-Cossey Track
- Hunua Falls Lookout Track
- Hunua Falls Upper Loop Track
