A DOC ranger preps Cameron Hut on the Hurunui for a fresh lick of paint
In the latest of our ‘People of Te Araroa’ series we have a kōrero with Cat Wilson, director of heritage and visitors at the Department of Conservation (DOC).
As prospective Te Araroa walkers will quickly realise, this is the New Zealand government entity in charge of public conservation lands — about one-third of the country’s total area. It includes emblematic features such as national parks, Great Walks, Milford Sound, the Tongariro Crossing, a significant chunk of Te Araroa, and all the huts, campsites, toilets, bridges and other infrastructure they need. This massive job is accomplished on a comparatively small budget, which is always under pressure. Cat talks about it with candour, enthusiasm and humour.
Partnering with Te Araroa is rewarding for Cat, but it can’t compare with the thrill of watching her two sons climb some of the trail’s hardest hills.
“As they’ve grown up, walking bits of Te Araroa with them around Nelson Lakes has been really special.
“You’re walking up a giant hill and it’s a real trudge. But the jubilation when you get to the top…”
Cat came to DOC five years ago from the natural resources sector, via the Ministry for the Environment and Biosecurity New Zealand.
What she most treasures about her role is helping people connect with nature, but she knows DOC can’t do that alone.
“The partnerships we create are really important.”
One of the key ones is with Te Araroa.
The ‘Te Araroa Tracks’ section on DOC’s website lists some 80 tracks that are on public conservation land, managed by DOC and part of Te Araroa Trail.
Alphabetically, they travel from the Alpine Route in the Richmond Ranges to the Whanganui River journey.
The geographic range, meanwhile, is from the Cape Reinga/Te Rerenga Wairua Lighthouse Walk to the Foveaux Track along the Motupōhue (Bluff) coastline; and thousands of kilometres of trail in between.
We ask Cat what she’s most proud of about what DOC has done on those tracks over the past year.
“How we’ve strengthened the resilience of the trail.
“Everyone across New Zealand has been struggling with extreme weather events and I know that’s been disruptive for a lot of walkers.
“Over the last 12 months, over several regions, we’ve been able to get in there and repair damage quickly. And where possible, rebuild better than before, to ensure walkers get a more consistent and safer experience, even where we know conditions can change very rapidly.”
At times, DOC teams had to helicopter in materials and work around tough access challenges to reinstate sections of the track after slips.
An example was the Motatapu Track, which had to be re-routed.
“That was a real highlight – staff were camping onsite for days to get it opened before the start of the walking season.”
Another is the shared work she and Te Araroa Trust executive director Matt Claridge did to secure International Visitor Levy funding toward two large capital projects on Te Araroa: the Longwoods track remediation in Southland, and the new Whangaehu Bridge south of Whanganui.
Way-finding improvements was another area were DOC contributed, Cat says.
“There are a few complex and less-obvious sections of Te Araroa where we know people have struggled to find their way at times, so we’ve really worked to improve the signage and markers.
“It sounds simple, but we know what a huge difference that makes for people’s experience and their safety.”
An example of this is new snow-pole markers in the Richmond Range and the Red Hills, where TA hikers have had navigation problems in the past.
Volunteering is another work area Cat is proud of.
“We’ve heard some incredible stories of volunteers from local groups turning up rain, hail or shine because they feel such a strong connection to the trail.”
She cited wasp control work in the Richmond Range as one case of that.
Another highlight in the last year is one with results that walkers may not be able to see, but will definitely hear, Cat says.
“Where there’s been trapping, predator control and habitat restoration along the trail, people will hear the birdsong returning to places where it had been really quiet before.”
Te Araroa walkers have a vital role
Cat hopes Te Araroa walkers feel part of the huge task of protecting and improving not only the trail, but also the land and communities it passes through.
“It’s really important walkers who are taking advantage of Te Araroa do their bit, because Te Araroa is all about a really shared effort.
“It crosses a lot of public conservation land, there’s private land and community-managed sections – and all of that relies on a huge amount of goodwill and ongoing investment from those who work on the trail and keep it open and running.
“When walkers register and donate, they need to know they’re directly supporting the upkeep of the trail.
“They’re creating an environment where it will be there in the future for other walkers who will get to experience that emotional response you get from walking the length of an entire country.
“And it’s not just about track maintenance, signage and infrastructure, it’s also about respect. And acknowledging that this incredible experience doesn’t happen by accident, it’s cared for by a lot of people.”
We ask what it means to DOC to be a key partner of the nation’s trail.
“DOC’s hugely proud of helping deliver Te Araroa. The wide range of communities and landscapes… It’s a really rich connection to the length of the country.
“It sits up there with our Great Walks and our Great Rides as world-renowned experiences that DOC has a part in.”
And to Cat personally?
“I just think there’s something very powerful about a trail that links the very top of the North Island to the very bottom of the South.
“As ‘Doccies’ we’ll dip in and out of the length of the country, but it’s pretty magic to be able to experience it all, at a slow pace as you’re walking.”
We discuss how Te Araroa is guided by its Whakahou (regenerative) trail philosophy: the resolve that Te Araroa should always give more than it takes, helping make everything better – trail, land, environment, communities. Cat nods in recognition.
“it’s really important to us that people walking Te Araroa, or any DOC track, aren’t just there passively taking a photo of a maunga [mountain] or an awa [river] or whatever place they’re in. But instead that it’s about connection to that place. And part of that is giving back.
“So we are supporting that in the way we reduce erosion and make things more resilient, upgrade the infrastructure so we’re protecting sensitive areas, kauri forests for example. Or integrating conservation work like pest control and habitat restoration along the trail.
“Having a deeper connection with nature is key, and certainly we are encouraging walkers to be kaitiaki [guardians], looking after the places and communities they pass through.”
Quiet milestones
Is there anything Cat is looking forward to delivering for Te Araroa in the coming seasons?
“We’re continuing to look at the consistency of the experience, so that wherever you are on the trail you know what to expect, in terms of safety and quality.
“And that applies whether you’re in a remote back country section or a more accessible area like central Wellington — like the markers going through the central business district, which I see every morning.
“We definitely know we’ve got work to do to improve resilience, with more extreme weather.
“And we’re really looking forward to deepening our partnerships. With Te Araroa it’s pretty strong, and there’s more we can do to keep growing that.
“But also with others – iwi [tribes], communities, other organisations. Because that’s what’s going to make the trail sustainable in the long term, and enduring, which is our goal.”
One thing that had been particularly rewarding in the partnership with Te Araroa Trust was working together on the new Trail Pass, which this year offers even better value in its package of discounted DOC huts, campsites and other facilities.
“I think that has been a success.
“And just getting more aligned in terms of work requirements, where investment’s needed, how can DOC do its bit.
“And Te Araroa Trust is really bringing some of that strong volunteer input as well, which has just been really key, just being connected up on that.
“I’m thrilled with how it’s going.”
Our last question is whether Cat has any message for prospective hikers thinking of walking Te Araroa this coming season, particularly international visitors.
“Do it! But go in prepared, and take your time. It’s a really incredible journey, but it’ s not an easy one.
“In New Zealand conditions can change really quickly and that can be a bit different for people coming from the other side of the world, and how remote [sections of the trail are].
“So it does require quite a different level of experience and fitness. And respecting the environment, but also making sure you’re doing really good planning and looking out for yourself and others.
“But also appreciating where you are. We know that some of the best moments aren’t the big milestones, necessarily, but rather they’re the quiet ones: the sunrises, connecting to the people walking the trail with you.
“Or it’s the sound of the birds in the bush as they come in a bit of a wave.
“It’s those moments that are going to stay with people, and what we’re really after is people having that deeper connection with nature. And you’ve got to take the time to do that.”
DOC investment in Te Araroa
DOC’s average annual spend on TA since 2022 is in the order of hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to figures shared by the department.
It’s important to note that TA walkers are not the only users getting value from this spend. But in many places, TA walkers would be one of the major user groups of DOC infrastructure.
The spend includes materials, transport and labour, and covers work on many types of infrastructure used by, or at the service of, TA walkers.
These include tracks, campsites, huts, toilets, stiles, boardwalks, bridges, helipads, platforms, barriers, retaining walls, and a jetty.
A DOC summary of the work says there were five broad types of work: preventive, corrective, inspection, field and project.
Examples of specific work done in three areas:
- Auckland area: dealing with surface water and maintaining markings and structures; designing and installing replacement signage, particularly around farming; dealing with fallen trees; verifying integrity and safety compliance of structures and tracks.
- Northern North Island: track maintenance and repairs; QR‑code sign checks; drainage work; mowing; ensuring route clarity; dealing with rapid vegetation growth; responding to severe Cyclone Gabrielle impacts on Mangamuka Track (Raetea Forest)and other tracks, boardwalks, campsites, and huts, including installing swales, repairing step cleats, reattaching rails and repairing damage from floodwater.
- Northern South Island: vegetation and windfall clearance, marking checks, ensuring safe navigation and minimising slip and obstruction risk — the region’s rugged terrain demanding regular proactive maintenance; repairing washouts, clearing windfalls, responding to fish‑passage issues, and undertaking more complex work such as blasting or substantial trimming; removing hazards and restoring critical infrastructure after large‑scale weather events; track, hut and other structural inspections — high asset density meaning inspections are a major component of the region’s workload; resolving water leaks, mowing, cleaning, and fee collection, all essential to functioning of high‑use visitor facilities, given that field presence is essential in this busy, remote network; project work including CAPEX bridge replacements and grey‑water system repairs for huts, addressing long‑term structural needs.
Another point to note is that registered Te Araroa walkers contribute to DOC’s trail work, with a large portion of the Te Araroa Trail Pass walkers get in their registration pack going to support DOC’s operations, and the balance funding the Te Araroa Trust’s volunteer network (which also often ends up supporting DOC’s efforts).
