Access updates
Wairere Falls is closed: give the repair work room
The track, car park and toilets are closed for repairs. DOC is aiming for the end of November, and visitors entering the worksite are causing delays.
Cover photo: DOC, via DOC. Reused under CC BY 4.0; displayed to fit. DOC image reuse policy.
Checked 24 September 2026.
Wairere Falls needs to come off the weekend plan for now. DOC says the whole track, car park and toilets are closed while safety and improvement work is carried out.
The closure began on 7 September 2026. In its 18 September update, DOC gives the end of November as the planned full reopening, but warns that people entering the worksite are already slowing things down.
Part of the track had been shut since mid-2025 because of rock instability. The current project is intended to address those problems and allow the full walk to reopen. This is an active construction site, with structures at different stages of work.
Make a different plan before you leave
Our suggestion is to choose an alternative outing at home, then check that destination’s own access information. Turning up at Wairere to see whether you can get through only puts the decision at the wrong end of the drive.
Keep any saved itinerary or group message up to date too. If you organised the trip a while ago, someone may still be working from an older plan.
The official DOC notice is the source for this update; follow current DOC information and on-site closures when planning a future visit.
Once you have chosen an alternative walk that is open and suits your group, our New Zealand day-walk gear guide can help you work through the kit for that outing.
Updated 26 September 2026: shortened the wording for easier reading.