Take Action

Respect the rāhui.

The most important thing you can do to protect kauri trees in the Waitākere Ranges is to respect the rāhui and stay away from the forest.

Find somewhere else.

Check out Auckland Council’s list of open tracks to find one near you.

Get social.

Show your support on social media by posting a photo of your walk in a kauri-friendly place using #RespectTheRahui to call on others to protect our kauri.

Make a sign.

Make a sign for your local track entrance saying “Waitākere Rāhui Area. Track closed to protect kauri forest. Please #RespectTheRahui and stay out of the forest. More information at www.waitakererahui.org.nz

Volunteer.

Thank you to all our community volunteers for helping to spread the word about the rāhui with leaflets and hosting meetings to educate your friends and whānau. Many people adopted a track entrance on our event weekends and educated visitors about kauri dieback and the rāhui. If you would like to join our mailing list to learn about other ways in which you can help the forest please sign up here.

Make a donation.

Kauri dieback disease has spread at an alarming rate through the Waitākere forest. Our forest is dying. Please help us by making a donation to keep fund the maintenance of the rāhui area billboards or buy one of our rāhui t-shirts from our online store.

The best thing you can do for our kauri trees is to #RespectTheRahui.

There are plenty of places to walk in Auckland that don’t threaten the safety of our kauri trees. Find one near you.

Te Kawerau ā Maki’s community partners who have supported them with the rāhui from the beginning are:

  • The Tree Council
  • Waitakere Ranges Protection Society
  • Forest & Bird
  • Friends of Regional Parks

In addition many organisations, businesses and clubs have stated that they are supporting the rāhui. These are listed below. If your organisation is respecting and supporting the rāhui, please let us know.

The Women’s Outdoor Pursuits Tramping Club.

The Women’s Outdoor Pursuits Tramping Club will not be taking any tramps in the Waitakere Ranges next year.

Whatipu Lodge and Campground

The Manager of the Whatipu Lodge and Campground Wayne Mackenzie has cancelled bookings and told his clients that the Hillary Trail is closed by the rāhui.

He stands to lose $12-$15,000 pa but says “I have all respect for Te Kawerau ā Maki as mana whenua and kaitiaki for their great forest of Tiriwa. We all need to support the rāhui and educate others.”

University of Auckland Tramping Club

Will not be tramping in the Waitakere Ranges out of respect for the rāhui

Auckland Catholic Tramping Club

Has rearranged its weekly tramping trips to avoid the Waitākere Ranges while the rāhui covers the Ranges

Soul Centre, Titirangi

Is holding a minute’s silence at the end of every class out of respect for the rāhui

Kāi/Ngāi Tahu Whānui ki Tāmaki Makaurau (Inc.)

Will not be using the Waitākere Ranges for any activities while the rāhui is in place.

UNITEC

Wrote to all staff & students informing them that they will not be using the Waitākere Ranges for any activities while the rāhui is in place.

Got to Get Out Facebook Group

Have moved activities to other parks out of respect for the rāhui.

Bigfoot Adventures

Have changed their entire Duke of Edinburgh programme and adjusted other events to make sure they are respecting the rāhui

Te Kura o Onekiritea, Hobsonville Point Secondary School

Have made changes to our start-of-school-year camp itineraries to ensure we do not do the forest walks to the waterfalls that had been planned last year. We are camping at Piha Mill and at Carey Park but we will stay well away from the forest and stick to the beach/other areas outside of the rāhui. As staff and students, we acknowledge Te Kawerau ā Maki as mana whenua and we know as a school community that we have an important role as we are all kaitiaki for Te Wao nui a Tiriwa.

Hillary Trail Marathon

Shaun Collins and Lactic Turkey cancelled the planned Hillary Trail Marathon through the Waitākere Ranges out of respect for the rāhui.

He said in a Facebook post that “this decision has not been taken lightly and has issues for many, but the ethos of our company and in fact one of the aims of the Hillary Trail Run Charitable Trust, is promoting the care and stewardship of the Waitākere Ranges.”

“We feel we need to respect the iwi’s request and support the rāhui until such a time that Council invests money into boosting the existing programme of education, hygiene station upgrades, track improvements and appropriate and scientific surveillance.’

“We sincerely hope that this happens and the trails will start to be opened with the iwi’s blessing and we can enjoy the trails again knowing we’re not spreading this disease.”

“If we went against the rāhui we would be adding to the confusion that exists at present in that iwi, environmentalists, scientists are saying we should stay out until recommended track and footwash upgrades are complete but the Auckland Council have left some tracks open for public to use. Our cancellation of the event is driven by the ideal that all of us should abide by the rāhui.”

“The Council has clearly signalled they are not going to implement the necessary park closure to protect kauri” says The Tree Council’s Secretary Mels Barton. “It is so heartening to see the leadership we need coming from within the community itself. Shaun is setting the standard to which we all can aspire”.

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