One of Waikato’s most popular natural attractions, the Wairere Falls Track, has reopened for visitors and locals to use.

But a local leader has criticised the Department of Conservation (DoC) for not getting on with the job sooner, with the total cost almost doubling early rough estimates.

The track had been closed in either a partial or full capacity since June 2025 after a 3m-wide boulder was tagged as a potential slip risk.

Repairs, initially estimated at $150,000 in May, have now ballooned to $420,000 to date.

Additional repairs included replacing the upper view platform, a bridge, platform and staircase, repairing a boardwalk damaged by rockfall, installing new safety barriers and signs, removing hazardous trees and general maintenance.

Waikato MP Tim van de Molen said while people, including himself, are delighted to have the track back open, he noted the frustration from regular users about how long it took to fix.

Waikato MP Tim van de Molen is happy the track is back in use. Photo / Christel Yardley, Waikato Times

“DoC have a responsibility to be as efficient as they can and work hard to get an important track like this back open. I’m concerned they haven’t had that focus as well as they needed to,” van de Molen said.

“It should not take at the end of 18 months to reopen a walking track in the Waikato ... having said that we’ve got it now open and I know iwi [Ngāti Hinerangi, Ngāti Hauā, and Raukawa] have been involved locally so I want to acknowledge all of their support too.”

DoC eastern North Island manager Jessyca Bernard said the repairs were made within the intended timeframe in order to open before summer.

“Several factors influenced the closure’s duration, including geo-technical assessments, engineering design, procurement of specialist contractors, and the complexities of undertaking work in a challenging environment,” Bernard said.

Wairere Falls Track is very popular with visitors to the region. Photo / Christel Yardley, Waikato Times

“Efficiency was a key consideration throughout the project. While the track was closed, DoC also replaced three structures nearing the end of their service lives. Completing these works at the same time avoided the need for further closures shortly after reopening and reduced future disruption for visitors.”

One of the happy locals roaming the track was Rhonda Fawcett, who said she “was counting down the days” until the track reopened.

Fawcett walked the track every week pre-closure, and says the tree clearance at the lookout makes for a view that “takes your breath away”.

Wairere Falls Track is now back open for business, much to the delight of local Rhonda Fawcett. Photo / Mark Taylor, Waikato Times

“Before you had to get right to the very edge of the lookout and you could see the waterfall ... now the view is absolutely stunning.”

The excitement was shared by fellow track user Andrew Burke, who saw the track was open from a Matamata community board Facebook post.

“It’s a lot better than what it was ... it makes you feel like you’re part of the waterfall,” he said.

“It’s a shame it took that long to do what they’ve done.”

Andrew Burke is stoked with the new and improved track – he just wishes it had reopened sooner. Photo/ Mark Taylor, Waikato Times

The economic boost for the area is substantive, according to Matamata-Piako District Mayor Ash Tanner, who said the track “draws people from all over the place”.

“There’s been a huge amount of interest [and] with something like that, you don’t realise how missed it is until you don’t have it,” Tanner said.

“I’ve done that quite a few times and used to hunt up the top there way back in the day. It’s a neat track and the views are spectacular.”

Looking forward to a busy summer period, van de Molen predicted the track will be “heaving” with visitors and locals alike.

“We’ll see full carparks most weekends, I imagine, through the summer and it’ll contribute to the local cafes, bed nights [and] visitor experiences as well.”

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.