Tongariro National Park Wildfire 2025

About the Wildfire

• The smoke could be seen billowing from as far as Taupō.
• This fire caused the changed landscape you will see as we drive to the start of the track.
• For those visitors who have done this walk or visited the park in the past, it won’t look quite like it did before. From the scorch marks on the pou Te Ririo, to the blackened landscape, it’s a sobering view.
• As of Monday, November 17th, we’re so happy the track is open, and we’re inviting people to visit respectfully, to come back with a sense of awe and compassion for this place.
• You will see Te Ririo once we get to the start of the trail. Te Ririo serves as a kaitiaki, or guardian, for those who walk the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.

Messages 

• Please keep to the tracks at all time as the burnt area is subject to a restorative rāhui, which allows time and space for the land to be naturally restored. We know there will be a temptation to get closer to where the fire was, but it is really important to stick to the tracks and let this area heal.
• You will notice the start of the track and Mangatepopo Hut, around a kilometre into your journey, were spared by the fire – this was thanks to the amazing efforts of those fighting the fire, but also a little bit of good luck – and the protection of Te Ririo!

Park Closures

• Initial assessments are that the Mangatepopo (Ditch) Track - the first day of the Tongariro Northern Circuit Great Walk has been significantly impacted and will need significant investment before it is opened again.
• Mangatepopo Road and the car park have suffered some damage and the car park is currently unsafe to use. While the car park is assessed and repairs are arranged, transport to the Tongariro Alpine Crossing will be limited to shuttle drop-offs and pick-ups for safety reasons.
• Private cars are not allowed to enter Mangatepopo Road.

Tongariro National Park Biodiversity

• The Tongariro National Park is home to alpine and sub alpine shrub-lands, scrub, tussock grasslands and alpine herb fields.
• The fire has been devastating and burned almost 3000 hectares, which will have a significant impact on biodiversity.
• It is still too early to speak to the long-term effects to ecosystems, flora and fauna at place but what we can say is that with a fire of this magnitude, we will see significant damage to the biodiversity in the area.
• The many native plants and animals found here are not unique to Tongariro (although more than 80% are unique to New Zealand), but the way they interact with each other within a volcanic landscape are.
• We expect the fire will be devastating for species like the at-risk fern birds and pipits and the many invertebrate species found in the area like short-horned grasshopper (Sigaus pilifer), moths, butterflies (e.g. North Island Boulder Copper) and beetles, and the orchid species present, many of which are presently flowering.
• Unfortunately, we expect some weeds will grow back faster than natives. Many weed species are wind dispersed, fire adapted, have long-lived seeds and large seed banks - suckers and shoots resprout from burnt stumps.
• We can expect to see weeds like heather, broom, gorse and wilding conifers thriving post-fire but the Department of Conservation is working with Ngāti Hikairo ki Tongariro to develop a restoration plan to try to knock out as many of these weed plants from adjoining land as quickly as possible.
• One of the key characteristics of this ecosystem is its ability to regenerate, with the vegetation in the park having a history of volcanism and fire.
• Restoration is likely to involve protecting the area from reinvading weeds, while allowing the naturally resilient vegetation to recover on its own.
• Initial vegetation recovery will be dominated by native red tussock which represents a natural, early ecosystem state following significant disturbance.
• In time, and with ongoing weed and browser control, native woody species will establish (for example hebe, kānuka, mānuka). Halls tōtara and mountain toatoa are dispersed by birds and will establish much later.
• Fortunately, the fire has not impacted the significant brown kiwi population nearby across the highway in Tongariro Forest.
• There are the records of kiwi occasionally found in the affected area but it is not considered to be a large or significant population.

How can visitors help the wildfire recovery?

• To help the environment recover as quickly as possible we are asking people to stay out of the affected area, except for tracks and facilities DOC has reopened.
• DOC will conduct a full biodiversity impact assessment, from this, there will likely be opportunities for people to be involved in the long-term recovery of the whenua.

Although the path to recovery is long, we look forward to welcoming more visitors from around the world to explore this special part of Aotearoa New Zealand.