Kauri Dieback and Le Roys Bush

Track closure and kauri dieback precautions

From early September, the track between the entrance at Le Roy Tce (including the entrance between 133 and 135 Hinemoa St) to the "Three Track Junction" will be closed to everyone except authorised contractors and volunteers who have a kauri dieback hygiene certificate.

If using the Le Roys Bush tracks which are not closed, please follow these steps to help save our kauri:

• Before you leave home, please wash your footwear, feet and pets' paws thoroughly in soapy water scrubbing off every speck of dirt

• Tip the dirty water down the sewer, not into a stormwater drain

• When you reach the reserve entrance, double check there is not a speck of dirt on your footwear or your pets' paws

• Spray your footwear (or feet if bare-footed) with the sterigene

• Keep to the track at all times - avoiding muddy patches - but don't step off the track - please report muddy patches to leroysbush@gmail.com with a photo and track location

• Keep your dog (or cat) on a leash and on track at all times - don't let them wander in the bush or water

• Please don't walk from one reserve to another without going home to thoroughly wash and scrub your footwear, feet and pets' paws

For more details about kauri dieback across Kaipatiki, please see: pestfreekaipatiki.org.nz/kauri-dieback

Non kauri reserves to explore:

Now that we know that Kauri Dieback has been found in Birkenhead at Kauri Park, the risk of losing our kauri forests is now critical. We need to encourage all bush users to lift their game and protect our kauri whether on public or private land.

To avoid the risk of spreading kauri dieback, the best thing people can do is to walk in non-kauri reserves - such as Onewa Domain, Chelsea, Kauri Point Domain (down Balmain Road) and the misnamed Kauri Point Centennial Park beyond Chatswood and in the non-kauri parts of Birkenhead War Memorial Park.

Temporary track closures until tracks are upgraded and new cleaning stations installed:

The most at risk reserves are Kauri Park and Muriel Fisher were closed in August. Odin Reserve and City View Reserve are closed (they have no tracks).

Tracks in Birkenhead War Memorial Park, Kauri Glen, Chatswood, Leigh, Le Roys Bush, Eskdale, Rangatira, Ferglen and some others are also closed. Investigations are underway as to whether other at risk tracks should be closed to the public - the only way to protect our kauri (and associated species) for future generations until board walks or dry tracks are built (hopefully not too far off).

Why we encourage people to thoroughly clean their footwear and their pets feet at home BEFORE going into ANY bush reserve (and not to visit more than one reserve without going home to wash)

As noted above, people are asked scrub and wash footwear and paws in warm soapy water and tip the washing water down the sewage drain (toilet or tub) - not the stormwater drain.

The sterigene spray at the track entrances will not kill any spores in muddy boots or pets paws. Washing off mud as you enter the reserve just spreads it round where other people can tread in it. So please remember, scrub and wash you footwear at home or work before you come to the reserve.

Please tell your friends, neighbours and others

And if you know joggers, dog walkers or others who like to go from reserve to reserve, please politely ask them to respect our kauri and to use reserves that don't have any kauri as listed above.

Otherwise, please go home and thoroughly wash your feet, footwear and pets' paws between reserves. Yes we know it's a pain. But do you want to be the person who brings kauri dieback spores into our wonderful reserve?

The risk of transferring phytophthera is very high. Let's spread the message and win the hearts and minds of all bush users.