Accessing the outdoors, one foothold at a time
This article is written in collaboration with the Aotearoa Climbing Access Trust.
The banner photo above shows the unusual rock formation in the Kura Tāwhiti Castle Hill Basin, which has long been a popular climbing destination. Pictured is Dark Castle, which is part of the 6ha Kura Tāwhiti reserve and is fenced for the protection of the Castle Hill Buttercup, a plant only found here.
Rock climbing access issues are coming into sharper focus, and the Outdoor Access Commission's public access maps can help climbers connect with the right people.
Climbing a cliff requires tenacity, and even getting access to the base of the crag can be tough.
Historically, the climbing community has faced the challenge of accurately identifying the relevant land types, administrative bodies, and key stakeholders (including mana whenua partners) for the areas they climb.
Developing relationships with the right people is key, and Herenga ā Nuku is here to help. For example, our new Tangata Whenua Map can help climbers know whom to approach to negotiate access to a particular crag.
The map displays different types of Māori land, which can be overlaid on the map of public access areas. This map shows places where the public has a legal right to access land, such as unformed legal roads (“paper roads”), marginal and esplanade strips alongside water, conservation land, parks and reserves. It also shows a variety of property information, hunting and fishing spots, and outdoor recreation information, such as walking trails, horse riding, cycle routes, and mountain bike tracks.
Climbers and hapū Ngati Te Maunga have built a positive relationship at Whanganui Bay. Photo credit Tom Hoyle.
A climber could use our Topographic Relief base map to pinpoint a cliff location, then overlay the Tangata Whenua Map, followed by the public access areas map. This would confirm which land parcel the crag sits within and identify possible access routes to it.
You can view all layers against a variety of detailed basemaps such as the LINZ Topographic basemap, aerial/satellite imagery and multiple simplified vector basemaps.
We provide these maps free for anyone to use. One of our statutory functions under the Walking Access Act 2008 is "compiling, holding, and publishing maps and information about land over which members of the public have walking access".
This data includes NZ Road Parcels, DOC Public Conservation Land, Reserves, Esplanade Reserves and Public Access Easements.
Kura Tahiti Scenic Reserve is marked in light green on WAMS, and the surrounding road parcels are in purple.
However, it’s important to note that not all legal access is physically or practically accessible or always open. For example, many unformed legal roads are physically impractical, and some public access easements can be temporarily closed for health and safety or farming reasons.
How to access your chosen crag or cliff
- Find your climbing area and check what public access exists:
- Open our Pocket Maps (on your phone) or WAMS mapping system (on a desktop).
- If you are on the desktop version, you can use our Tangata Whenua Map to check who has a mana whenua or territorial connection with the area in question. Note: this may be distinct from legal ownership, but it is no less important for negotiating access. From the map gallery, choose the Tangata Whenua Map.
- Choose a basemap from the tab at the top of the screen. As mentioned, a relief map will probably be most useful for climbers. In the desktop version, choose the Topographic Relief basemap. In Pocket Maps, choose the Light with Relief basemap.
- In the layers tab of either WAMS or Pocket Maps, also at the top of the screen, add the Public Access Areas map layer and as many of the following as you find useful: Recreation, Hunting and Fishing, Tracks and Trails, Property and Water.
WAMS mapping system
Tangata Whenua Map
Pocket Maps↓
- If it’s unclear to you whether public access exists, contact Aotearoa Climbing Access Trust to check, and to ask for support in obtaining it if not.
Contact Aotearoa Climbing Access Trust↓
- If you will need to cross private land, you should ask for permission first. This can be a good idea even when the maps show legal access. Some landowners may not be aware that, for example, an unformed legal road bisects their property. Also, they may have important information such as dates of closures for lambing or forestry operations, or there may be health and safety considerations you need to be aware of.
Advice for speaking to landholders
Gaining permission to access Māori land↓
- If it’s not going smoothly, or you’d just like some advice or guidance, contact your local Herenga ā Nuku Regional Field Advisor.
Herenga ā Nuku Regional Field Advisors.
More information: About Our Maps
Popular crag Kawakawa Bay is situated partly on public conservation land and partly on whenua Māori. Photo credit: John Palmer