But hard work and endeavour have seen most of the tracks re-opened and enjoyed again by the public of Tauranga.
You have to wonder what could possibly have delayed repairs on the Oruahine track to the point where it is unlikely to be used again until February, 13 months after it was damaged by landslips.
In June, when the base track was opened, Tauranga City Council declared the Oruahine track could be ready by September. The Oruahine track requires two new crib walls to fix two sections of the path. One crib wall was completed successfully in May, but red tape has tied up the second wall.
Consent applications and archeological consultations have been going back and forth between the council, local iwi, the Mauao Trust, a Mauao Steering Group and the New Zealand Historic Places Trust for the past six months.
According to the council, two forms of authority are required before works can begin. One is a resource consent, issued by council. The other is an archaeological authority, issued by Historic Places Trust.
It is this second authority that is creating problems and delays with one iwi still to grant approval.
Understandably, some locals are angry at the delay.
Climber Roger Mabbett agreed the track had been out of bounds for too long: "I'm just confused and dumbstruck that it's shut."
Bureaucracy has long been the bug-bear of business and can have serious ramifications on growth and progress.
But it hits home to all of us when something dear to us all, Mauao, is caught up in such ridiculous red-tape.
