Farmer blocks track linking to Shania Twain's land

A Wanaka farmer is vowing to stop the Department of Conservation building a track across his land as part of the nationwide Te Araroa Trail.

The track along the Fernburn, also known as Jack Hall Creek, is a condition of Canadian singer Shania Twain's 2004 purchase of the Motatapu and Mt Soho station pastoral leases.

Alpha Burn Station farmer Don McRae confirmed to the Otago Daily Times yesterday that DOC workers had been at the creek.

He said the track was going straight through his deer farm, and he aimed to stop the work as soon as he could.

Marginal strips up the Fernburn became available for public access when the tenure review of Alpha Burn Station was finished recently. Otago conservator Jeff O'Connell said recently DOC always intended to put in a track.

But Mr McRae and DOC disagreed over whether the marginal strips exist all the way up the creek to the boundary of Motatapu Station.

DOC has said the Fernburn was capable of carrying 1000 trampers a year to Macetown by the end of its third year of operation and 2000 by 2011.

When linked to a section of track already started on Motatapu Station, the track will provide access from Motatapu Rd to the Stack Conservation Area and beyond as part of the three-day track to Arrowtown to be opened in October.

- NZPA