KEY POINTS:
Part of the Queen Charlotte Track is being temporarily closed from today so the land owner can carry out wild animal control.
Department of Conservation Sounds area manager Roy Grose said it was hoped the approximately one-kilometre section of the track between Kenepuru Saddle and Torea Saddle would only be closed for a matter of days.
Other parts of the 71km track in the Marlborough Sounds remain open.
"We regret the inconvenience caused to people by the closure of this small section of the Queen Charlotte Track," Mr Grose said.
"It means people can't complete the whole track while this part remains closed but they can make shorter trips either side of the closed section."
Mr Grose said the owner of the land the section of track crosses had asked that the track be closed for public safety reasons while he carried out wild animal control on his land.
"At this stage, he is unable to confirm how long this control might take and when it might be possible to re-open this section of track. We will keep in close contact with him and do what we can to facilitate the track being re-opened there as soon as possible."
Mr Grose said the section of track being closed was the least used part of the track as many people made day trips from either end of the track.
Tourist operators who operate on the track had been advised of the temporary closure of this part of the track, he said.
About 21 per cent of the track passes through privately-owned land and each year about 19,000 walker or mountain bikers use it.
- NZPA
