Warning after Mt Taranaki rockfall

Mt Taranaki. File photo / Mark Mitchell

Trampers are being warned to steer clear of gravel cliffs on Mt Taranaki after millions of tonnes of rocks and sand collapsed on Friday.

The collapse, at Pyramid Stream on the Stony River track, created large dust clouds and panic among some people who thought the volcano was erupting.

Department of Conservation area manager Phil Mohi said Pyramid Stream had been eroding for 40 years.

"I think people are jumping the gun a little bit...it's just cutting into the foot of the mountain and it's accelerating the erosion up in the steeper areas, but basically we do get these events happening when we haven't had rain in a long time," he said.

"And we have the strong winds... it picks up the fine dust [and] creates these dust clouds."

Mr Mohi said the dust clouds had been mistaken for smoke or fire "for some years now".

"This has happened many times before, it hasn't been a major collapse."

He advised trampers to avoid the area as there was a high chance of rockfall.

"When that winds blowing you're just, like, in a sandstorm," he said.

"You're getting rocks and debris [falling]. It's not a place to be."

- NZPA