The Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk is set to reopen after being forced to close due to flood damage.
Bookings have restarted on the Department of Conservation's website – with the first spots available on January 10, 2024.
The walk was closed after Cyclone Gabrielle and excessive lake levels washed out tracks and flooded huts.
Blair Waiwai from Te Uru Taumatua's Waikaremoana team told Waatea News the flood was so extensive it wasn't possible to even inspect the damage for a month after the cyclone.
The repair programme was led by Te Uru Taumatua, on behalf of the Te Urewera Board, with the Department of Conservation contributing $550,000 from its cyclone recovery funding, according to Waatea News.
The Department of Conservation describes Lake Waikaremoana as a "backcountry, off-the-beaten-track experience".
Walkers become immersed in "stunning natural wilderness" and are "welcomed into the homeland of Ngai Tūhoe."
