The never ending DOC story

Hi all, there have been many discussions about DOC policy and "behaviour" on here; unfortunately I have to add to that. Went on a little two day trip on Banks Peninsula last weekend. As always, checked all available information about track conditions etc. Found on the DOC web page that the track up the Kaituna Valley is "closed due to rock fall", and that "Pack horse hut is closed". Instinct and previous experience made me suspicious, and we drove there anyway. Sure enough, when parking the bike at the trail head of the Kaituna Valley, there was no sign of a closure there - but one that said "no firewood at Packhorse Hut". We actually ended our trip coming down the Kaituna Valley. At its top, near the hut: Again no sign of a closure, and the track was in perfect order all the way down, couldn't see any rock fall anywhere despite actively looking. And there was lots of firewood at Pack Horse Hut when we passed it. Also, the chimney has lots of cracks inside the hut and above the roof, and it is leaning at an angle above the roof and some bricks have fallen out, but there is no indication as to whether DOC has assessed it or not, or whether they think it is safe to use the log burner. Not that I care because I can make up my own mind, but they can't have it both ways - expect people to do as DOC says, and then not give clear or any information at all. Basically, 100% of the information about the condition of this track and hut given by DOC was incorrect; and the things that would have been worth giving information on were not mentioned at all. So my initial instinct was right not to just believe DOC information and go anyway and make up my own mind once there. If we would just have blindly trusted their information, we would have missed out on a nice walk that exactly matched what we were looking for that weekend. This is not the first time I have come across gross misinformation via DOC - both on their web page and in DOC offices. For me, the conclusion is now that I will regard DOC information as equally reliable as information from any other source: Might be true, worth checking out, but might just as well be plain rubbish. Sigh. Matt