Otaki Forks access road closed for summer

http://www.kapiticoast.govt.nz/whats-on/News/2016/fresh-slip-at-blue-bluff/

DOC have published a map of the emergency track over the blue slip. Starts further to the N and ends further SW than I initially thought. http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/parks-and-recreation/tracks-and-walks/wellington/otaki-forks-ermergency-access-track-map.pdf

Dropped off The new emergency track straight down on to the top of the slip. Very steep and lots of small unpruned macorocapa to get through. Big cracks above the slip running back about 100 metres up the ridge (abt 300mm wide). Looks like there is monitoring or survey work going on in the vicinity

On Sunday I was up at my property, on the right bank of the Otaki River that looks down at the Blue Bluff slip, a digger has been working on the slip over the last week, there are some terraces in place near the top of the slip. Maybe some action on the road soon.

Update 09/03/2016 I rode up to the slip today. As @andrewm described there has been a digger working at the top of the slip enlarging and extending the two terraces that were cut some months ago. It appears that they are extending the terraces across the top of the slip. I thought I would try to cross the debris at the level of the road. At first it was quite easy with lots of small size loose rock( a bit like a scree) but after about 20 metres there is a ridge of very hard compacted gravel with no covering of loose material. I decided to turn back as the footing was quite precarious and the run out was not good. I am usually confident on that type of terrain and often crossed the big slip on the way up to Rangiwahia Hut in the Ruahines rather than climb around it. But I would not recommend trying to cross the Otaki slip at the moment. It would be possible with decent boots (I was wearing running shoes) but a lot of care would be required

http://tramper.nz/16030/blue-bluff-slip-otaki-gorge-road-13-3-16/

That looks a little tricky to drive

Thanks for the updates. Looks like the council is intending to reopen the road but it's going to take a long time.

Rob Bigwood, a caretaker at Otaki Forks, seems to be of the opinion that it might be cleared fairly soon. https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10153294300321432&id=39373956431&comment_id=10153295054621432&comment_tracking={%22tn%22%3A%22R0%22}

Update 16/03/2016. Nothing happening today (Tuesday) but it appears that the contractors have cut another shelf or terrace a bit lower down on the slip face during the last week.