The Truman Track is a short, easy walking track located north of

Punakaiki Punakaiki is a small village on the West Coast, New Zealand, West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is located between Westport, New Zealand, Westport and Greymouth on , the only through-road on the West Coast. Punakaiki is immediatel ...

, in the coastal

Paparoa National Park Paparoa National Park is on the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand. The park was established in 1987 and encompasses . The park ranges from or near the coastline to the peaks of the Paparoa Range. A separate section of the park lie ...

in the

South Island The South Island ( , 'the waters of Pounamu, Greenstone') is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand by surface area, the others being the smaller but more populous North Island and Stewart Island. It is bordered to the north by ...

of New Zealand. Although only long, it has been described as "one of the most delightful and interesting short walks on the West Coast". The track passes through lowland coastal forest of podocarps, rātā trees and nīkau palms, with dense understorey vegetation. It finishes at the coastline, where there is a viewing platform providing views along the coast, with surrounding cliffs, rock overhangs, and a waterfall that cascades directly onto the beach.

Toponymy

The track is named after Jim Truman, of Truman's Department Store in

Greymouth Greymouth () (Māori language, Māori: ''Māwhera'') is the largest town in the West Coast, New Zealand, West Coast List of regions in New Zealand, region in the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the Grey District Council. The populat ...

. He had a holiday cottage adjacent to the track.

Geography

The Truman Track begins at Te Miko, north of the

Department of Conservation Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

visitor centre in

and 45 km north of

. The track entrance is on State Highway 6, with a small car park on the other side of the highway. The easy, level pathway passes through lush temperate rain forest typical of the West Coast and emerges in coastal

flax Flax, also known as common flax or linseed, is a flowering plant, ''Linum usitatissimum'', in the family Linaceae. It is cultivated as a food and fiber crop in regions of the world with temperate climates. In 2022, France produced 75% of t ...

vegetation, finishing at a clifftop viewing platform with views of Dolomite Point to the south and Perpendicular Point to the north. The track is only long and takes just 15 minutes to complete. A stairway leads from the platform to the beach, which has scenic mudstone overhangs and a rocky platform at low tide, but is not safe for swimming; rogue waves have swept away at least two tourists.

Natural history

The Truman track begins in West Coast coastal

rainforest Rainforests are forests characterized by a closed and continuous tree Canopy (biology), canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforests can be generally classified as tropi ...

, and ends in salt meadows. The forest at its beginning is dominated by rātā (''

Metrosideros ''Metrosideros'' is a genus of approximately 60 trees, shrubs, and vines in the family Myrtaceae, mostly found in the Pacific region. Most of the tree forms are small, but some are exceptionally large, the New Zealand species in particular. The ...

'') and rimu (''

Dacrydium cupressinum ''Dacrydium cupressinum'', commonly known as rimu, is a species of tree in the family Podocarpaceae. It is a dioecious evergreen conifer, reaching heights of up to , and can have a stout trunk up to in diameter. It is endemic to New Zealand ...

''), with an understory of kāmahi (''

Weinmannia racemosa ''Pterophylla racemosa'', commonly known as the kāmahi, is an evergreen tree endemic to New Zealand. It is a member of the Cunoniaceae family of plants, and it is often referred to by its former botanical name ''Weinmannia racemosa.'' Most me ...

''), toro ('' Myrsine salicina''), miro (''

Prumnopitys ferruginea ''Pectinopitys ferruginea'', commonly known as miro or toromiro, is an evergreen coniferous tree which is endemic to New Zealand. Description It grows up to high, with a trunk up to 1.3 m diameter. The leaves are linear to sickle-shaped, 15� ...

''), mahoe (''

Melicytus ramiflorus ''Melicytus ramiflorus'', commonly known as māhoe, is a small tree of the family Violaceae. It is endemic (ecology), endemic to New Zealand. It grows up to 10 metres high with a trunk up to 60 cm in diameter, it has smooth, light bark a ...

''), and pigeonwood (''

Hedycarya arborea ''Hedycarya'' is a genus of about 16 species of flowering plants in the family Monimiaceae native to eastern Australia, New Zealand, and some Pacific Islands. Plants in the genus ''Hedycarya'' are shrubs, or small to medium trees with sometimes t ...

''). The tree ferns wheki (''

Dicksonia squarrosa ''Dicksonia squarrosa'', the New Zealand tree fern, whekī or rough tree fern, is a common tree fern endemic to New Zealand. It has a slender black trunk that is usually surrounded by many dead brown fronds. Description This species has a fas ...

'') and mamaku (''

Sphaeropteris medullaris ''Sphaeropteris medullaris'', synonym ''Cyathea medullaris'', commonly known as mamaku or black tree fern, is a large tree fern up to tall. It is distributed across the south-west Pacific from Fiji to Pitcairn Island and is a common plant foun ...

'') are also present. A short way along the track an information board highlights a mature mataī (''

Prumnopitys taxifolia ''Prumnopitys taxifolia'', the mataī () or black pine, is an endemic New Zealand coniferous tree that grows on the North Island and South Island. It also occurs on Stewart Island / Rakiura (47 °S) but is uncommon there. It grows up to high ...

'') tree, the host of a northern rātā (''

Metrosideros robusta ''Metrosideros robusta'', commonly known as the northern rātā, is a forest tree endemic to New Zealand. It grows up to or taller, and usually begins its life as a hemiepiphyte high in the branches of a mature forest tree; over centuries th ...

''), which has grown in the crown and sent down roots to surround and strangle the mataī trunk. File:Truman Track MRD 2022 07.jpg, alt=, Forest File:Truman Track MRD 2022 16.jpg, alt=,

Harakeke ''Phormium tenax'' (called flax in New Zealand English; in Māori; New Zealand flax outside New Zealand; and New Zealand hemp in historical nautical contexts) is an evergreen perennial plant native to New Zealand and Norfolk Island that is an ...

File:Truman Track MRD 2022 19.jpg, alt=, Coastal turf File:Truman Track MRD 2019 12.jpg, alt=,

Kāmahi ''Pterophylla racemosa'', commonly known as the kāmahi, is an evergreen tree endemic to New Zealand. It is a member of the Cunoniaceae family of plants, and it is often referred to by its former botanical name ''Weinmannia racemosa.'' Most me ...

File:Truman Track MRD 2019 04.jpg, alt=, Miro File:Truman Track MRD 2022 04.jpg, alt=,

Nīkau ''Rhopalostylis sapida'', commonly known as nīkau, is a palm tree endemic to New Zealand, and the only palm native to mainland New Zealand. Etymology is a word borrowed from the Māori language; cognates of this word in the closely related E ...

File:Truman Track MRD 2022 06.jpg, alt=, ''

Asplenium flaccidum ''Asplenium flaccidum'' is a species of fern in the family Aspleniaceae. The plant common name is drooping spleenwort or weeping spleenwort, and the species name ''flaccidum'' derives from the Latin root meaning ''drooping''. The plant is also k ...

'' File:Truman Track MRD 2022 10.jpg, alt=,

Northern rātā Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a ra ...

embracing

mataī ''Prumnopitys taxifolia'', the mataī () or black pine, is an endemic New Zealand coniferous tree that grows on the North Island and South Island. It also occurs on Stewart Island / Rakiura (47 °S) but is uncommon there. It grows up to high ...

Towards the coast the forest canopy, now exposed to salt and sea wind, lowers and the dominant trees become toro, kāmahi, and tree ferns. The open clifftops are dominated by harakeke (''

Phormium tenax ''Phormium tenax'' (called flax in New Zealand English; in Māori language, Māori; New Zealand flax outside New Zealand; and New Zealand hemp in historical nautical contexts) is an evergreen perennial plant native to New Zealand and Norfolk I ...

''), but where the cliffs are most exposed to salt spray they are covered in a coastal turf, comprising mostly sea primrose ('' Samolus repens'') and ''

Selliera radicans ''Goodenia radicans'', commonly known as remuremu, swampweed, bonking grass, or its former botanical name ''Selliera radicans'', is a creeping, herbaceous plant species found in New Zealand, Australia and Chile. It is the most observed ''Goodenia ...

''.

Tourism

The Truman Track is a popular tourist stop for visitors to the Buller region and the Pancake Rocks, with 37,000 visitors a year (even attracting 19,000 visitors in summer 2020–2021, when New Zealand's international borders were closed).

Beach access controversy

In July 2019, a four-tonne block of

Eocene The Eocene ( ) is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (Ma). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes ...

sandstone sheared off an overhang and landed near the visitor stairway, and the track leading to the beach was closed for geotechnical assessment. The assessment determined that while the rest of the sandstone overhang was not about to fall, the cliff had natural weaknesses and could well gradually collapse over time. "Risk-taking" visitors had been observed crossing the safety fence to take

selfie A selfie () is a self-portrait photograph or a short video, typically taken with an electronic camera or smartphone. The camera would be usually held at arm's length or supported by a selfie stick instead of being controlled with a self-timer ...

s under the remains of the overhang. Although it was a significant geological feature and a registered site, the consultant's report recommended that the overhang be removed, ideally by hand in small blocks rather than by explosives which could cause further damage. The

(DOC) decided hand removal was unrealistic. After an independent assessment found water seepage and cracks in the cliff, DOC determined that the overhang was a significant public safety risk. In August 2019 a geotechnical firm used explosives in drilled holes to bring down around 70 tonnes of rock. A subsequent geotechnical report found that the explosives had fractured the remaining cliff, which was revealed to be weaker than when first examined and still posed a danger to the public. Subsequent criticism of DOC's actions by conservation groups such as the Federated Mountain Clubs prompted an internal review, and an admission that there was insufficient consultation, and signage and barriers should have been used instead of removing the overhang completely. No geotechnical assessment of the overhang's safety had been done before building stairs and a small viewing platform underneath it. Truman Track MRD 2022 20

On 28 June 2021 two further sandstone blocks fell off the "remediated" overhang, so stairway access to the beach was closed off indefinitely and warning signs were installed. A geotechnical assessment after the rockfall found there was an unsupported one-tonne boulder poised above the track, and an increased chance of rockfall. Having been accused of a 'blast now, think later' mentality, DOC was then accused of being overly cautious for not removing the rock and restoring beach access. Others argued that the beach was intrinsically dangerous, with rogue waves and other dangerous cliffs and overhangs, and visitor infrastructure should be removed.

References

External links

Truman Track, Department of Conservation
{{Buller District Buller District Hiking and tramping tracks in the West Coast Region Paparoa National Park