Tens of thousands of hectares of indigenous forests, scrub and shrublands have been lost over the last 30 years. A string of threats loom over what remains.
The view from Ōmanawanui Track in the Waitākere Ranges.
Photo: Auckland Council
The Ōmanawanui Track and the Puriri Ridge Track have also been upgraded with thousands of steps and hundreds of metres of boardwalk being installed.
A Māori name is also being introduced to the Hillary Trail.
Auckland Council said the 6km upgrade is a significant milestone in the reopening of the trail which will also be known as Te Ara Tūhura.
It reconnects a multi-day trail from the Karamatura Valley through to Anawhata.
The council closed many tracks in 2018, following a rāhui placed by iwi over the ngahere (forest) of the Waitākere Ranges.