# Kauri Forests: Hygiene Rules for Groups and Travellers > Kauri dieback rules for walkers in New Zealand: clean footwear, use every hygiene station, stay on track, and check closures… Source: https://www.explera.co.nz/blog/2026-11-07-kauri-dieback-forest-hygiene-rules-groups/ North Island 7 November 2026 · Explera Trade Desk · 5 min read ![A raised wooden boardwalk running through tall green plants in a forest](https://www.explera.co.nz/assets/photos/elevated-wooden-pathway-going-through-tall-plants-forest_181624-3291-1400.webp) **Short answer:** Kauri dieback is a soil-borne disease with no known cure, and it spreads on dirty footwear and gear. Since 2 August 2022 a national plan has made two rules binding on forest visitors: use every hygiene station you meet, and remove visible soil from anything that touches the ground before you enter and leave a kauri forest. Stay on the track and keep off kauri roots. Explera DMC New Zealand builds these steps into every kauri forest walk we plan. This guide is for travel agents and tour operators who include a kauri forest in a North Island programme, and for travellers who will walk among kauri in Northland, Auckland or the Coromandel. Kauri are among the largest trees in the world, and the walks to see them are short, so most groups visit at least one. The rules are simple, and a group that follows them protects the trees it came to see. ## What is kauri dieback? - **The disease.** The Department of Conservation (DOC) says kauri dieback is caused by *Phytophthora agathidicida* (PA), a soil-borne pathogen that infects kauri through their roots and can kill trees of all ages. It starves the tree of water and nutrients. There is no known cure. - **How it spreads.** DOC says PA spreads through the movement of soil, including soil on dirty footwear, animals, equipment and vehicles. A tree can be infected without showing symptoms, so Tiakina Kauri, the national kauri protection programme, says never to assume any forest is free of PA. - **Where it is.** DOC says PA has been found in Northland, on Great Barrier Island and on the Coromandel Peninsula. Kauri forests once reached from the far north of Northland to Te Kauri, near Kawhia. - **Who manages it.** Tiakina Kauri is based in the Ministry for Primary Industries. DOC manages kauri protection on public conservation land and may close tracks, fully or partly, to protect kauri. ![A walker's wet shoes on grass and fallen leaves, seen from above](https://www.explera.co.nz/assets/photos/view-from-pair-trekking-shoes-mud_169016-35269-1400.webp) *A walker's wet shoes on grass and fallen leaves, seen from above* ## What are the rules for forest visitors? The National Pest Management Plan for kauri dieback introduced ten rules on 2 August 2022. Two apply to every visitor: - **Rule 8: remove the soil.** If you go off track, or walk a track where you touch the forest floor, you must remove visible soil and organic matter from anything that may touch the ground, both before you enter and when you leave. Tiakina Kauri lists shoes, sticks, bikes, tools and gloves as examples. - **Rule 9: use every hygiene station.** You must use all hygiene stations you come across in the forest. Tiakina Kauri says infringement fees can apply for clear, substantial or continued non-compliance: $300 under Rule 8 and $400 under Rule 9. A conviction under the Biosecurity Act 1993 can bring a fine of up to $5,000 for an individual or $15,000 for a company. ## How should a group clean its footwear? Tiakina Kauri's advice for visitors to the upper North Island, which we pass to the guide and the group: - **Clean every time.** Clean all soil off footwear and other gear, including walking poles, clothing and bags, every time you enter or leave a forest area. - **Soil first, then spray.** Use disinfectant only after all the soil is removed, and spray every part that touched the ground. - **Not in a stream.** Do not wash gear with water, including stream water, unless the water goes into a sewer. - **Stay on the track.** Do not go off track for any reason, including to hug a kauri, and keep to boardwalks and gravel paths. - **Keep off the roots.** Tiakina Kauri says kauri root zones reach about three times the radius of the canopy, so the roots run well beyond the trunk. - **Rubber tips on poles.** Fit rubber feet to walking poles so they pick up less soil. ![Looking up at tall trees with long trunks against a blue sky](https://www.explera.co.nz/assets/photos/low-angle-shot-tall-trees-forest-bright-sky_181624-16436-1400.webp) *Looking up at tall trees with long trunks against a blue sky* ## What should agents plan for? - **Clean shoes on arrival.** A group that starts the day with clean footwear moves through a hygiene station quickly. We ask clients to pack shoes free of soil, and our guides brief the group before the first forest stop. - **Time at the stations.** Each person scrubs and sprays at a hygiene station, so a coach group needs a few extra minutes at each entry and exit. We build that into the day. - **Closed tracks.** DOC and councils close tracks to protect kauri and reopen them after upgrades. In Auckland's Waitākere Ranges, some tracks closed in 2017 for kauri protection reopened in 2025 after work to a dry-foot standard. We check DOC and council track status before every departure. - **Respect, not a photo stop.** Kauri such as Tāne Mahuta in Waipoua Forest are taonga (treasures) to Māori. Our guides explain why the rules matter, so clients see them as part of the visit, not a delay. ## How Explera DMC New Zealand can help We are the [Waipoua Forest DMC](https://www.explera.co.nz/destinations/waipoua-hokianga/) for travel agents and tour operators, and we plan forest walks in Northland, Auckland and the Coromandel with time for hygiene stations built into each day. Our [guided walks](https://www.explera.co.nz/services/great-walks-and-guided-walking-new-zealand/) come with a guide who briefs the group on the kauri rules. See our [Waipoua Forest and Tāne Mahuta briefing](https://www.explera.co.nz/blog/2026-10-14-waipoua-forest-tane-mahuta-groups/) and our [Check, Clean, Dry guide for freshwater activities](https://www.explera.co.nz/blog/2026-10-13-check-clean-dry-freshwater-groups-new-zealand/). ## FAQ **What is kauri dieback?** A soil-borne disease caused by the pathogen Phytophthora agathidicida. It infects kauri through their roots and can kill trees of all ages. DOC says there is no known cure. **Do visitors have to clean their shoes in a kauri forest?** Yes. Since 2 August 2022 the national plan requires visitors to use every hygiene station they meet and to remove visible soil from anything that touches the ground before entering and when leaving a kauri forest. **Is there a fine for skipping a hygiene station?** Tiakina Kauri says an infringement fee of $400 can apply under Rule 9, and $300 under Rule 8 for not removing soil, in cases of clear, substantial or continued non-compliance. **Can visitors touch or hug a kauri?** No. Tiakina Kauri asks visitors to stay on the track and keep off kauri roots, which reach about three times the radius of the canopy. **Are kauri forest tracks open?** Track status changes, because DOC and councils close some tracks to protect kauri. Explera DMC New Zealand checks track status before every departure. ## Sources - [Kauri dieback](https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/pests-and-threats/diseases/kauri-disease/), Department of Conservation, checked 4 November 2026 - [National Plan rules summary](https://www.kauriprotection.co.nz/national-plan/rules-summary), Tiakina Kauri, checked 4 November 2026 - [You can protect kauri](https://www.kauriprotection.co.nz/about-kauri/you-can-protect-kauri/), Tiakina Kauri, checked 4 November 2026 - [Visiting the upper North Island](https://www.kauriprotection.co.nz/resources/activities-around-kauri/visiting-the-upper-north-island), Tiakina Kauri, checked 4 November 2026 - [West Auckland walking tracks to reopen after eight-year closure](https://www.1news.co.nz/2025/07/04/west-auckland-walking-tracks-to-reopen-after-eight-year-closure), 1News, 4 July 2025 ## Talk to the trade desk Explera DMC New Zealand trade desk — b2b@explera.co.nz, WhatsApp +66 93 656 8090, B2B portal [b2b.expleradmc.com](https://b2b.expleradmc.com). Destinations in this briefing [Auckland](https://www.explera.co.nz/destinations/auckland/)[Coromandel Peninsula](https://www.explera.co.nz/destinations/coromandel/)[Great Barrier Island](https://www.explera.co.nz/destinations/great-barrier-island/)[Waipoua Forest & the Hokianga](https://www.explera.co.nz/destinations/waipoua-hokianga/) Work with our New Zealand DMC [New Zealand DMC](https://www.explera.co.nz/)[New Zealand DMC services](https://www.explera.co.nz/services/) ## Talk to the trade desk *Your New Zealand DMC partner* From a single FIT to series groups and full MICE programmes, every New Zealand proposal is costed by hand against your brief at net rates. Request a quote with the form, or send your requirements as a new email with a descriptive subject line. Selling this to clients? See the service page: [Wildlife & nature experiences](https://www.explera.co.nz/services/wildlife-and-nature-experiences-new-zealand/) [Request a quote](https://www.explera.co.nz/contact-us/#quote) [Register on the B2B platform](https://b2b.expleradmc.com/web/signup) [b2b@explera.co.nz](mailto:b2b@explera.co.nz) [WhatsApp +66 93 656 8090](https://wa.me/66936568090) ## More from the trade blog. *Keep reading* [All posts](https://www.explera.co.nz/blog/) [Subscribe via RSS](https://www.explera.co.nz/blog/rss.xml) - [New Zealand's Land Safety Code: Walks, Beacons and Groups](https://www.explera.co.nz/blog/2026-11-07-land-safety-code-walks-distress-beacons-groups/) - [Queenstown's Snow-Chain Fine: Winter Road Days for Groups](https://www.explera.co.nz/blog/2026-11-06-queenstown-snow-chain-fine-winter-road-days-groups/) - [Seals, Sea Lions and Penguins: Beach Rules for Groups](https://www.explera.co.nz/blog/2026-11-06-seals-sea-lions-penguins-beach-wildlife-rules-groups/)