Source: Radio New Zealand
The Mangapurua and Kaiwhakauka tracks had been closed (file image). 123rf
A pair of major cycling and walking tracks in the central North Island are closed while police search for a man wanted for murder.
Police have been looking for 29-year-old Mitchell Cole since Saturday, after two bodies were found in nearby Ruatiti.
Locals told RNZ the Mangapurua and Kaiwhakauka tracks had been closed while police were in the area, as well as several huts along the route.
Mitchell Cole. Supplied / NZ Police
RNZ approached both police and the Department of Conservation for comment, but neither confirmed if the closures were related to the ongoing manhunt.
The tracks formed a key part of Te Araroa long-distance tramping route, and travellers were being redirected via alternative paths.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
