Hoons who have been driving on prohibited land at Woodhill, Auckland, and on the RNZAF weapons range at South Kaipara, face fines and a ban from all recreational activities in the area.  
In a hard-hitting letter to all Auckland 4WD clubs, Andrea Thomas, land use administrator for Hancock Forest Management, warns that motorised activity is not permitted within the Muriwai Beach dune area at any time.
“The dune area sits within the Woodhill Forest Crown Licence, and is therefore under our management,” she says.
“Signage is installed at all beach access points clearly stating ‘Keep off the dunes’.
“Recently we have become aware of vehicles playing in the dune area and in the forest (illegally), and posting their day out on You Tube. We have issued trespass notices against these individuals.”
And she warned that anyone else caught would also be prosecuted for trespass, and would be banned for two years from the area, including access to the 4WD Park and all other recreational activities within the forest.
“I think our forest boundary is quite clear, which is the mean high tide mark (basically all the dune area excluding the Defence Land),” she told NZ4WD.
In simple terms: “The sand dunes are a NO GO area, apart from the Coast/Rimmers/Wilson Road access points.”
The situation with the RNZAF ban is even more strict, since it involves all the land in the weapons range, including the full depth of the beach, right down to the sea.
Flt Lt W.K. Snalam, flight commander operations for Auckland, points out that the ban is in the interests of public safety.
“The Defence Force has been utilising the weapons range at South Kaipara head since 1961 for the firing of weapons systems and for the detonation of high-explosive munitions,” he says.
“For the past 52 years the range has been formally gazetted through an Act of Parliament as an air weapons range. The site is also designated under Section 168 of the Resource Management Act 1991 as ‘Defence Purposes – Bombing Range’ within the Rodney District Plan.
“The designation essentially provides for military land use of the area. It also gives the New Zealand Defence Force a right to control incompatible activities on the land”.
He also warned that there was a high degree of risk from unexploded munitions being exploded by 4WDs driving on the dunes and beach, despite continuous clean-up forays by Defence Force personnel.
“Due to the shifting nature of the dune system unexploded items do on occasions come to the surface and pose a health and safety risk to military personnel and any member of the public who may venture into the area,” he adds.
And he unequivocally states:” The area designated as the South Kaipara Air Weapons Ranges in permanently off limits to all civilian personnel, vehicles, and organisations.
“It is important to note that this is regardless of the presence of range activation warning flags.
“Consequently, any infringement onto the prohibited dunes area will result in trespass notices being issued and prosecutions pursued with the New Zealand Police.”
The accompanying map shows the Defence Force area starting just after the 26 mile mark, and including all the land right to the end of the Papakanui Spit.