Department of Conservation facilities throughout Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Coromandel, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and the Hawke's Bay have been closed to the public as Cyclone Gabrielle heads toward the country.

These facilities include DOC offices, tracks, huts, campsites and visitor centres.

The cyclone, which formed northeast of Australia, is travelling in a southeasterly direction, and several forecasting models show it passing over the North Island. It has the potential to pack winds of up to 150kmh, accompanied by extensive persistent heavy rain.

DOC's Deputy Director-General Organisation Support, Mike Tully, says that the Department's priority is the safety and wellbeing of their staff, visitors, contractors and volunteers.

'DOC staff across the country have been working tirelessly over the past few days to prepare and understand what the effects of the cyclone may mean for visitors, public conservation land and assets.

'Those weather impacts create a risk to people in the outdoors, we are strongly urging the public to stay home, stay safe and hunker down.

'The great outdoors is not the place to be in a cyclone.”

DOC staff will need to carry out assessments on assets once the cyclone has passed the country, and this work will dictate when huts, campsites and tracks can be reopened to the public.

Visitors should keep an eye on the dedicated page of the DOC website for weather-related updates. Road updates are available from www.tcdc.govt.nz and www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz

For more information on what to do before, during and after a storm, visit: https://getready.govt.nz/en/emergency/storms/