another large search in April 1988 for a nurse from Auckland who had started on the track on her own from the Karamea end in mid March, and was last seen at Heaphy Hut. She was reported missing when she did not arrive home after the end of her holiday. The route was in poor condition at the time after a period of heavy rain, and rivers were swollen. A large search failed to find any sign of the missing woman. Through-road controversy Between the 1950s and the 1980s, repeated attempts were made by the South Island Local Bodies Association to have the Ministry of Works build an access road along the route of the Heaphy Track. The Ministry considered the road proposal to be too expensive and did not view it as a priority. The famed coastal strip with its iconic nikau palm groves was particularly at risk with any road construction. Even with simple track construction at Crayfish Point many years ago, the overall effect was to see major slips carry the groves into the sea. Those fighting roading proposals felt this could be the result along the very narrow, palm-covered coastal strip if road construction were to take place. Up until the 1980s the threats to the track were real, as the local population and councils largely supported roading in the belief that a "tourist circuit" of the South Island would increase the access and popularity of the area. The track proponents argued the damage could never be justified and that the popularity would come more in the form of people being drawn to the area for days rather than those who would drive through and use "comfort stops". The campaign to "save" the Track and the popular support the conservation effort gathered over many years became pivotal in changing the attitude of the authorities to environmental matters. The New Zealand Government instigated many changes to curb unnecessary environmental destruction. Following the major campaigns, track use grew substantially. In 1970, a road alignment was surveyed by the Ministry of Works and this caused a period of intense debate. Track use became intense in the 1973–1974 summer season and when a three-day rainstorm hit over the New Year break, it resulted in a massive rescue mission. In the larger huts, hundreds of people were sheltering and the six-bunk Gounland Downs Hut held 82 people. The incident resulted in