The Takiroa Maori rock art site near Duntroon is expected to reopen by the end of this month, after being closed for about 20 months when the limestone cliff collapsed during heavy rain in May 2010.
Since then, the Ngai Tahu Maori Rock Art Trust has been clearing the debris, repairing fencing and landscaping, and making sure the site is safe.
Signs at the site, which is popular with local visitors and international tourists, warn people to keep out but are often ignored.
Trust curator Amanda Symon yesterday said clearing debris and ensuring the site was safe had taken longer than expected.
It had been hoped to reopen the site in November to cater for visitors for the Rugby World Cup, but work on the cliff face was delayed until December.
The cliff was inspected by a team of abseilers, who removed loose rocks and any of the face which looked unstable.
Since then, contractors had reinstated a pathway and tidied the landscaping.
Ms Symon hoped a reopening ceremony, in conjunction with Te Runanga o Moeraki, could be held before the end of the month.
Some of the debris, particularly the large limestone rocks that had fallen from the face, would remain, partly because they would have been expensive to move.
"It will also be a reminder to visitors of the risk, and they need to be aware of the limestone cliff face," she said.
The fall was now part of the long-term history of the site, similar to other limestone outcrops in North Otago where blocks had broken away and become part of the landscape.
Geotechnical reports had concluded the site could be managed safely, and new signs, fences and paths had been made to minimise risk to the public.
