Cathedral Cove carpark to go as DoC works to reopen popular walk

The track to Cathedral Cove is closed for repairs, which are due to be completed for summer 2024-25. Photo / Department of Conservation

Changes are coming at popular Coromandel tourist spot Cathedral Cove as the Department of Conservation (DoC) works to get it reopened by early December.

The track to the popular beach has been closed to the public since February 2023, when it was extensively damaged by extreme weather events including Cyclone Gabrielle.

DoC Cathedral Cove project managers Michael Sparrow and Tania Short spoke at a meeting with tourism sector representatives in Whitianga this week to update them on progress.

Short said it was DoC’s intention to implement measures over summer to manage visitor pressure.

The DoC communications team had developed a digital campaign which would go live in November.

“We need community support.”

There would be some changes when Cathedral Cove reopened with a shuttle and car drop off area at the Grange Rd entrance.

There would be no parking, and no buses allowed on site, as DoC wanted to limit damage to the road.

A range of monitoring methods would be in place to gather data, including cameras, trek counters, visitor surveys and QR codes.

There would also be monitoring of toilet waste to help determine visitor numbers along with ranger observation.

The trek to the beach from Grange Rd was being rebuilt along with a clean-up of the site and removal of pest plants.

Four flushing toilets would be installed at the Lees Rd entrance.

Rockfall from the arch at Cathedral Cove. Photo / Josh Angell, Department of Conservation

“We are aiming to have it open in early December.”

The question had been raised about visitor charges for Cathedral Cove after an entry fee was introduced at Hamilton Gardens.

“Our legislation doesn’t allow for it; watch this space,” Short said.

DoC has two Cathedral Cove work programmes under way, funded through the International Visitor Levy. One is to reinstate temporary walking access to the cove this coming summer and the other is to restore long-term visitor access and visitor management at the site.

In July the track received a $5 million boost for a rebuild as part of a $25m tourist levy injection for the environment.

Conservation Minister Tama Potaka confirmed the package as a “short-term fix” for Cathedral Cove and it was expected to reopen in time for this summer.

DoC Hauraki-Waikato-Taranaki regional director Tinaka Mearns said accessing Cathedral Cove remained a marine-only experience until December.

A team from the Predator Free Hauraki Coromandel Community Trust were working to reduce pest plants in Cathedral Cove as part of the project to restore the area and reinstate walking access to the popular beach.

Mearns said DoC wanted the area to be in “great shape” for visitors when it reopened.

“Alongside cyclone damage, the area is also under threat from introduced pest plants that stand to undermine the area’s unique beauty and native biodiversity.”

The involvement of the community trust in the Cathedral Cove work programme was a great boost for the project, Mearns said.

“They’ve done some excellent work removing pest plants and tidying up vegetation across the reserve during the last few weeks.

“It’s been hard physical work and we’ve been impressed by the results; involving an organisation like this trust to contribute to walking access reinstatement supports the local community and helps us build a partnership with a recognised conservation contributor in the area.”