A landslide came crashing down on popular Coromandel beach Cathedral Cove. Photo / DoC Whitianga
A landslide came crashing down on popular Coromandel beach Cathedral Cove. Photo / DoC Whitianga
Popular Coromandel visitor destinations including walking tracks, campsites and Cathedral Cove are closed after the recent torrential rain caused damage to the sites.
The affected areas include the Whitianga Rock Walk and Opera Point Walk, as well as campsites at Port Jackson, Fletcher Bay and Waikawau Bay.
Cathedral Cove, whichreceives around 200,000 visitors a year, has been temporarily closed due to an ongoing landslip and rockfall risk. DoC’s Coromandel operations manager Nick Kelly says the cove is prone to erosion during and after weather events.
“We appreciate how popular Cathedral Cove is with visitors and our community, but the risk of landslide, combined with more wild weather, leaves us with no choice,” Kelly says.
“We consistently monitor the geology at the site, and we are concerned the large landslip that has occurred signals a greater chance of more erosion there. The slip is active with more material falling to the beach.”
Commercial operators who take visitors to Cathedral Cove have been asked not to land on the beach until further notice. Boaties can still enjoy the Te Whanganui a Hei Marine Reserve around the cove but are urged to exercise caution and be up to date with weather forecasts and expected high sea swells.
A landslide has come crashing down onto Coromandel's Cathedral Cove. Photo / Chris Southwick
With Cyclone Gabrielle predicted to hit the North Island next week, potentially packing heavy rain and gale-force winds, Cathedral Cove will be closed for at least a week and possibly longer. There is no reopening target date at this point.
Some picturesque northern Coromandel campsites, including those at Port Jackson, Fletcher Bay and Waikawau Bay, are also unavailable until at least February 16 as Department of Conservation (DoC) staff continue assessments.
The Coromandel Walkway between Stony Bay and Fletcher Bay, popular with walkers and cyclists, has been closed until further notice due to erosion that made one section impassable.
The Whitianga Rock Walk has also been closed until further notice, with weather-related damage including fallen trees and very slippery surfaces in places.
Some picturesque northern Coromandel campsites, including those at Waikawau Bay, are affected by the closure. Photo / Supplied
The Opera Point Walk at Whangapoua is compromised by erosion and will be closed for some time since it needs engineering advice as part of the assessment.
Walking tracks in the south of the Coromandel have also been affected by the recent weather.
DOC’s Hauraki operations manager Avi Holzapfel says the Waiotahi and Waiomu tracks in the Coromandel Forest Park will be closed after cracks have appeared on them.
Campsites at Fletcher Bay have been closed due to weather-related risks. Photo / Coromandel Adventures
“There is also a large slip on the Tinker’s Gully end of the Rocky’s Walk to Tinker’s Gully walking track within Coromandel Forest Park. The track will remain closed until the slip is assessed and cleared,” says Holzapfel.
Another landslip has been detected on the Wentworth Falls track which is likely to result in the closure of that track. Visitors are urged to exercise caution if planning to use this track, which is expected to be blocked or damaged, and potentially impassable.
DOC staff will carry out inspections throughout next week. This may result in further closures, depending on what damage is found.
Visitors should keep an eye on the dedicated page of the DOC website for weather-related updates.
