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Coromandel’s Mautohe Cathedral Cove tracks reopened over the weekend following several days of work by local Department of Conservation staff and Ngāti Hei, and the completion of geotechnical inspections.
The temporary closure, under DOC’s Trigger Action Response Plan for Mautohe Cathedral Cove, followed an extreme rain event across the North Island. Landslides and rockfalls are a known risk across the wider coastal area managed by DOC, including at Mautohe Cathedral Cove.
DOC Coromandel operations manager Nick Kelly said geotechnical specialists visited the site on Thursday, January 28, and recommended a continuation of the current landslide risk management approach, giving DOC confidence the tracks could safely reopen.
“We have a large body of data on landslide and rockfall risk at Mautohe Cathedral Cove, along with significant experience managing the site. Combined with our TARP, this allows us to make well-informed and timely decisions, such as reopening the track,” Nick says.
Monitoring of known landslip areas will continue, and DOC will continue to close the site after heavy rainfall events in line with the TARP. Public safety remains the top priority, and visitors are urged to stay alert for rockfall, landslips, and debris on both the track and the beach.
Recent events on the East Coast and at Mt Maunganui, along with previous expert advice, have reinforced the need to carefully manage public safety risks using reliable information.
A large landslide on the closed Hahei coastal track to Grange Road has further confirmed the earlier decision not to repair or reopen that section. Planning is under way to fully decommission the closed track.
Reinstatement work at Waimata Gemstone Bay remains on hold, and the track is not available to the public.
Damage has also been identified at two other North Coromandel DOC visitor sites. The Matarangi Bluff Track, about 40 minutes north of Whitianga, remains impassable due to a slip close to a historical failure in the same area. While the slip is expected to be cleared using light machinery, the timing of that work had not been confirmed at the time of release. Visitors are urged to stay off the track until further notice. Website alerts will be lifted once the track is cleared and considered safe.
Further north, several slips have occurred on the North Coromandel Walkway, a popular walking and cycling route north of Stony Bay and Port Charles. A geotechnical assessment is required to determine the extent of damage and the risk of further slips, particularly where damaged sections are close to cliff faces and steep drops.
“People should not go tramping at these two locations. We believe they are unsafe and pose a risk of injury,” Nick says.
Plans to reopen DOC’s North Coromandel campsites have also been revised. While DOC had previously hoped to reopen the campsites over the weekend, inspections revealed more damage than initially anticipated, and contractor availability remains critical.
The revised target for reopening the North Coromandel campsites is Waitangi Weekend, subject to ongoing assessments. Campers are advised to monitor the DOC website and contact Booking Services for updates.
The tracks to Mautohe Cathedral Cove were closed in February 2023 following extensive damage caused by Cyclone Gabrielle. Repairs were completed during the second half of 2024, with the tracks reopening to visitors in December 2024.
