The Mermaid Pools near Matapouri were a popular place to visit and swim, but they have been closed under a rāhui for more than four years to help restore the mauri of the pools and headland.
The Mermaid Pools near Matapouri were a popular place to visit and swim, but they have been closed under a rāhui for more than four years to help restore the mauri of the pools and headland.
Also known as Te Wai o Te Taniwha, the pools used to be visited by hundreds if not thousands of summer visitors, said Te Whānau ā Rangiwhakaahu Hapū Trust chairman Aperahama Edwards.
“They were in an appalling state when we closed them. There was a thick layer of slimy gunk blanketing the base of the pools, and the different algae and seagrasses had bleached and died,” he said.
The unofficial track to the Mermaid Pools was cut across the top of Otīto Scenic Reserve’s sacred Rangitapu Pā and the headland was being destroyed by all the foot traffic, Edwards said.
The closure has had a “profound impact” in helping restore the mauri - or life force - of both the headlands and the pools, Edwards said.
The community has done extensive planting on the headland, with thousands of trees and plants maturing well, he said.
The pools themselves are being monitored and are showing signs of recovery.
But Edwards said the ecosystem is very delicate, with the pools only flushed out occasionally by high tides or big easterly swells.
Te Whānau ā Rangiwhakaahu Hapū Trust chairman Aperahama Edwards, pictured at Matapouri Beach when the rāhui was first mooted in early 2019, says the closure is helping to restore the delicate ecosystem to its former glory. Photo / Michael Cunningham
“We’re seeing signs of improvement, but it’s still a very, very long way away.”
“The intent is about protecting something that we treasure and the community treasures.
“We’ve got support [for the rāhui] regionally, nationally and even internationally - it would’ve been really hard without that support.”
The rāhui is set to remain in place indefinitely until the health and wellbeing of the Mermaid Pools is restored, he said.
Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years’ experience in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.