Paihia beach reserve blocked after freedom camping furore

Boulders have been used to block vehicle access to a reserve at Te Haumi, Paihia, after a spate of complaints about freedom camping. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Boulders have been placed at the entrance to a beach reserve near Paihia to prevent it being used by freedom campers.

People had reportedly been staying in campervans at the northern end of Te Haumi Beach, near the public toilets, for weeks at a time.

The unofficial campground triggered a huge number of complaints to the Far North District Council and a furore on social media.

Boulders are placed across the reserve entrance by council contractors. Photo / supplied

Last Monday council contractors placed a series of boulders across the reserve entrance to prevent vehicle access.

Council spokesman Ken Lewis said the number of nights some visitors were staying in the reserve had led to increasing numbers of complaints.

People had also complained about campers leaving rubbish and abusing water taps at the public toilets. Paihia is currently subject to level 4 water restrictions which ban all but essential use.

The aim of blocking the entrance was to reduce vegetation damage and rubbish problems.
It would also make the area safer for road users with the council receiving several reports of near misses caused by vehicles exiting the reserve into oncoming traffic.

Vehicles could still park by the toilets and towards the southern end of the beach, where there is a large gravel parking area.

Under the Reserves Bylaw, no vehicle can drive on or park on a reserve unless it is designated for that purpose.

The council encouraged visitors to stay at formal camp grounds or use the seven approved freedom camping sites across the district, Lewis said.

The nearest sites to Te Haumi are at Waiomio Rd, Kawakawa, or Cobham Rd, Kerikeri.

It seems, however, social media users are hard to please.

As soon as the placement of the boulders ended the furore over Te Haumi's freedom campers, a fresh wave of outrage began from beachgoers unhappy about being barred from driving onto the reserve or on to the beach.

Far North District councillor Kelly Stratford said she would take a proposal to council to put up a lockable gate instead, similar to that at the southern end of Paihia Beach, so the area was accessible during the day but wouldn't be used by freedom campers.

The boulders could then be used to stop cars driving onto the adjacent estuary and bird roosting area.

The northern end of Te Haumi Beach was a popular picnic area and one of the few places in the area people with limited mobility could easily access the shore, she said.

■ Earlier this month arson or a camp fire on the beach between Te Haumi and Sullivan's Beach caused a blaze which threatened 10 homes and forced half a dozen to be evacuated.

It is now known, however, who lit it. An investigation is continuing.