Work to restore access to Coromandel's Cathedral Cove is under way.
Work to restore access to Coromandel's Cathedral Cove is under way.
The Department of Conservation announced the first steps to restore walking access to Coromandel’s Cathedral Cove Te Whanganui-a-Hei.
Conservation Minister Tama Potaka said he hopes to have the walking tracks reinstated before next summer.
The track to the famous beach - renowned for its natural rock arch feature– was severely damaged by extreme weather events last year. Since then, walking tracks to the cove have been closed.
DoC now said it is looking at rerouting the walking tracks, as the existing tracks were still unsafe.
“A key aspect [to restoring access] has been ensuring the hillside is not moving, and we have stable land to explore what resilient long-term track rerouting options could work,” DoC’s Hauraki-Waikato-Taranaki regional director Tinaka Mearns said.
From now until April, DoC staff will work alongside Ngāti Hei to develop options and conceptual ideas for a new track route, which will then be shared for wider public engagement.
With land stability a prominent aspect, DoC has commissioned further monitoring of the site, based on advice from Tonkin + Taylor. Results are expected in June.
“Within a few months we should have a clear picture of whether a track rerouting is feasible and safe, or if we need to consider other alternatives,” Mearns said.
The Cathedral Cove Walkway is still closed but the popular site can be admired from afar during a kayak or boat tour. Photo / Department of Conservation
“Our goal is to reopen the track, but it must be done safely and in a durable and pragmatic way. Short-term solutions do not offer an experience resilient to climate change and are not viable as far as we’re concerned – we need to invest sensibly,” Mearns said.
Potaka agreed, saying Cathedral Cove was a crucial part of getting the Coromandel “back on track”.
“It’s clear we need to make sure visitors can once again safely and fully enjoy one of the country’s iconic locations.
“Ideally, we want safe walking access to the beach reinstated and our ambition is to have it ready for visitors next summer,” Potaka said.
“Cathedral Cove is a crucial part of Coromandel’s tourism economy and reinstating walking access to it will help get the district back on track.
“I expect to receive advice from officials by the end of June on the reinstatement options. Assuming there is a safe option for public walking access, I want to see the mahi procured and under way ahead of summer.”
The general manager of local tourism organisation Destination Hauraki-Coromandel, Hadley Dryden, said they would eagerly anticipate the reopening.
“We recognise the significant value it adds to Hauraki Coromandel and the New Zealand tourism industry. This presents a wonderful opportunity to not only rebuild but to enhance its contributions beyond what it has offered in the past.”
Meanwhile, DoC said it was encouraging to hear reports of how busy the Coromandel had been during the summer.
“Coromandel has faced a succession of difficult summers in recent years, so to hear about local businesses being well supported by holidaymakers is great for the wider community and the region’s economy,” Mearns said.
“It’s a much better summer than last year ... The conditions are different, the weather is great, we are very hopeful,” Destination Hauraki-Coromandel’s marketing manager Megan Nunn said.
Walking tracks to Cathedral Cove are still closed, but the cove is still accessible by boat or kayak tour.
