No plans to expand parking at Hastings swimming hotspot Maraetōtara Falls

A popular waterfall and swim spot drawing large crowds this summer is unlikely to get more carparking, Hastings District Council says.

Maraetōtara Falls is something of a rarity in Hawke’s Bay at present, as other major waterfalls like Shine Falls, Tangoio Falls and Te Ana Falls remain closed to the public following Cyclone Gabrielle.

The spot, near Hastings, is attracting plenty of swimmers, particularly during last weekend where temperatures rose above 30C.

Pictures taken on Sunday showed vehicles spilling out of the carpark and stretching along the side of Maraetōtara Road, as people flocked to the area to escape the heat and enjoy a dip.

Yet council confirmed there were “no plans to extend the carpark at this stage”.

“The opportunity to expand carparking is very constrained as the site and road reserve is very narrow and any expansion of parking would be cost-prohibitive,” a spokesperson said.

“We encourage drivers to be careful and courteous at this popular location especially given the number of pedestrians.”

The spokesperson said people parking on the broken yellow lines on the opposite side of the road created a safety hazard “increasing the potential for pedestrians to be struck by vehicles using Maraetōtara Rd”.

The picturesque waterfall at the weekend. Photo / Connull Lang

A post on Facebook showing the large crowds at the weekend drew a mixed response, with one person stating “parking was a nightmare” and bemoaning that the waterfall had used to be a “hidden gem”.

On Sunday afternoon, Hastings recorded a scorching temperature of 31.8C.

There are also no plans to change the speed limit along Maraetotara Rd.

Gary Hamilton-Irvine is a Hawke’s Bay-based reporter who covers a range of news topics including business, councils, breaking news and cyclone recovery. He formerly worked at News Corp Australia.