Visitors to DOC tracks and campsites in Coromandel this Auckland Anniversary Weekend are urged to use caution and reconsider their plans after recent extreme weather.
DOC manages dozens of popular visitor sites across the Coromandel Peninsula, including numerous campsites, tracks and the world-renowned Mautohe Cathedral Cove.
It is unclear what impact this week's weather event has had on DOC's sites, and with significant transport network issues DOC staff have not been able to carry out inspections to determine the scale of damage.
DOC's Coromandel Operations Manager Nick Kelly says the idyllic north Coromandel campsites at Port Jackson, Stony Bay, Fantail Bay, Fletcher Bay and Waikawau have been closed immediately until assessments can be carried out.
"Customers with bookings for those four sites will be refunded or rebooked," Nick says.
"Kauaeranga, Broken Hills and Wentworth campsites and the Pinnacles Hut in southern Coromandel are also closed for tonight (22 January) and will be reassessed in the morning. Bookings for the hut for 22 January are being refunded or rebooked."
DOC staff instructed visitors at Pinnacles Hut and Kauaeranga Valley to self-evacuate on Wednesday 21 January. The track to Pinnacles Hut will need to be assessed by DOC staff before the hut is reopened.
Nick acknowledges the decision to cancel bookings and close the campsites will disappoint and frustrate some customers, but it is the right thing to do as Coromandel response services and national agencies work on the clean-up.
The popular track to Mautohe Cathedral Cove was closed on Tuesday and will not reopen for Auckland Anniversary Weekend as DOC staff cannot safely access it to undertake inspections. Visitors should not use the track.
Nick says Mautohe Cathedral Cove's geology means slips, landslides and rockfall can occur several days after a rain event – a risk DOC must manage to ensure visitor safety.
Although other DOC tracks across Coromandel are not formally closed, anyone planning a walk on a track should be alert to the possibility of landslides, washouts, or downed trees. Damage should be reported to DOC via 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).
"The scale of damage across DOC's wider network of tracks in Coromandel remains unknown," Nick says. "We will likely need several days to undertake inspections, assess, and plan for any repairs needed."
People visiting DOC sites are urged to exercise caution and reconsider their plans given the Peninsula has been saturated by rain and will need several days to clean up.
Visitors should check the DOC website for alerts on tracks or facilities – these alerts will publicise closures as needed following inspections. People are also urged to check websites and social media channels for Thames Coromandel District Council, Hauraki District Council and NZTA.
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