Mautohe Cathedral Cove To Reopen, Caution Urged

Coromandel's Mautohe Cathedral Cove tracks will reopen this weekend after several days of hard work by local DOC staff and Ngāti Hei, and the completion of geotechnical inspection.

The recent closure, under DOC's Trigger Action Response Plan (TARP) for Mautohe Cathedral Cove, stems from the recent extreme rain event across the North Island. Landslides and rockfalls are a known risk across the wider coastal area DOC manages, including Mautohe Cathedral Cove.

DOC's Coromandel Operations Manager Nick Kelly says geotechnical specialists visited the site on Thursday, 28 January, and recommended a continuation of the landslide risk management approach, which has given DOC confidence the track can be reopened.

"We have a large body of data about landslide and rockfall risk at Mautohe Cathedral Cove, a lot of experience managing the site – and combined with our TARP, we're able to make well-informed and quick decisions, like this one to reopen the track," Nick says.

Part of DOC's risk management for Mautohe Cathedral Cove is to monitor known landslips areas, and that will continue. DOC closes Mautohe Cathedral Cove after heavy rainfall events in line with the TARP.

Nick says public safety remains DOC's top priority – and people should be alert for rockfall, landslips and debris, both on the track and on the beach itself.

Recent events on the East Coast and in Mt Maunganui – along with advice previously obtained by DOC – have shown the risk to public safety must be carefully managed based on reliable information.

There has also been a large landslide on the closed Hahei coastal track to Grange Rd – reinforcing the previous decision not to repair and reopen that part of the track network. Work to completely decommission that closed section of the track will be planned.

Reinstatement work at Waimata Gemstone Bay remains on hold and the track is not available to the public.

Assessments this week have also revealed damage at two other north Coromandel DOC visitor sites.

Nick says Matarangi Bluff Track - a popular walking track about 40 minutes north of Whitianga - is impassable, with the current slip very close to an historical slip in the same area. It's believed the slip can be cleared with light machinery – but the timing of that work is still to be confirmed.

Visitors are urged to stay off this track until further notice. An alert on the DOC website will be lifted when the track is cleared and considered safe.

Further north, there are several slips on the North Coromandel Walkway, a popular walking and cycling track north of Stony Bay and Port Charles.

Nick says the North Coromandel Walkway requires a geotechnical assessment so the scale of the damage and the possibility of further slips can be fully understood. There are also sections of the track where there is a fall risk due to the proximity of the damaged sections of the track to cliff faces and steep drops.

"People should not go naturing at these two locations – we believe they are not safe, and there is a risk of injury to visitors," Nick says.

"We'll lift the website alerts for all our damaged sites once we're satisfied they've been cleaned up and are safe."

There is has been a change of plan in reopening DOC's North Coromandel campsites. DOC previously signalled it hoped to reopen the campsites this weekend.

Closer inspection of the campsites has revealed more damage than first thought, and the availability of contractors is crucial to being able to make the campsites ready for visitors.

Nick says the revised target to reopen the north Coromandel campsites is Waitangi Weekend, but that relies on a range of factors still being worked through.

Would-be campers should keep an eye on the DOC website and contact Booking Services.

Tracks to Mautohe Cathedral Cove were closed in February 2023 due to extensive damage caused by Cyclone Gabrielle. DOC repaired the tracks through the second half of 2024, and they reopened to visitors in December 2024.