Cathedral Cove and Hahei updates: Issues

Slip at Cathedral Cove

Image: DOC

Introduction

Cathedral Cove and the adjacent Hahei coastal area were severely impacted by the extreme weather events of summer 2022-23, including Cyclone Gabrielle.

The extreme weather events caused landslides and rockfall, and significant damage to the main track to the Cathedral Cove beach.

Date: 14 October 2024

Visitor Management Plan workstream update

This presentation provides an overview of the visitor management planning efforts for Mautohe Cathedral Cove. It summarises the work done to date, including feedback from the community, key risks, and proposed solutions aimed at balancing sustainable access with cultural and environmental values.

The presentation also outlines the summer 2024/25 interim visitor management plan and sets the stage for long-term strategies to ensure visitor pressures are managed effectively.

Mautohe Cathedral Cove visitor management workstream presentation (PDF, 9,700K)

Update: 4 September 2024

Tree removal marks the start of track reinstatement work

An arborist contracting for DOC will be felling more than 30 hazardous trees throughout the Cathedral Cove Recreation Reserve.

The operation is expected to take three weeks, between 5 – 29 September.

The walking track to Mautohe Cathedral Cove remains closed to the public due to damage and the track reinstatement work.

While work is underway, the reserve will be an active worksite with associated hazards. Entering the reserve could result in serious injury and may lead to delays in the work programme.

The Lees Road Carpark will be closed to the public, as well as access to McHands Lookout.

Visiting Mautohe Cathedral Cove remains a marine-only experience until December 2024.

Track reinstatement work to begin

Work to reinstate walking access to Mautohe Cathedral Cove is underway, with the aim to reopen the popular track for summer 2024-25.

Minister of Conservation Tama Potaka announced on 10 July the distribution of International Visitor Levy funding – including $5 million to build, open and maintain overland walking access to Cathedral Cove.

After assessment of several options, DOC is opting for a temporary walking access reinstatement solution which will see the track available to visitors for summer 2024/25.

Reinstating walking access enables DOC to support local businesses and the community while working towards a more sustainable and careful management of the site.

Longer term visitor management

DOC will be doing some more work on a longer-term solution to develop a visitor management plan and consultation with the community and stakeholders will be part of that work.

The planned visitor management work is supported by mana whenua Ngāti Hei, who previously voiced concerns about the high level of tourism impacting Mautohe Cathedral Cove – and the risk to visitors.

Grange Road Carpark

The Grange Road carpark in Hahei will remain closed while DOC works through the practicalities of public access to the reserve. The carpark received significant surface/foundation damage, slumping and cracking, through extreme weather events and heavy vehicle use. High level design and investment is required to mitigate these factors.

For more information, read the full release, Track reinstatement work to begin at Mautohe Cathedral Cove | 10 July 2024.

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5 April 2024 update

DOC is working on a durable solution for opening walking access to Mautohe Cathedral Cove. This is a landscape that’s vulnerable to landslides and rockfalls. Our goal is to reopen the track safely, in a pragmatic way.

The Tonkin + Taylor 2023 report undertook mapping and a landslide risk assessment following DOC’s Natural Hazard Risk Analysis methodology. The report recommended DOC review the site and explore practical risk reduction options.

This review process is underway and includes:

Landslide predictive modelling – this shows how resilient the land is likely to be in the future.
Geotechnical monitoring to ascertain if the land has stabilised and what level of risk remains. We had to wait to let the land settle after an extremely wet year in 2023. Now we can proceed to test what has changed further.
Identifying options for a resilient walking track access to Mautohe Cathedral Cove beach.
Identifying practical visitor risk mitigations.

What we’ve done this year

In February, DOC, with Ngāti Hei’s support, undertook a summer visitor experience survey. Analysis of the visitor experience survey responses are available below.
In March, DOC, Ngāti Hei and technical experts visited the site to assess access and infrastructure options. Further investigations are required by technical experts.
In March, we commissioned a new landslide predictive model to be run for Mautohe Cathedral Cove. This showed a high likelihood of further landslides under different storm conditions.
Community engagement is underway with support from Ngāti Hei, Thames-Coromandel District Council and Destination Hauraki Coromandel. Follow our website for more details.

Still to come

Results of the geotechnical monitoring are due June 2024.
Feasibility assessment of options for resilient walking access are due to the Minister June 2024.

2024 Visitor survey results show high levels of satisfaction

2024 visitor survey results show highest level of overall visitor satisfaction with Mautohe Cathedral Cove in the country.

This summer, with the support of Ngāti Hei, DOC undertook a visitor experience survey to test visitor perceptions of their visit to Mautohe Cathedral Cove via beach access. The survey was conducted from 27 January to 29 February 2024. It collected the impressions of visitors who used marine operators to access the Mautohe Cathedral Cove beach.

The survey used the ‘intercept method’ for recruiting participants, approaching randomly selected visitors when they arrived back from the Cove to answer questionnaires. A total of 210 questionnaires were completed, which is above the minimum sample size required to provide statistically robust findings.

Survey results indicate:

Mautohe Cathedral Cove remains a top New Zealand visitor destination- despite the track closure
the overall satisfaction with the Mautohe Cathedral Cove experience is the highest for any DOC managed destination in the country
how people access the Cove – currently only by boat or kayak - doesn’t influence their satisfaction rating
scenery and landscapes are the drawcard for visitors to Cathedral Cove.

The survey also assessed facilities and services for visiting Mautohe Cathedral Cove with the frequency of water transport scoring highly (3.9 out of a possible maximum 4), followed by safety information and structures (3.7 out of 4).

Community information sessions are underway

We are engaging partners, stakeholders and the community to help inform the most compelling solution for Mautohe Cathedral Cove - one that people can support, now and into the future.

Over the next few months, we are running:

stakeholder update sessions
a community survey
community drop-in sessions.

We’re working closely with Ngāti Hei and proactively engaging with identified key stakeholders before seeking wider community feedback.

We are committed to working collaboratively with Thames-Coromandel District Council and Destination Hauraki Coromandel to maximise opportunities for the community to participate.

We’ll update this page when we have more information to share.

Timeline

The future approach and timeline are subject to change as options are tested, and engagement is undertaken.

Mautohe Cathedral Cove recovery timeline (PDF, 138K)

January 2024 update

We’re now able to share an overview of our work programme for Cathedral Cove.

There are a range of complex overlapping issues we need to work through to find a safe and sustainable solution at this location.

Background

Weather impacts from Cyclone Hale, Auckland Anniversary weekend flooding and Cyclone Gabrielle in early 2023 caused significant damage to the Cathedral Cove track. The track was closed because of the damage and safety risks of land instability land and extreme weather.

Five rockfalls occurred on or around the Cathedral Cove Arch between August and November 2023, during a variety of weather conditions.

The track is in a Recreation Reserve in Hahei. There are several laws guiding the management of the reserve. It is next to the Te Whanganui-o-Hei Marine Reserve, and the Arch itself sits within the marine reserve.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the track was used by about 250,000 visitors a year, 75 percent are international. The typical visitor to Cathedral Cove is low skilled at dealing with natural hazards. So, we manage this type of site closely to reduce exposure to risk from natural hazards compared to other tracks that don’t have this type of visitor.

In 2020 GNS Science developed a Natural Hazard Risk Assessment methodology for DOC to assess natural hazard risks for visitors using DOC facilities and to inform mitigations. This methodology was used by consultancy firm Tonkin + Taylor to carry out an independent assessment of the landslide risk at Cathedral Cove on behalf of DOC.

What we know

Landslides and rockfalls have long been an issue for Cathedral Cove. The weather in January and February 2023 caused many of these to activate.

After the cyclone, DOC staff did initial safety assessments. This was followed by site visits by geotechnical experts from Tonkin + Taylor to understand the level of landslide risks to visitors.

Between March and July 2023, Tonkin + Taylor did a landslide risk assessment. They looked at the tracks from Hahei Beach to Grange Rd carpark, Cathedral Cove Beach, Stingray Bay, and Gemstone Bay.

The risk assessments have been done at a site-wide scale.

The greatest level of risk is for visitors using the whole site (both the tracks and beaches) as they are exposed to all landslide hazard areas. The longer a visitor stays at Cathedral Cove, the higher risk they are exposed to.

The tracks and structures are damaged, and the greatest concern is the ongoing instability of land.

Tonkin + Taylor and DOC concluded:

The risk is at the high end of DOC’s acceptable threshold for a site like this, and for the typical visitor and numbers using it. Before reopening the track, mitigations are necessary to reduce the risk to visitors from landslide hazards.
Several areas are assessed as hazardous with limited practical or effective mitigations possible. These areas are beach cliffs at Stingray Bay, parts of Cathedral Cove Bay, the rock arch itself, and the track from Hahei to Grange Road carpark.
Reducing visitor numbers during and after rainfall events would reduce potential for harm to visitors from landslide hazard, however this is very difficult to practically implement.
DOC staff are exposed to the highest level of risk from landslide hazards when they work at these locations. Reduced time onsite mitigates this – an approach already being taken.
Overall, this track is categorised as one that should not be re-opened to the public without reducing the risks. Given the typical type of the visitor, DOC needs to reduce risk to as low a level as reasonably practicable and allow visitors to make informed risk decisions about visiting the site. Any solutions also need to be cost-effective and resilient.
Currently, and when compared to other similar sites DOC manages, visitors to Cathedral Cove are exposed to a higher level of risk of serious injury or death.
Based on these safety elements DOC decided the Cathedral Cove track could not open for summer 2023/24.

The options

A range of concepts to re-route the track have been outlined by Tonkin + Taylor. Ideas from community groups have also been received.

Re-routing the track will not be undertaken until there is confidence the preferred route will reduce the level of risk to as low a level as reasonably practicable. This confidence can only be gained from monitoring proposed routes.

Other tools to manage the level of risk to visitors could be considered– e.g., guiding, controlled access, alternative structures.

Effective and clear communication of risk to visitors prior and as part of their visit will be important and has been implemented at place and online.

Any mitigation approach must be in line with legislation, recognition of cultural values (including meeting Treaty Settlement commitments to Ngāti Hei) acceptable cost, and risk.

What we’ve been working on

A minimum monitoring period of six months has been recommended before remedial work is undertaken. This monitoring will start in January 2024. It will include physical surveying and specific sites will be monitored for land movement by Tonkin + Taylor. The goal is to better understand landslide and rockfall frequency, and to identify land areas where we could reroute the track on.

While monitoring work is done, DOC has taken action to:

Work with Ngāti Hei on lifting a rahui to enable marine access for a viewing experience of the arch and short-stay beach landings.
Work with commercial operators, emergency services, councils to emphasize safety in the marine experience.
Deliver three alternative walking/sightseeing experiences in the area to provide opportunities for visitors, community, and businesses to use.
Introduce at-place Tiaki Rangers, employed by DOC and Ngāti Hei, to share safety messages and information on alternative experiences in Coromandel.

What next

January 2024: A high-level review will start to shortlist options to reduce the visitor safety risk to an appropriate level for visitors to walk to Cathedral Cove.
February – April 2024: Preferred options will be developed with Ngāti Hei and in consultation with the wider community. A visitor survey will be undertaken in February to understand visitors’ expectations.
June 2024: We will have the information from the land stability monitoring.
June – August 2024: Options will be assessed against the stability information, legislative, strategic, cost benefit and risk requirements. This will include stakeholder and community communication and engagement.
September 2024: A decision will be made on re-routing the track or developing an alternative option. This will be communicated widely so community and businesses can leverage opportunities.
A business case will be finalised to confirm the delivery plan and resources needed to be successful. Timing for implementing the preferred option will depend on the complexity of the solution chosen.
Communication will continue throughout 2024 through proactive information sharing on our website, via media, and relevant channels.

The forward approach and timeline are subject to change as options are tested, and engagement is undertaken.

Cathedral Cove visitor experience — Summer 2023-24

Map of tracks for Summer 2023-24.
Image: DOC

Alternative visitor experiences have been created near Cathedral Cove to ensure visitors to Coromandel can experience the beauty of the coastline. These have been enabled by collective work of DOC, Ngāti Hei and operators.
Visitors are encouraged to explore other beaches and walks around the Mercury Bay area.
The experiences are aimed at day trip visitors – the same type of visitor who would normally use the walk down the cove.
The work done includes improvements to existing tracks, and new routes to sites considered culturally significant to local iwi. This provides the added benefit of providing cultural stories to enrich the visitor experience.
The cultural heritage sites are historic pa – Hereheretaura and Te Pare - used by Ngati Hei during their long presence in the area.
Hereheretaura and Te Pare were defensive pa used by Ngati Hei during their conflicts with other iwi in pre-colonial times.
DOC has employed Tiaki Rangers who will caution visitors on the ongoing safety risk around Cathedral Cove and share information on other locations where people can enjoy a coastal walking experience.
The Tiaki Rangers will also share Ngāti Hei cultural stories about the area.
Grange Rd in Hahei will give sweeping views across the Mercury Islands and Te Whanganui-o-Hei Marine Reserve.
Grange Rd will be a drop-off only location – there will be no short, medium, or long-term vehicle parking.
Pedestrians can walk up to the Grange Rd lookout point. Seating and picnic areas have been created.
Work has also been completed to add a loop track to McHand’s Lookout. The loop track crosses private property, and connects to Lees Road and DOC land to the north of Cathedral Cove. This look-out – also giving expansive views over Mercury Bay - forms part of a 90-minute walk from the Lees Rd carpark.
For this summer Cathedral Cove itself will be a marine-based experience, with several commercial operators offering services which include brief stays on the beach.
International marketing of Cathedral Cove is portraying the marine-based experience.
DOC and Ngāti Hei continue to urge people not to use the walking track down to Cathedral Cove – it is not safe and will not be reinstated for summer 2023-24. Barriers will be in place to prevent access and visitors should not progress past them. Geotechnical experts have identified use of the track presents a high risk compared to other similar locations DOC manages.
Rescuing an injured person from Cathedral Cove puts others at risk and is not straightforward based on advice from emergency services.

We have confirmed our timetable for our work on Cathedral Cove over the next 18 months, including:

plans for management of the site this summer
our consideration of options
when we expect to carry out community and stakeholder engagement.

Cathedral Cove recovery timeline (PDF, 229K) outlines the timeframes. These are indicative/estimated and our work is subject to a range of contingencies.

Cathedral Cove and Hahei updates