Regional Spotlight - Coromandel Cathedral Cove. Photo: Supplied
Visitors are rushing back to Cathedral Cove now that the iconic beach has reopened after nearly two years.
Cathedral Cove, which gained popularity after its appearance in the second Narnia film, was severely damaged by Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023.
The Department of Conservation (DOC) said hundreds of people had been visiting the beach every day since it was reopened in December.
"We're really pleased to see so many visitors coming back to enjoy Mautohe Cathedral Cove again, numbers are right up and people are being super respectful and really enjoying their visits to the cove," Tinaka Mearns, DOC's Hauraki Waikato Taranaki regional director, said.
"We've been taking note of numbers, we've had two days in particular where we've peaked at over 800 people being Boxing Day and the 2nd of January."
She said it had not been easy to restore access.
"There's been a huge amount of work that's really gone through everything from really technical things like geotechs telling us about land stability, right through to how we work with iwi as a treaty partner," Mearns said.
"Then the contractors and community groups who have done a huge amount of hands-on work at site to put in board walks, improve the tracks, put in bridges and steps to help people get down to the cove safely."
DOC had also reconsidered its approach to maintaining the cove as severe weather events became more common.
"We've got some really good practices in place to keep an eye on it. It is holding up incredibly well, especially with the number of visitors," Mearns said.
"We are always mindful, it has always been a temporary track because of the stability of the land there, but we'll really keep a super close eye on it particularly through weather events."
She encouraged New Zealanders to visit the fragile cove while they had the chance.
"A great tip that we give to people is time your visit so you can be there at low-tide.
"It gives you the biggest amount of space on the beach, which does two things: It's great for the visitor experience because you've got more space as a person, but it also gives you more space to stay away from the cliff faces should there be the unfortunate event of a rock fall."
