A Coromandel tour operator now has limited access to a key tourism drawcard after eight months of a rāhui.
The Department of Conservation (DOC) closed the walking track to Cathedral Cove after extreme weather in January and February caused more serious rock falls in the area, with up to 180 landslides - historic and recent - identified along the 3.8km of tracks around the cove.
DOC said debris up to the size of a kayak has also dropped off the actual arch each month for the past three months, causing an unacceptable risk.
With foot access out for the upcoming summer, tourists were instead being encouraged to visit via the sea.
Cathedral Cove Water Taxi operator Hayden Smith told Checkpoint they had no idea what summer would look like in terms of visitor numbers, but some were disappointed they wouldn't be able to walk into the iconic site.
"I can understand that frustration for sure, but also people are happy to see it one way or another.
"It's an awesome opportunity to do a boat tour as well and just see it from the water."
The operator was offering a one-hour stay at the Cove, but as part of safety rules, people must stay at least 10 metres away from rocks or cliffs.
"There definitely has been rockfall so I really enforce that people do need to observe those rules," Smith said.
Visitors appeared to be sensible about adhering to the rules, he said.
A slip blocking access to Cathedral Cove in March, 2023. Photo: RNZ/Matthew Theunissen
He did not believe there needed to be a barrier around the Cove at this stage, because there was signage about the risk.
"The signs are relatively small but they get the point across. Irrespective of whatever language people speak or whatever part of the globe they're from, a giant red sign has got something to say and at this stage it's pretty clear you can't go in the archway."
Usually, they received about 300,000 visitors a year, and Smith expected the changes might affect those figures, but he wasn't sure to what extent.
"Honestly, it's one step at a time at the moment. We haven't been able to land at Cathedral Cove for eight months, we've only started landing near the last week because the rāhui has been lifted, which was there for a good reason."
