The rāhui placed on Cathedral Cove in the Coromandel Peninsula has been removed due to non-compliance. Local iwi are concerned about being blamed if any mishaps occur at the globally recognized tourist spot.
The closure was initially implemented after the Department of Conservation found the pathway to the beach from Hahei unsafe due to an unstable hillside.
Joe Davis, a Kaumātua of Ngāti Hei, told Radio Waatea that large rocks, comparable in size to kayaks, plummeted onto the beach after Cyclone Gabrielle and the preceding poor weather in January and February.
Although the sea route was the only permitted access, many individuals bypassed physical obstructions to descend the hillside, Davis says.
“Our international visitors, first of all they don’t know what a rāhui is and they don’t understand the way we do things here in New Zealand. They think it It’s open slather and they can go down there and do what they like and get that selfie shot down there and they’re prepared to walk through barriers, not bother to read the signs and take heed of the warnings,” Mr Davis told Waatea.
Given the ongoing risk, the recommendation is to keep the arch closed until a stable engineering solution is found, Davis says.