Mautohe Cathedral Cove tracks are closed this weekend after weather warnings were issued for much of the North Island.

Periods of rain, some heavy, are predicted for Coromandel through February 13, 14 and 15.

A MetService orange weather warning for the area was issued at 11am today.

Department of Conservation’s Coromandel operations manager Nick Kelly said the Trigger Response Action Plan for Mautohe Cathedral Cove required tracks to close whenever weather warnings are issued amid rainfall events.

“DoC has a vital responsibility to manage visitor risk at the site,” Kelly said.

“That approach means closing the tracks to Mautohe Cathedral Cove when we see heavy rain events coming in.

“We want people to be safe, that’s our priority. This is not the time to go naturing at Mautohe Cathedral Cove – do not put yourself at risk."

Kelly said the local team hoped to reopen the tracks once the storm passed, and DoC staff had inspected tracks.

He said DoC’s north Coromandel campsites are open – but visitors should consider whether camping was sensible, and check Thames Coromandel District Council and NZTA websites for road information.

DoC closed the tracks to Mautohe Cathedral Cove on January 21 after a storm swept across the North Island.

The tracks were damaged and remained closed until January 30 while a geotechnical inspection was undertaken.

Earlier geological assessments at Mautohe Cathedral Cove have also shown a residual risk of landslides and rockfalls as soil dries.

The cove could still be accessed from the sea but anyone planning to do this should think carefully about the risks – including the possibility of rockfall and further landslides – and whether visiting is sensible at this time.

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.