Creating a new section of track is the preferred option to reopen a popular Coromandel walk.

The Hahei Beach Short Walk is part of the Mautohe Cathedral Cove Reserve, connecting Hahei Beach to the track leading to the globally renowned cove and its famous rock arch.

The walk was damaged by a landslide in early 2026, thwarting the Department of Conservation’s (DoC) earlier reroute project and leading to questions about the track’s ongoing viability.

DoC staff met last week with the Hahei Residents and Ratepayers Association for a second time to work through next steps for the walk, DoC said in a media release today.

The association’s preferred approach was to retain access along the existing Hahei Short Walk while constructing a new section of track that would bypass the landslide-affected area.

DoC Coromandel Operations Manager Nick Kelly said DoC staff and association representatives acknowledged the fiscal barriers to reopening tracks vulnerable to landslides.

“Given the ongoing risks to infrastructure and the costs associated with stabilisation, the reroute provides a more practical and resilient long-term option for walking access,” Kelly said.

Stabilising the track around two bridges on the top section of the walk was estimated to cost $303,000 in 2024, compared with $121,000 now to build the reroute.

The assocation’s preferred approach was to undertake routine maintenance and trapping activities, with DoC continuing to carry responsibility for visitor safety, major asset replacement, and post-event recovery works.

A representative from engineering consultancy Tonkin + Taylor attended last week’s meeting, sharing background on the work the company undertook for DoC, including landslide risk assessments across the wider Cathedral Cove Reserve.

Kelly said there were issues along the length of the track, and investing in individual sections would not remove those wider risks.

“Given the increasing cost of responding to storm damage across the country, DoC prioritises investment in infrastructure that is better able to withstand future events and provide long-term value.”

The new reroute will offer views across Hahei Beach to Te Pare Pā and Hereheretaura Pā, particularly on the descent from Grange Rd.

New infrastructure previously installed at Waimata Gemstone Bay would be removed and reused on the reroute.

DoC would build a new barrier across the area where the old stairs were damaged at Waimata, and seating would be installed at the bottom of the bay.

Te Karaka Stingray Bay infrastructure would be removed as planned.

Existing bridges on the track were also planned for removal once the rerouted track was completed.

Kelly urged the public to respect the closure and not use the track which would become a worksite on November 14.