Landslips have closed sections of the popular Orokawa Bay Scenic Reserve at Waihi Beach.

Torrential rain that flooded Waihi Beach in the past month, damaging property and seeing passengers trapped in cars, also resulted in major damage and destruction to the two coastal walking tracks which are managed by Department of Conservation (DOC).

A decision to officially close the tracks was made this week by DOC.

A statement released by the organisation says visitors are still able to reach Orokawa Bay from Waihi Beach, as well as the popular fishing location at Homunga Bay via Ngatitangata Road. However all the tracks in between, including the waterfall track, are closed.

Ranger Warren Geraghty has worked for DOC and the Forest Service for 44 years and says he has never seen anything like it.

'There are hundreds of landslides between Orokawa Bay and Homunga Bay in the north, some of them massive. The track is completely gone, just gone.

'We have managed to clear a path so that people can still get to Orokawa Bay from Waihi Beach but the track that continues from there to Homunga Bay is impassable, and so is the track to William Wright Falls.”

DOC will continue to monitor all of the tracks in the Scenic Reserve and plan to invest more time on the track to Orokawa Bay once the ground has had a chance to settle.

An assessment will then be done on future options for the other tracks.