Boaties are being warned a popular Northland harbour is now too dangerous to enter at night.
Northland Regional Council is removing its navigation beacons on Monday from the entrance to Ngunguru, north of Whangarei.
Harbour master Jim Lyle said small boats can still make it over the bar in daytime.
But rapidly shifting sands and exposed rocks have made the entrance hazardous and the beacons no longer mark a safe channel.
Mr Lyle said dredging the Ngunguru channel would be futile at the moment because of the quantities of sand building up, but the council will monitor the situation and review it before summer.
The entrance channel at Ngunguru. Photo: RNZ