Fletcher Bay on Coromandel Peninsula. Photo:
Campsites on Coromandel Peninsula damaged by Cyclone Gabrielle have opened again, but with reduced capacity.
Five campgrounds - at Fletcher Bay, Fantail Bay, Stony Bay, Port Jackson, and Waikawau Bay - on the tip of the peninsula were severely damaged by the cyclone in February and have been closed for several months for repairs.
Department of Conservation (DOC) Coromandel operations manager Nick Kelly said all the campsites were now open again, after extensive repair work.
DOC Coromandel Operations Manager Nick Kelly
"We lost a lot of our grey water dispersal infrastructure, a lot of trees down, a lot of our vault toilets needed inspection and then replacement as well, and then a lot of the electrical work, the pumps and everything that we utilise to feed water to the campgrounds, all needed repairs and replacement.
"Culverts out and then the internal roading system as well. So quite a lot of damage across all of those campgrounds," Kelly said.
A slip on the Thames Coast Rd after Cyclone Gabrielle hit in February. Photo: Thames-Coromandel District Council
Changes had been made to improve protection of native biodiversity and make facilities more resilient to floods in future, he said.
The number of people allowed to stay had been reduced, because DOC wanted to reduce traffic during road repairs and ensure there was not too much pressure on new infrastructure at first, Kelly said.
Reduced service standards will now be offered at Fletcher Bay, Fantail Bay and Port Jackson, so a ranger will no longer visit daily.
"We just wanted to take a bit of pressure off those sites and really let people just enjoy themselves.
"There will be a little bit more room, so people can spread out a little bit more.
"At the moment things are looking really good up there... I'm hoping that everybody gets a chance to get away and have a good holiday," Kelly said.
He encouraged people to book soon if they wanted to camp on the peninsula this summer.
"We're already seeing a lot of bookings come through.
"Waikawau is an extremely popular campsite and it's almost fully booked and a lot of bookings for Port Jackson, another really popular, family coastal experience."