Vehicle beach access cut off mid-June 2022

The storms this month have again changed the course of the river. Again it has pushed up against the end of the vehicle track from Manga Pirau Street and created a 50 cm or more drop-off. Then there are only a few centimetres of sand before you’re in the river.

The Horowhenua District Council have advised they will put concrete bollards in place on 16 June 2022 to prevent unwary drivers from ending up in the river.

We’ll need to wait for the very full river and wind-driven tides to settle down before anyone can assess what will happen next. The council are keeping a close eye on the track though.

Further to cutting off the track, the enormous tides have washed in vast amounts of driftwood. That’s useful as it helps trap sand to build up the beach and provides excellent habitat for birds and beach creatures.