Caution exercised at popular spots

People are flocking to Manawatū swimming holes to cool off, but are being cautious of natural hazards in the wake of a summer of drownings.

The holiday drowning figures for the Christmas/New Year season were the worst since 1982/83, with 14 people perishing in the water.

Manawatū was not immune, with four people drowning in the Manawatū River within a week.

While Stuff did not see anyone swimming the Manawatū River at the site of the drownings on Saturday – signs have been erected discouraging swimming while Rangitāne have put a rāhui on the area – other swimming holes were busy.

Some people were at Horseshoe Bend near Tokomaru, a calm point of the Tokomaru River. But Raumai Reserve near Pohangina, where the Pohangina River flows north of Palmerston North, was pumping.

James Tasker was at the river with his dog Dohboy, who Tasker said would swim for hours on end.

Raumai Reserve was generally a safe place to swim, as the water was fairly shallow and the river not fast, he said. But the nearby cliffs could be a hazard.

He was there when a large section fell recently.

While the Land, Air, Water Aotearoa (LAWA) website is mostly dedicated to data on water quality – mostManawatū waterways were all clear for swimming on Saturday – it also had a warning about swimming near the cliffs at Pohangina.

Tasker said he warned people he spotted swimming near the cliffs recently.

People were still scrambling up the cliff face, albeit at a spot that looked more stable, to pop some bombs on Saturday.

Seth Te Manuao said he had not been to Raumai Reserve for years. ‘‘It’s good to go for a dip if it’s hot enough.’’