Perils of chasing perfect pictures
Most of the videos start in the same way. There’s a shot of the no-entry signs. Then it quickly cuts to young kids, some of them teenagers, scrambling down a steep hillside towards the forbidden waterfall.
Omanawa Falls, near Tauranga, has long been closed because the steep and dangerous track poses a serious risk of injury. That became all too real on Sunday when a man’s body was found after he got into trouble – it’s not yet clear if the incident was on the track, or in the water. Another man drowned in 2018, and a number have needed rescue.
The social media popularity of the falls has been blamed for the increased crowds, and now the Tauranga City Council – the owner of the land – has had enough, and will involve the police for future trespassers.
The difficulty of the track is abundantly clear on social media; Tiktok users have posted numerous videos of their trips down to the waterfall.
You must first past at least six large signs, warning that entry is not allowed. Then the videos show another substantial fence – apparently climbed over by scaling a nearby rock face. One video shows a rope hanging down another cliff, and almost all of them show young adults climbing down a very long ladder.
The videos seem to be a celebration of defiance: detailing the risky journey down the hill, culminating in the emerald blue waters of the river and waterfall.
After the latest death, the council has had enough. Its general manager of community services, Gareth Wallis, says: ‘‘We are very frustrated and disappointed by the amount of social media and other online content that promotes Omanawa Falls to the public for which access is closed due to high safety risks.
‘‘Sadly, despite being closed, some people continue to visit the falls. This has resulted in a growing number of people who have been seriously injured as well as two fatalities. The steep cliffs surrounding Omanawa Falls are highly unstable in parts, and there is no safe infrastructure currently in place that would facilitate safe access to the site.’’
Since December, members of Nga¯ti Hangarau have been patrolling to warn users of the danger. The patrol had left early on the day of the latest death because of poor weather – they had assumed nobody would go down. The council says it will continue using the local hapu¯ to patrol over summer, and that if anyone ignores their warnings, action will be taken.