Third cliff slip

A third large slip at Cape Kidnappers has been identified. This slip from the top of the hill on February 7 followed the initial landslide on January 23, where two Korean tourists received significant leg and pelvic injuries. On February 2, another larger slip occurred. Two people who were walking in the area on Saturday narrowly escaped being in the path of this second rockfall and were “very shaken”, said a Hastings District Council spokeswoman at the time. In all, more than 30,000 cubic metres is estimated to have fallen on to on the beach, she said. “The area remains unstable and prone to further movement and rockfalls.” The ongoing instability means access to Cape Kidnappers via the beach from Clifton, which the council closed after the first slip, remains closed. She said a review of the survey data indicates up to 9m in depth was lost from the cliff face in the second slip, and the third slip saw the clifftop move back by about 7m.