Erosion at the Seaview Holiday Park
Wild weather battering the west coast has eaten away a slice of beachfront property at Mōkau’s Seaview Holiday Park.
Erosion at the Seaview Holiday Park
No one was injured at the park during last weekend’s storm, but a few metres along the beach have been washed away by the sea, Seaview’s owner Shane Jordan said.
Wild weather caused has havoc across the country his month and resulted in lives being lost. Waikato Regional Council issued a warning on Friday about the likelihood of big waves and swells on the west coast.
“We had some erosion along the waterfront – the waves were big and any wave can carve a bit out if it’s strong enough; it all depends on how big the swells are at high tide.
“This is probably the worst storm we’ve had so far. It was bad but it could’ve been much worse.”
Fewer holidaymakers were at the park than is usual at this time of year.
Erosion at the Seaview Holiday Park
“We had cancellations because of the lousy weather, but we still had people there. They had to move to safety because the waves were coming up quite high. It was worse on Saturday than Sunday – it wasn’t very nice to be a camper on a day like that.”
King Country News 29 January 2026
The park has sites for motorhomes and camping as well as cabins and units.
“The damage – from waves chewing into the sites – was mostly where the motorhomes and some of the permanent campsites are,” Jordan said.
When Jordan and his wife, Loren, purchased the park a couple of years ago, they were aware of the erosion risk.
“We knew that it was a problem, but we’ve been hoping for the best,” he said. “We also had a fair bit of erosion in October, but that wasn’t too bad for the most part.”
The forecast following a long period of heavy wind and rain was more favourable for Mokau as this edition went to press.
Storms ravaged the region in October, including Mōkau and the nearby Awakino River valley, causing flooding and landslips.
Further down the coast in Mōkau erosion has been at the centre of some stormy discussions. The seawall protecting properties at the end of Point Road, near the mouth of the Mōkau River, has been failing.
In June, Waitomo District Council decided not to repair or replace the seawall. Risk to properties, an estimated cost of almost $1million to rebuild and the likelihood that nature would take its course anyway were all considered, mayor John Robertson said at the time.
“If we repair or replace it, it may last for some years, or it may be severely damaged in a serious storm. We may build it today, and lose it tomorrow,” he said.
“The public benefit is a nice to have, but not such an imperative that council should proceed to build a wall at considerable cost and risk of failure.”
Erosion at the Seaview Holiday Park
Erosion at the Seaview Holiday Park
