A carpark and freedom camping site at Whanganui’s Kai Iwi Beach has been closed temporarily after new erosion on a cliff wall.

In a statement, Whanganui District Council said the Mowhanau Lookout Carpark on Sunset Parade had been a freedom camping site since 2021.

A maximum of three vehicles are permitted to camp at the site, for no more than two days.

“Following a bylaw review and public consultation last year, it was confirmed as a freedom camping area in the 2025 bylaw,” the council said.

“Staff will investigate the stability of the land and reassess the suitability of this site as a freedom camping area.”

Council chief infrastructure officer Lance Kennedy told the Chronicle in 2023 that the entire coastline – both cliffs and beaches – was retreating landwards.

It was a natural process that had been ongoing since the Tasman Sea reached its current elevation about 7500 years ago, he said.

“Reports indicate the Kai Iwi coast has retreated a significant distance over the last few thousand years, at a rate of about 30 to 50 metres per century.

“Future sea level rise is likely to aggravate existing erosion rates.”

Last month, Whanganui Surf Lifeguard Service lifeguard co-ordinator Olivia Bedwell said beachgoers should stay away from the Kai Iwi cliffs.

“They are constantly eroding, and are not safe to approach, climb, or sit beneath,” she said.

Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily Whanganui District Council.

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Beach carpark and campsite near Whanganui closed over erosion fears

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