People are being urged to avoid iconic Coromandel destination Cathedral Cove in the wake of recent severe weather events.
One Department of Conservation (DOC) ranger has warned that "life depends on it".
The attraction is set to remain closed for the foreseeable future, with slips and debris affecting the area.
"The main damage has been caused obviously by constant rain," DOC's Matt Flynn told 1News.
"We've just had one event after the other here.
"The stairs leading down to Cathedral Cove itself... [are] significantly damaged, completely destroyed in some places.
"This weekend we had about 30 people on the beach that had walked down active slip faces," he added.
And DOC rangers are now acting as security guards, having to turn back groups trying to reach the beach.
"What we have with this type of geology is, potentially the rock will fall days, weeks later during the drying process."
A rāhui is in place for the cove as well.
Geotechnical teams will begin their assessments of the popular location next week.
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