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Kaipara District Council is warning the public to stay off unstable sand dunes at Mangawhai Heads after recent bad weather left steep drops and increased the risk of collapse.
The Council issued a public safety notice, saying weather conditions had changed the sand dunes north of the surf club at Mangawhai Heads beach.
Natural erosion has left some areas with super steep drops of up to 2.5 metres.
“We know the dunes are a popular spot, but they’re not safe right now,” the notice said.
The council urged people not to boogie board, slide or jump down the dunes, avoid digging or tunnelling into the sand, and to stay well back from dune edges while closely supervising children and pets, as the ground can give way without warning.
“Digging into sand is especially dangerous. Tunnels can collapse suddenly and cause serious injury or even burial. Sand dunes are unpredictable, particularly after heavy weather,” it said.
“These changes are natural, but the risks are real.”
The warning comes after two recent deaths linked to sand dune collapses, including a 28-year-old man who died after being buried while digging at Muriwai Beach in 2025, and a 12-year-old boy who died when a dune collapsed while children were tunnelling at Great Barrier Island in 2023, with another child critically injured.
