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Most of the videos start out the same way. There is a photo of the no entry signs. It then quickly passes small children, some of them teenagers, heading down a steep slope towards the forbidden waterfall.
The Omanawa Falls, near Tauranga, have long been closed because the steep and dangerous trail presents a serious risk of injury. That became all too real Sunday when a man’s body was found after he got into trouble; It is not yet clear whether the incident was on the track or in the water. Another man drowned in 2018 and increasing numbers have needed to be rescued.
@ samoliverhagan / Waikato Times
Inside the mouth of the cave at Omanawa Falls.
The popularity of the falls on social media has been blamed for rising crowds, and now the Tauranga City Council, the land’s owner, has had enough and will potentially involve the police for future intruders.
The difficulty of the track is very clear on social networks; Tiktok users have posted numerous videos of their trips to the waterfall.
SCREENGRAB / TIKTOK
Thousands of videos and photos have been posted online of people accessing the falls.
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You must first pass at least six large signs, warning that entry is not allowed. The videos then show another substantial fence, apparently scaled by scaling a nearby rock face. One video shows a rope dangling from another cliff, and almost all of it shows young adults descending a very long ladder.
SCREENGRAB / TIKTOK
A staircase on the closed path.
The videos appear to be a celebration of the challenge – they detail the risky downhill journey, culminating in the emerald blue waters of the river and waterfall.
SCREENGRAB / TIKTOK
One video shows a rope going down a steep rock face.
Some of the posts have tens of thousands of views and have received a strong reaction from viewers. A concerned Tiktok user asks the video creator to “stop promoting this place.” The sign responds “… the walk is dangerous, and we collected garbage and left it cleaner than when we got here.”
Further down in the comments, the poster reacts to Sunday’s death, saying “another person has died at the falls. Please don’t go there because the track is too dangerous. It’s not worth life and tapu. I wish I had polite before I go. ” The video, however, remains active.
SCREENGRAB / TIKTOK
Most of the videos feature a lot of signs telling them they can’t enter.
Other rule breakers have taken a more combative approach to online criticism. When asked to be more respectful of mana whenua (who has a spiritual connection to the waterfall), a Tiktoker replied “how about no”.
Another one of the videos is astonishingly risky. It begins with Red Bull Cliff Diver Iris Schmidbauer standing at the top of the falls, in a strong current, with a spectator filming her. He then proceeds to somersault from the top. The jump took place in September. A second angle of the jump, looking up from below, shows the photographer leaning on his side, hanging from a rope while filming the jump. Schmidbauer has not responded to multiple requests for comment.
SCREENGRAB / TIKTOK
Red Bull Cliff Diver Iris Schmidbauer tagged herself as being at the falls and posted a video of her jumping.
Instagram has even more posts than Tiktok, with over 1,000 images and videos tagged as taken at the falls. The photos show numerous young adults swimming in the emerald pool. One user posted, “I have to take a chance for the Insta photo.”
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One social media user captioned her photo: “I have to take a chance for Insta photo.”
After the last death, the council has had enough. Its Community Services General Manager, Gareth Wallis, says: “We are very frustrated and disappointed by the amount of social media and other online content that Omanawa Falls promotes to the public whose access is closed due to high security risks.
“Unfortunately, despite being closed, some people continue to visit the falls. This has resulted in a growing number of people being seriously injured and two deaths. The cliffs surrounding Omanawa Falls are very unstable in parts, and there are there is currently no secure infrastructure to facilitate secure access to the site. “
SCREENGRAB / TIKTOK
One user was filmed high-fiving with the ranger’s no entry sign.
Since December, members of the local hapū, Ngāti Hangarau, have been patrolling the grounds to warn users not to enter the waterfall. The patrol had left early on the day of the last death due to bad weather; They had assumed that no one would come down. The council says it will continue to use the local hapū for patrol during the summer, and that if anyone ignores its warnings, action will be taken.
Wallis says: “We have discussed options with the police about trying to control illegal entry into the falls, and we have agreed that the police will be informed of the vehicle registrations of people who have proceeded down the falls, despite of the warnings “.
The dangers of visiting the scenic Omanawa Falls in the western Bay of Plenty have been tragically exposed again after the death there on Sunday.
One of the offenders said Stuff in response, “Instead of trying to eliminate the hazard, they should try to improve the runway and minimize the hazard. Such a beautiful waterfall should not be hidden.”
The council is working on a longer-term plan to open the falls with safe access, but in the meantime, Wallis calls on “people to respect the closure of the falls and the rāhui that exists.”
