If you’ve seen the photos, emerald green rock pools tucked into a Northland headland, it’s easy to see why Matapouri Mermaid Pools rack up thousands of searches every month. But if you’re planning a trip up the Tutukaka Coast, here’s what you actually need to know: the pools have been closed since 2019, and they’re not somewhere to visit right now.
Why the Mermaid Pools are closed
In 2019, the local hapu, Te Whanau a Rangiwhakaahu, placed a rahui over the Mermaid Pools and the headland track leading to them. A rahui is a traditional Maori restriction placed over a place, usually to protect it, let it recover, or acknowledge something significant has happened there. It carries real cultural authority, not just a suggestion.
In this case, years of heavy visitor numbers had taken a toll. Reporting at the time described sunscreen, rubbish, and human waste damaging the pool’s delicate ecosystem, while the steep, slippery access track had also become a safety concern. Te Ao Maori News reported the official rahui in April 2019, and it remains widely listed as an indefinite closure.
What does respecting the rahui actually mean?
Simply: don’t go, and don’t try to find a way around it. It’s not about a locked gate or a fine. It’s a request from the people who hold cultural authority over that place, and honouring it is part of what makes you a good manuhiri, or visitor, in Aotearoa.
That’s also why you won’t find directions, tide times, or track notes in this post. Plenty of older travel blogs still have them; we’d rather not be one of the reasons the pools stay closed longer than they need to.
Is it safe to go anyway?
No, on two counts. Culturally, it disregards a closure the local hapu takes seriously. Physically, the access was already considered risky before the closure: steep, slippery in places, with exposed coastal rock and changing sea conditions. Neither risk is worth it for a photo.
Where to swim instead on the Tutukaka Coast
The good news: you don’t need the Mermaid Pools to have a brilliant beach day in this part of Northland.
Matapouri Bay Beach – the main beach itself is stunning, a horseshoe of white sand backed by pohutukawa, and it’s a genuinely lovely, easy swim for families. No rahui, no scramble, just sand between the toes.
Whale Bay – reached via the Matapouri Headland Track, a scenic and gentler walk connecting Matapouri Bay to a quieter, more secluded beach. Good for older kids who can manage a proper walk.
Sandy Bay – a short drive away and popular with surfers, with food nearby if you want to make a day of it.
All three let you enjoy exactly what drew you to Matapouri in the first place, without setting foot anywhere near a closed, culturally protected site.
FAQs
Are the Matapouri Mermaid Pools open in 2026?
No. They’ve been closed under a rahui since 2019, and there is no confirmed public reopening date.
What is a rahui?
A rahui is a traditional Maori restriction placed over a place, resource, or activity, usually for cultural, spiritual, or environmental reasons. It’s put in place by the people with authority over that land or resource.
Will the Mermaid Pools ever reopen?
There’s no set date. The rahui will stay in place until the local hapu judges that the area’s health and mauri, or life force, have recovered.
Can I still visit Matapouri Bay?
Yes. The main beach at Matapouri Bay is open and one of Northland’s most beautiful, along with nearby Whale Bay and Sandy Bay.
Northland’s coastline has plenty of stunning swim spots that don’t come with an asterisk. Matapouri Bay itself is proof of that.