People are being advised to take extra care when visiting coastal areas following ex-tropical Cyclone Hale.

A combination of high tides, easterly winds and storm surges have caused damage to sand dunes, and pedestrian, emergency and disabled access to Mount Maunganui Beach.

A large amount of organic waste, including logs, has also washed up on Mount Maunganui and Pāpāmoa Beaches.

Tauranga City Council's Spaces and Places Operations Manager, Warren Aitken, says areas of particular concern are the pedestrian access sand ladders outside Omanu Surf Club, and pedestrian, emergency and disabled access to Mount Main Beach near the centotaph, where the beach access mats have been dislodged.

'Once these areas have been reinstated, significant logs will be cleared off the beach and away from swimmers at Mount Main Beach, Tay Street, Omanu and Pāpāmoa Domain.”

'All our beaches are closed across the Bay of Plenty and Coromandel,” says Surf Lifesaving Eastern Region Manager Chaz Gibbons-Campbell.

He says the Waikanae and Midway beaches in Gisborne are also closed.

'The Gisborne beaches are closed because of the sewers open there. The [Gisborne District] council have had to open the sewage outlets into the river to release the network so raw sewage is flowing onto the beaches there.”

The Tay Street Tower is in danger of toppling over. Supplied photo.

Chaz says at Mount Maunganui, waves are crashing over Moturiki. High tide in Tauranga occurred at around 11am with large sea swells and rogue waves causing concern and damage to the shore dunes.

'Tauranga City Council has closed Moturiki,” says Chaz. 'They're also closing the base track around Mauao. We're on high tide at the moment and the beach is cut off.

At Tay Street the lifeguard tower is on a significant lean and is not being used by lifeguards.

'It's crazy that people are going to the beaches to check out the waves,” says Chaz. 'People have also been going in for a swim. Lifeguards have had to go and tell people not to go in the water.

'We've closed the beach. It's too dangerous for us to go and save you at the moment so please don't go in.

'Onn the whole people have been good and following advice. There are surfers though who say they are experienced surfers and go in the water anyway.”

The Tay Street Tower is in danger of toppling over. Supplied photo.

He says that lifeguards are busy checking infrastructure along the coast.

'The beach wheelchair mat at Clyde Street was picked up by the waves and ended up being carried down to Mount Main Beach where the council have now retrieved it.”

He says there has been a great deal of damage to the shore where waves have carved into the sand dunes.

'The access points onto the beach – be very careful and stay away. Around high tide especially, just stay off the beach as rogue waves can catch people by surprise and sweep them off.”

Chaz says the large sea swell will be around until Friday.

'And hopefully some sunshine after that.”

Rogue waves

Photographs and video taken on Monday January 10, at around 9pm, nearly an hour before high tide, demonstrate how quickly a rogue wave can sweep in, cutting off people on the beach. The photographs taken three minutes apart show two people on Mount Maunganui Main Beach watching the waves, and then realising that a wave has swept in around them.

Watch video of people on Mount Maunganui Main Beach as a rogue wave sweeps in behind them:

Pauanui

Pauanui accessway to the beach. Photo: Supplied.

Pauanui accessway to the beach. Photo: Supplied.

Whiritoa

Whiritoa beach access. Photo: Supplied.

Whiritoa beach access. Photo: Supplied.

Tauranga

With storm surges expected again today, Tauranga City Council contractors will wait until Friday to clean up and make these areas safe again once the risk has passed.

Storm surges have damaged pedestrian, emergency and disabled access to Mount Main Beach near the cenotaph.

Sand ladders have been damaged outside Omanu Surf Club.