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Opinion · Waikato · South Waikato · Te Waihou · Tourism
Stop telling tourists to stay away. Start building a Waikato that can welcome them.
Te Waihou Blue Spring’s popularity should be a reason to plan better, not simply ask visitors to stay away. Michael Riley calls for clear timelines, sustainable funding and protection for this special place.
By Michael Riley · 24 October 2026 · 3 min read
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Te Waihou Blue Spring. Photo: Fuwuyuan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blue_Spring_in_Putaruru.jpg — Licence: creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/.
Imagine having one of New Zealand’s most spectacular natural attractions on your doorstep, only to find yourself asking people not to visit.
That’s the situation facing South Waikato this Labour Weekend.
Te Waihou Blue Spring, near Putāruru, has attracted more than 100,000 visitors since last year, according to South Waikato District Council.
Yet overcrowding, limited parking and road safety concerns have prompted the council to encourage visitors to come another time.
Surely, we can do better than this.
The council is right to prioritise safety. But the financial figures show why a sustainable solution is urgently needed.
Around $20,000 has been budgeted for Labour Weekend traffic management and temporary facilities alone.
That’s on top of a reported $2.1 million walkway rebuild and $41,806 spent on waste management and toilets during the 2025 financial year.
These aren’t insignificant costs for local ratepayers.
How many more expensive weekends can South Waikato afford?
The Government has committed $675,000 through the International Visitor Levy towards improving facilities and managing visitor numbers.
Proposals already include extending the Leslie Road carpark, upgrading toilets and introducing a possible park-and-ride service.
These are sensible options, but funding announcements alone won’t solve the problem.
We need clear timelines, realistic operating costs and evidence that the improvements will actually reduce congestion and pressure on ratepayers.
A park-and-ride service could also encourage visitors to spend time and money in Putāruru, although its economic benefits would need to be demonstrated rather than assumed.
Protecting Te Waihou’s fragile environment and its cultural significance to Raukawa must remain central to any decision. Visitor restrictions may sometimes be necessary, particularly when safety or environmental protection demands them.
But restrictions should be part of a long-term management strategy, not a substitute for one.
South Waikato District Council and Raukawa are already working on solutions. Now residents deserve to know what those solutions will cost, when they will be delivered and how success will be measured.
New Zealand promotes its natural beauty to the world. We must also invest responsibly in managing the visitors that promotion attracts.
Because Waikato doesn’t need fewer reasons for people to visit. It needs a better plan for when they do.
Michael Riley — Editor, The Waikato Advocate
Michael Riley is one of the Editors of The Waikato Advocate. This opinion piece reflects his personal views and does not necessarily represent the views or editorial position of The Waikato Advocate.
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