Before the pandemic, DOC ranger Des Brownlee spent his mornings doing a poo round looking for human waste at the base of the Wairere Falls track. Video first published in March, 2020.

Wairere Falls has a stink problem - and it's not just coming from the toilets.

The Matamata waterfall trail, located in Kaimai Mamaku Conservation Park, has one of the tallest waterfalls in the North Island with views overlooking the whole region.

With an increase of around 60,000 visitors a year, however, the view is being soiled by tourists answering nature's call.

DOC ranger and story teller Des Brownlee is stationed at Wairere Falls two days a week. He spends his mornings doing a loop around the entrance looking for human waste.

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CHRISTEL YARDLEY/STUFF DOC ranger Des Brownlee does a "spade run" around Wairere Falls' carpark to pick up poo, which visitors leave behind.

It's not in his job description, but Brownlee says it's something that needs to be done.

"The first thing I do every morning I get here is look for indiscrete toileting," Brownlee said.

"I have a lovely little spade and I do a wander through the rocks first, go around the toilets and once I'm satisfied everything has been swept out, disinfected and cleaned and toilet rolls are in place, then I do the carpark."

CHRISTEL YARDLEY/STUFF Wairere Falls is now getting inundated with around 60,000 vistors a year. DOC ranger Des Brownlee is stationed at the falls two days a week to help tourists on their journey and keep the site clean.

If he finds a "log" he will dig a hole and bury it along with the toilet paper. Other times he will have to dispose of t-shirts, underwear or socks which people have used to clean themselves off with. Other common items found lying around are sanitary products.

"When I first got here I did a big clean out. Most of the stuff was historical, but there were lots of decaying clothing, underwear and sanitary products," Brownlee said, who was first stationed at Wairere Falls in November.

"You could see that women had tried to bury the products, but it's pretty useless because birds would come along and dig them back up."

CHRISTEL YARDLEY/STUFF Campers and visitors are pooing on the carpark bank, around the rocks at the start of the track and at the top of Wairere Falls.

The destination site has toilet facilities at the entrance to the track, but Brownlee said, some people still prefer to "drop their dacks" in nature.

For many tourists the long drops and "DOC stink" put people off, he said. Freedom campers are also too scared to use the facilities at night so go in the carpark instead.

Others are mistakenly unaware they needed to go and desperately find a spot during their walk to do their business.

CHRISTEL YARDLEY/STUFF Currently Wairere Falls has two pit toilets and an old hidden away cabin toilet. At the end of the year the site will have upgraded toilets in the centre of the carpark.

The hot spot on the track is at the top of the falls, where visitors are welcomed to a breathtaking view and the smell of warm faeces and flies.

This has been the catalyst to build new toilet facilities, Brownlee said.

The toilet project has received support from Ngāti Hinerangi and Matamata-Piako District Council, who made an application to the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment's fund.

CHRISTEL YARDLEY/STUFF Every shift DOC ranger Des Brownlee will also bug spray the toilets, splash disinfectant on the walls and floor and give the toilet seat a scrub. He said that clean smell is important for visitors.

Council has allocated $135,000 towards the Wairere Falls toilet block in addition to the $175,000 from the Tourism Infrastructure Fund.

"New Zealand is one of the few countries that is asking people to go to the toilet before they do the track," Brownlee said.

"It's very common to go to the Taj Mahal and see people peeing in front of you because there are no facilities for you, they have no choice.

CHRISTEL YARDLEY/STUFF Visitors are also often leaving their rubbish and belongings on the track.

"Whereas New Zealand is taking the time to provide these facilities not for tourism but for the locals, but tourists happen to be using it and we need to expand them."

While the new facilities won't be built until the end of this year, Brownlee said he is promoting DOC's toilet programme teaching toilet etiquette in the bush.

"Before we started the 'Poo in the loo' programme it was bad. It would be on the side of the track. I was up there cleaning it everyday.

CHRISTEL YARDLEY/STUFF French tourists Vincent Luxo, Ophelie Morlans, Noemie Benquest, Emilie Tabard, and Clementine Merle overlooking the edge of the falls.

"Now it's mainly caused from people being unaware they needed to go.

"Ninety per cent of tourists will look for the first stream they see and will be cleaning themselves up and that's how faecal bacteria got to the Coromandel.

"We are teaching people they must bury it, use a leaf or minimal toilet paper rather than put it on top of the ground put your toilet paper on top of it and walk away, because that's what they're doing."

CHRISTEL YARDLEY/STUFF Wendy McNaughton and Ron Dodson from Canada are being sprayed with insect repellent by Des Brownlee.

As part of updating Wairere Falls, DOC is also looking to renovate tracks and structures to improve visitor experience.

The main focus will be on making the track section from the carpark to the first platform lookout easier for elderly and people with lower fitness levels.