Environment

Coastline and Waterways

Whangarei District has 270km of coastline, characterised by irregular rocky headlands, sheltered harbours, sandy bays, estuaries and occasionally tidal mangrove flats. The stunning drama and diversity of coastline and offshore islands are a principal foundation of the District’s tourism industry.

The coastal dunes are home to several endangered native and introduced species of plants and birds such as plovers, godwits, turnstones and tattlers.

The District has a dense network of rivers and streams although most are short with relatively small catchments. Rivers in the District such as the Hatea, Ngunguru and Mangapai discharge into large harbours or estuaries. Rivers regarded as of outstanding ecological value in the District include the Whirinaki River which is dominated by native vegetation and a largely unmodified natural ecosystem.

Whangarei Harbour is the largest harbour and estuary on the east coast of Northland. Apart from its importance as a shipping port and boat building centre, it provides a major shallow estuarine habitat with extensive mudflats, saltmarshes, shellbarks and mangroves and supports a rich diversity of international and resident coastal wading birds which gather seasonally in their thousands.

Mangroves and saltmarshes in the harbour form important rearing grounds for juvenile fish species and some commercially exploited species and provide important roosting and feeding areas for a wide variety of birds.

Islands

The islands of the District include the Poor Knights Islands, the Hen and Chickens Islands and Sail Rock, none of which are inhabited. All are protected conservation areas.

The iconic Poor Knights Islands are renowned for their remarkable caves and natural arches. Rikoriko cave in the Poor Knights group is believed to be the largest surveyed marine cave in the world. The rich marine life around the area makes it a world renowned site for underwater research and recreation. Jacques Cousteau named the Poor Knights as one of the 10 best dive sites in the world. The Islands are best accessed through Tutukaka by well equipped dive boats and charter companies supported by fully trained staff and crews.

These islands are also the only known breeding area in the world for Buller’s shearwater; Puffinus Bulleri. They contain the largest population of two giant weta; Placostylus hongi, other endemic invertebrates, possibly an endemic skink in the family Chalinolobolus; northern tuatara; Spenodon p.punctatus, the only known population of critically endangered spleenwort; Asplenium pauperequitum and the Poor Knights lily of the family Xeronema callistemon.

The Hen and Chickens Islands had in the recent past the only known population of the North Island saddleback Philesturnus carunculatus rufusator. The islands are habitat to the northern tuatara, a wide diversity of breeding seabirds including the threatened Pycroft’s petrel Pterodroma pycrofti and lizards. Rare plants found on the islands include the endangered watercress Roiippa divaricate. In more recent years the little spotted kiwi Apteryx owenii and stitchbird Notiomystis cincta have been introduced on the Hen and Chicken Islands.

Land use

The dominant land use is agricultural with 90% of the area of the District in agricultural production.

65% of the land is in pasture. Dairy farming predominates followed by sheep, beef cattle, deer, goats, horses and pigs. Processing of milk is carried out at the Fonterra dairy factory at Kauri, just north of Whangarei city.

The next major land use is forestry especially exotic plantation pine forests covering 18% of the area. Mature and regenerating native bush covers about 11% of the District.

There is also a well developed horticulture industry growing avocados, citrus, kiwifruit and flowers with approximately 1,406 hectares in production.

Ecosystems and Biodiversity

The District supports four broad ecosystem habitats

• Forests and scrublands
• Freshwater wetlands
• Coasts, dune lands and estuaries
• Off-shore islands

These are distributed over six distinct ecological areas including the southern portion of Whangaruru ecological area, Manaia ecological area, Whangarei ecological area, the southern portion of the Tangihua ecological area, Waipu ecological area and about a third of the Tokatoka ecological area. Each area has special and unique features including its vegetative history, flora and fauna and strategies for protection.

Just over 10% of the original indigenous forests exist today. The most common form in the District is the podocarp, kauri, and broadleaf forests found on the rolling to steep hill country areas. Mixed podocarp and broadleaf forest is the second most common forest form in the District and is found predominantly on clay soils and rolling hill country.

Small fragmented remnants or individual trees of old volcanic broadleaf forests survive on rich volcanic soils of Maungatapere, Maunu, Whatitiri, Maungakaramea and Glenbervie. Some small stands of kauri survive, one of which can be viewed at the A.H. Reed Park at Whareora Road.

The coastline and off-shore islands were originally covered in pohutukawa, puriri, karaka, kowhai and cabbage trees. Examples of this may be seen at Whangarei and other parts of the coast.

Examples of the original extensive wetlands survive in the District. They are important habitats for a wide variety of plant and animal species including the brown teal, banded rail, New Zealand dabchick, marsh crake, fern bird and bittern as well as a variety of aquatic plants and native fresh water fish.

Related Websites

• Whangarei Quarry Gardens
  Take a look at what Whangarei’s subtropical garden paradise has to offer
• Waro Limestone Scenic Reserve
  Take a look at these spectacular limestone formations
• Northland New Zealand: Wildlife & Nature
  Take a look at some wildlife and nature activities available in Northland
• Northland Regional Council
  The Northland Regional Council is the agency responsible for the natural and physical resources of the region
• Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai
  The Department of Conservation is the government organisation charged with conserving the natural and historic heritage of New Zealand