Kauri Coast Scenic Highlights

Pouto Pensinula

Pouto – worth the drive. The Kaipara Harbour is the country’s largest. It is also the most difficult to sail into, guarded by a treacherous bar and an enormous wall of sand. Explore this forever changing landscape, full of mystery and intrigue; what you see today is hidden tomorrow.

Packed with hectares of giant, magnificent rolling sand dunes, fresh water lakes and valleys whose shape keeps changing with the wind, this unbroken stretch of virtually untouched wilderness has an eerie past and hides the valley of shipwrecks.

Near the North Head of the Pouto Peninsula overlooking the harbour, is the oldest timber lighthouse in New Zealand. The light has been guarding the harbour entrance since 1884. It is well preserved and you can climb into it for lofty 360 views that stretch for miles and miles across sand, dunes, ocean and pine forest. In the late 1800s up to 30 ships crossed the dangerous bar, many of their contemporaries ran aground and their final resting place is now what is affectionately known as the Shipwreck’s valley grave yard. Today, 120 years and some 150 shipwrecks later, local 4WD tour operators with a wealth of knowledge will take you the sites of those relics and connect you with the history of shipwrecked sailors and those lost ships buried in the sands, petrified kauri and fossils, forgotten graves and rare wildlife.

Shipwrecks on the beach

 

Ripiro Beach on Northland’s West Coast is New Zealand’s longest drivable beach. It stretches some 100 km from Pouto to Aranga at Maunganui Bluff, past the seaside settlements of Glinks Gully, Baylys Beach and Omamari, finally ending at Aranga Beach. All along the beach highway the cliffs abound with lignite and it’s easy to see the petrified and compressed rata leaves in the coal-like rocks. Many varied and rare birds frequent this wilderness and quiet estuaries of this long wild beach.

Kai Iwi Lakes

Kai Iwi Lakes – Taharoa Domain

The Taharoa domain is a 538 ha recreation reserve containing three freshwater lakes known as the Kai Iwi lakes. It is situated 35 km northwest of Dargaville. The pristine white sands, pine forest and rolling green countryside surround their jewel-like waters which are crystal-clear and sparkle like sapphires, while the Tasman Sea, only 2 km away, can be heard pounding against the shore.

These lakes are basin type dune lakes formed by the accumulation of rainwater in depressions of sand under laid by hard, virtually impermeable, ironstone pans. Lake Taharoa is the third largest dune lake in New Zealand and the largest of this group.

The lakes area is hugely popular over summer. There are sheltered camping areas at Pine Beach and Promenade Point, as well as safe swimming, diving, fishing, windsurfing, canoeing kayaking and water-skiing. Keen fly fisherman can try their luck for rainbow trout in the lakes. Freshwater crayfish (koura) are found at various depths in the lakes, as well as freshwater crabs and mussels. Water temperatures vary throughout the year but during the summer months the temperatures stay around 21- 22 C Celsius. Aside from water activities, there are well-signposted walks ranging from a half-hour stroll across farmland leads to the coast, to a longer hike up the beach to Maunganui Bluff.

The Kai Iwi lakes and surrounding Omamari district have important associations with early Maori history. In his book ‘The coming of the Maori ‘, Sir Peter Buck recalls the traditions of the Mamari Canoe which brought people to the Hokianga and Kaipara. “The Mamari Canoe under Nukutawhiti finally landed at Hokianga Heads where Nukutawhiti, Runanui his brother-in-law and others settled. The canoe however sailed south and was wrecked on Ripiro Beach about 10 miles south of Maunganui Bluff. The unfortunate spot was commemorated by the name Omamari.”

Few records remain on Maori settlement patterns around the Kai Iwi Lakes. Early maps record the remains of a pa on the main ridge and former burial grounds. Later, during the early part of last century, the Lakes were a major gum digging area. Five gum diggers huts were observed on the western shores of Lake Kai Iwi in the late 1870’s. In 1892 there was a small gum digging camp including a general store on the eastern shores of Lake Taharoa.

Trounson Park

This specially designated mainland ‘island” comprises 450 hectares of forest surrounded by a sea of farmland, a concept that has enabled the Department of Conservation to eradicate pests and re - establish native flora and fauna with amazing results. It hosts impressive stand of kauri tress which have long been recognized as one of the best examples of its kind in the country. This project seeks to restore the former richness of native biodiversity this forest once boasted, allowing people to enjoy a glimpse of what pristine kauri forests were once like.

What is a Mainland Island Project?

This project seeks to undo some of the damage human habitation and introduced mammals and birds brought to New Zealand, and to recreate a secure environment for native flora and fauna to flourish in a manner similar to that found only on some off-shore islands like Poor Knights, Little Barrier and Kapiti. The lessons from Trounson and other mainland island sites around the country will be valuable for other conservations projects both now and in the future.

History of Trounson

In 1890 when the forestry industry threatened to wipe out significant areas of Northland kauri, three hectares was set aside by the Government in what was then known as the Upper Kaihu Valley. James Trounson, an early settler added a further 22 hectares and following the establishment of a Scenic Preservation Club a further 364 hectares of forest was added. Trounson Kauri Park was officially opened by the Governor General as in 1921. Direct descendants of the Trounson family remain in the district and have a continued interest in the park.

Work at Trounson

The Mainland Island Project began in 1995. The work to date has included:

Placing nearly one thousand bait stations over 45 km of trail to reduce possums and rats.

Initiating a trap regime to target pests.

Monitoring populations of native species like bats, snails, brown kiwi, kukupa and other birds.

Hosting visiting researchers from around the world.