Tawharanui Regional Park

Tawharanui is an open sanctuary, which in New Zealand means a mainland area sealed behind a predator-proof fence and cleared of rats, stoats, possums and cats, but left open to the public - and here, unusually, still farmed. Sheep and cattle graze paddocks that kiwi, takahe, bellbird, saddleback and kakariki also use, which is the experiment: whether conservation and pasture can share ground. They largely can. Anchor Bay on the northern side is a white-sand surf beach with a marine reserve offshore, good for swimming and snorkelling, and coastal tracks run east along the cliffs to the point. There is a basic campground behind the dunes, booked ahead and popular in summer. The fence has a double gate at the entrance and closing it matters. Kiwi call after dark, and the campground is one of the easier places in the north to hear them.

History

Ngāti Tahuhu and Kawerau lived on the peninsula until the 1870s, and the name refers to the edible flower bracts of the kiekie vine. The land was then farmed by the Martin, Jones and Young families and slate was mined here; the regional park was created in 1973, and a 2.5 km pest-proof fence was built across the peninsula in 2004 (Wikipedia, Tāwharanui Regional Park).

Highlights

• The predator fence - the sanctuary boundary at the park entrance.
• Anchor Bay - white sand, surf and a marine reserve offshore.
• Farm and sanctuary together - stock and rare birds in the same paddocks.
• The cliff tracks - east along the coast to the point.

When to go

October to April; December to February for swimming. Book camping well ahead - summer sells out. Kiwi are heard after dark, mostly in spring and summer.

Things to know

The last road in is unsealed. There are no shops - the nearest are at Matakana. The beach is unpatrolled. Dogs are banned entirely, which catches people out.

Nearby

Goat Island marine reserve is north; Matakana and Warkworth are inland.

Key facts