Te Matuku Marine Reserve DOC Brochure
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Help take care of this reserve Know before you go In a marine reserve all forms of freshwater and marine life, • There are toilets at Orapiu Wharf only. Te Matuku along with all habitats, are protected. • Take plenty of food and water as there are no shops at this Do not: end of the island. Marine Reserve • Fish (using any method, it is strictly prohibited) Important: Waiheke Island, • Take your dog or any domestic pet • Take care when walking as there are cliff-top sections and parts of the track are steep. You’ll need good walking Auckland • Collect any marine life or habitat (this includes taking footwear, and protection from rain, wind and sun. shellfish, sand, rocks, shells and seaweed, dead or alive) • Keep to the tracks and respect private property. Hauraki Gulf Marine Park • Disturb or harm marine life or the marine environment • Do not light fires. • Feed the fish • Discharge any waste or drop litter. The tidal mudflats support wading birds like tōrea/variable Doing any of these things could result in a fine of up to $250,000 oystercatcher and tūturiwhatu/ and/or up to 3 months imprisonment. New Zealand dotterel (right). Enjoy the marine reserve by boat. Take care not to damage Please stay away from nesting marine life by dragging your anchor or allowing your boat to rest shorebirds like NZ dotterel on tidal flats at low tide. and oystercatchers between September and February. If you see anyone committing offences or Their nests are difficult to behaving in a suspicious way please call see, but are usually above the the DOC HOTline high tide mark. Stick to the 0800 362 468 track or walk on or just below the high tide mark or lower where tide Photo: Rod Hay allows. Disturbing adults when they are nesting could cause the eggs to ‘cook’ in the sun. Keep kauri standing Kauri dieback is a fungus-like disease that kills New Zealand kauri trees. To help keep Waiheke’s kauri safe, always remember to clean your gear, e.g. shoes, equipment, before and after walking the tracks. For more information Published by: Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland Department of Conservation Visitor Centre Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland Office 137 Quay Street Private Bag 68908, Newton, Auckland 1010 Auckland 1145, New Zealand April 2016 Phone: 09 379 6476 Editing and design: Marine reserve Email: [email protected] Publishing Team, DOC National Office boundary markers, www.doc.govt.nz like the one shown Cover lower photo: Ross Adventures here, define the This publication is produced using paper reserve area. sourced from well-managed, renewable and legally logged forests. About the reserve disturbances. This also makes them ideal places to study Te Matuku Marine Reserve protects one of Waiheke Island’s marine ecosystems. largest undisturbed estuaries, unique in the Auckland region. Activities W a i h e k e I s W a i h e k e I s Surrounded by native bush, the marine reserve is home to a Swim, dive, snorkel, explore by boat or kayak, and enjoy the Arran Bay wide variety of marine, fish and bird life. Established in 2005, it beauty of this special place. Note that water within the tidal Silver Bay Rd y Pasadena is one of five marine reserves in the Auckland region. bay is often murky and not always suitable for snorkelling. Ba Silver Bay es Rd Bay ow ay ConnePllsa Bsaydena C s B Finger Point Bay we Marine reserve boundaries o Fin WaikorarCikoi nBnaeylls Bay Getting there O C ger Point Graveyard r Patio a The 690 ha marine reserve includes all of Te Matuku Bay Point Waikorarikil Bay Te Matuku Marine Reserve is located in the more remote, rural p Bay e O n i Omaru n Graveyard u a r Patio h (McLeods Bay) and extends into deeper water across the a Bay C south-east corner of Waiheke Island, where there is no public bus Point R l p Baye e Te Matuku Bay d k n i Omaru e n Circular (McLeods Bay) u ih Pohnaui Waiheke Channel, beyond Passage Rock. There is a small pre- service. Your options are: Bay a CHead Bay R W Ma Orapiu ke F Te Matuku Bay d e existng oyster farm within the deeper waters of the reserve that Circular a(Mcri Leods Bay) Orapiu Bay ih Ponui • Visit the area by car – your own or a hire car. rm n a Head Bay e Pearl W is technically not part of the reserve. L S Ma Bay Orapiu (! W it a F tl n a Pohutukawa Bay • Explore the area by foot (see map). Te Ara Hura is a h e d ri rm e Orapiu Bay it B y n h ! The marine reserve boundaries are from the mean high water e Pea w ( s a B e rl a y 36°50'54.46"S y a k a network of tracks across Waiheke Island. L B S y Bay a B 175°08'37.86"E W i a a t mark around Te Matuku Bay and the bays at its entrance (! t y 36°50'48.91"S tl n O Pohutukawa Bay h e d e See www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz. Take part in the annual 175°06'44.i29"E B y h te w (! (Whites Bay, Little Bay, Sandy Bay and Otakawhe Bay), out s a B a y 36°50'54.46"S y a k a B y a B 175°08'37.86"E Waiheke Walking Festival www.waihekewalkingfestival.org a Passaget to a line level with Kauri Point on Ponui Island (Chamberlins 36°50'48.91"S y Rock O 175°06'44.29"E Poroaki Island). See the map. • 360 Discovery run a ferry service from central Auckland Bay Kauri Point (! Passage (! city to Coromandel town, stopping at nearby Orapiu 36°51'43.34"S Rock 36°51'43.01"S 175°07'23.54"E What are marine reserves? 175°09'09.47"E PonuiPoroaki Wharf. See www.360discovery.co.nz. Bay Marine reserves are the ‘national parks’ of the sea – areas Kauri Point Is (! (! set aside for the total protection of species. There are • Explore the marine reserve by private boat or kayak (your 0 36°501.5'43.34"1S 36°51'43.01"S 175°07'23.54"Ekm 175°09'09.47"E Ponui approximately 45 marine reserves throughout New Zealand own or chartered/hired). Otakawhe Bay is a good place to Is and within our Exclusive Economic Zone. launch kayaks but be aware of the tidal currents at this bay. Public passenger ferry wharf Toilets 0 0.5 1 ° For the most up-to-date information on getting there, Te Mkamtuku Marine Reserve Walking track The benefits of marine reserves Marine plants and animals, along with their habitat, are able see www.doc.govt.nz/tematuku. to thrive without fishing, shellfish gathering, pollution or other Public passenger ferry wharf ToilOetms aru Bay O ° Te Matuku Marine Reserver Walking track a p i u Te Matuku Bay R (McLeods Bay) d Omaru Bay R Motutapu O a r n Is a g p Y Onetangi O r a p i u it IATIA BA i o AT Bay u Ta k a p u n a t Rangitoto Is - M o L A Man o' War Te Matuku Bay R ve C IN Bay A d h M Motuihe Is (McLeods Bay) Orapiu Bay a ER Pakatoa Is Pearl n n T n N F- Wai hek e Is a W AR e NTO YARD WH Bay e l W WYN T Orapiu DO Y POIN Rotoroa Is p Browns Is KENNED e Wharf (Motukorea) N O r a p i u DO BAY- W Pohutukawa OON NT LF M OINT OW Bay HA DY P N Te Matuku Bay e Mission ENNE T TE v K am RM (McLeods Bay) Bay a IN wA he Orapiu Bay Walk the track Saint Bucklands ki AL - ka S tr ORAPIU BAY Pearl ta n Bay Heliers Beach ait O a from Orapiu Wharf to Otakawhe A u c k l a n d r Bay e 0 200 e Orapiu iv Maraetai p m R Bay (15 mins, 1 km), then walk i Ponui Is e Wharf k Pine a Beachlands N Panmure m Howick Harbour Pohutukawa over the hill to sheltered Pearl a T Bay Bay (15 mins, 1 km). Mo u n t Cockle We ll in g t o n Bay Pakihi he Is kaw ta Bay O 0 200 Kawakawa 0 2.5 5 Public passenger Te Matuku Marine Bay m ° km ferry wharf Reserve Early origins Special natural features A place for birds In pre-European times Te Matuku Bay was an A special feature of the reserve is Two shell spits on the eastern side of Te Matuku Bay important food gathering and waka (canoe) landing its diverse mix of habitats. It has saltwater wetlands, broad are important roosting and nesting areas for native place for Māori living in the coastal settlements intertidal mudflats, low- lying islands, shell spits, rocky and overseas migrant shorebirds. The tōrea pango/ and nearby mountain pā of Maunganui, the highest shorelines and the deep water of the Waiheke Channel variable oystercatcher, Caspian tern and the endangered point on Waiheke Island. Thick shell middens in around Passage Rock. Each of these distinct marine tūturiwhatu/New Zealand dotterel all nest on these spits. the bay are evidence of its past bounty of kaimoana habitats provides homes for particular groups of plants and Annual migrants such as kuaka/godwit, huahou/knot, (seafood).