Facts
A group of crayfish in the reserve
Habitats and species
The subtidal area of the reserve contains several distinct habitats. Down to about 10 metres in depth, a variety of seaweeds such as flapjack and kelp can be found and kina, marine snails, sponges and other animals are common. Some of the fish that you may see include spotties (paketi), banded wrasse (tangahangaha), red moki (nanua), hiwihiwi, butterfish (greenbone, marari), marblefish (kehe) and parore.
The coast around Gisborne attracts high numbers of crayfish and as you explore the crevices and overhangs you may see hundreds of tiny crayfish, depending on the time of year. At between 10 and 20 metres depth, there are extensive kelp forests, which are home to many different fish species, such as scarlet wrasse (puwaiwhakarua), scorpionfish, sweep (hui) and leatherjackets (kokiri). Sponges, hydroids, anemones, soft corals and sea squirts thrive on the rock faces and overhangs.
Boundaries
The landward boundary of Te Tapuwae o Rongokako Marine Reserve is the mean high water springs mark, which is indicated approximately by the strand line of seaweed. You have access to the beach above this mark, but please respect that this is privately owned land. There is no public access onto the farmland adjacent to the reserve without the permission of the landowners, Whitiwhiti Inc.
The marine reserve extends from near the Waiomoko River mouth in the north, to near the Pouawa River mouth in the south. Both the northern and southern boundaries are marked by paired, yellow with pink bordered triangular beacons. The northern boundary is 5km or 2.7 nautical miles in length. The southern boundary is 3.5km or 1.9 nautical miles in length and the seaward boundary is 7.5km or 4 nautical miles in length.