Activities in Te Angiangi Marine Reserve
Investigating rock pools, Te Angiangi
Marine Reserve
A walk is a great way of exploring the coast between Blackhead and Paoanui Point.
Specialist activities
Rock pools are a feature of this reserve. A large tidal platform is home to many exciting rockpool dwellers, including octopus, crayfish, and wandering anemones.
When exploring the rock pools return any rocks you look under to their original position. This will help protect the plants and animals living on and under them. Also avoid walking on the eel grass beds. Trampling will kill these plants and result in the sand trapped around them being washed away.
Bird and wildlife watching
At low tide many types of birds take advantage of rich feeding areas on the intertidal platforms. Kingfishers, gulls, herons, variable oyster catchers, pied stilts and flocks of eastern bar-tailed godwits are common. At high tide small flocks of gulls, white-fronted terns and Caspian terns can be viewed roosting on the sand at the mouths of small streams. Banded dotterels can also be seen on some of the beaches.
Diving and snorkelling
The marine reserve is well suited to shore diving. The best places for beginners to snorkel are the sheltered waters of Stingray Bay and Shelly Bay. During calm conditions experienced snorkel and scuba divers will have no difficulty swimming off the edge of the intertidal rock platform.
There are about 138 hectares of reef to explore. The most spectacular underwater scenery is found in depths of 9-15 metres south of Aramoana. Dense Ecklonia kelp forest covers most of the reef, which is broken in places by long sandy guts. Common reef animals include paua, opal shells, rock lobsters, and reef fish such as red and blue moki, butterfish, banded wrasse, marblefish and sweep.
Colourful nudibranchs (sea slugs) and large schools of butterfly perch and tarakihi are found at depths of 24-36 metres on the Boulder Bank, or Sponge Garden. This community is dominated by finger sponges and red seaweeds. Several types of fish, including sea perch, scarlet wrasse, large blue cod and common roughy are more abundant here than anywhere else in the reserve.
Boating
Boats can be launched with the aid of a 4WD vehicle or tractor from the beach at Blackhead, Aramoana or Pourerere.
Historic appreciation
This historic Aramoana woolshed is presently closed due to storm damage in March 2011.
Swimming
The best places for swimming are the sheltered waters of Stringray Bay at low tide and Shelly Bay. Stringray Bay is currently affected by slips resulting from storms in March 2011.
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