Learn about the sand dunes and wetlands, the katipo spider, and Te Ara Wairua (spiritual pathway).
Te Werahi wetlands
There are only about 9% of wetlands left in the world – they are a vital link between the mountains and the sea. Threats to New Zealand's remaining wetlands are mostly the result of human activities including reclamation, stock grazing and pollution from excess run-off of sediment and nutrients.
Te Werahi is important as it filters marine water. It is home to threatened ferns and it provides important breeding habitats for whitebait species such as inanga and banded kokupu.
Te Paki sand dunes
Moa, kōkako, and tuatara bones have been found in the Te Paki dunes - ancestors of past biodiversity.
During the dry seasons dunes tend to advance, in wet seasons the reverse happens. It's a living tension between raw sand/encroaching dunes and agriculture and remnant forest. Wetlands may provide a barrier to encroaching dunes.
Plants at Te Werahi
Northland toetoe is distinctly different from its southern relatives – it is not cutty! It grows in the interface between dunes and wetlands.
Pingao is capable of living in moving sand and tends to grow on the windy/coastal side of the dunes. Pingao (the eyelash of tangaroa) is in gradual decline due to rabbits, cattle trampling, being over-collected and beachfront development.
Katipo spider
New Zealand’s poisonous native spider – the katipo – is a sand-dune specialist. Two species are now recognised: red katipo (Latrodectus katipo), with a red-orange stripe on its back, and black katipo (Latrodectus atritus), a wholly black spider.
They inhabit the landward side of fore dunes, where they spread webs in pingao and marram, or under driftwood. The female can deliver a nasty bite, but by nature, is a retiring animal and only attacks if frightened. They are in serious decline throughout New Zealand as dunes become covered by dense marram, lupin, pines or pasture grasses.
Te Ara Wairua
Haumu is the convergence point of Te Ara Wairua (spiritual pathway). The spirits travel up to Whangakea cross to the west to Haumu where they merge with those travelling up the west coast.
The departing spirits would leave bundles of grass or nikau leaves or knotted plants to show where they had gone. From the beach they passed along a lonely ridge to Te Reinga.