Inventory of coastal areas of local or regional significance in the ...

Waitotara Estuary and Dunes
Number: 68 GPS: 2654245E
6149257N
General description
A relatively unmodified estuary with an area of tidal mud and sand flats. The sub-fossilised
totara stumps of a ‘drowned forest’ give the river its name. A continuous dune system
extends north of the Waitotara River mouth, and is approximately 203 hectares in size. The
area includes a regionally significant protected wetland comprising of a dune lake, wetland
in dune slacks, sand dunes, and river margins of Waiau Stream and Waitotara River. There
are also sand dunes south of the river mouth. 2
Location
10 km south west of Waverley.
Land Tenure
Site: - Crown Land: Estuary and Hawken’s Lagoon Conservation Area (192.76
ha, with grazing license covering 18.7903ha) (administered
by the Department of Conservation)
Site access: - Crown Land: On right bank; Waitotara River Marginal Strip (administered
by the Department of Conservation)
Values
- District Land: On left bank; Recreation Reserve (administered by the South
Taranaki District Council)
On right bank; Hawken Road, unformed Hawken Road and
unformed Waipipi Road (administered and vested in the
South Taranaki District Council)
Amenity High - significant natural area (Hawkens Swamp) 8 , relatively
unmodified with high natural values 5
Recreational Moderate - whitebaiting
Cultural/
Historical
Ecological/
Scientific
High - ferry punt landing from early European settlement 4
- site of original Waitotara Hotel the ‘rising sun’, which used
a cave in the cliff for the cellar 4
High - unmodified, representative estuary, with dune lake,
wetland, sand dunes and damp dune flats adjacent (a
regionally significant wetland) 1
- important habitats for bird and insect species - threatened
Australian bittern, NZ shoveller, black swan, stopover for
migratory wading birds (royal spoonbill, banded dotterel)
and international migrant birds (eastern bar-tailed godwit)
- notable flora: pingao and Eleocharis neozelandica, large
2, 4
number of different plant communities
- sub-fossil totara stumps in estuary (unique artefacts) 1
Public Access
Good - Walking access from the end of Hawken’s Road, via Hawken’s Lagoon
Conservation Area. There is a Department of Conservation ‘Conservation
Area’ sign, but the pathway across public land to the river is hard to
distinguish from the adjacent private land. There is also access by walking
along the coast from Waiinu Beach to the left bank of the Waitotara River
mouth (6 kms).
150
1, 2