Marine Reserve and other Significant Areas
The Te Angiangi Marine Reserve is located on the Central Hawke's Bay coast, approximately 30 km east of Waipukurau and Waipawa. This reserve protects a typical piece of the Central Hawke's Bay coast. Management and monitoring of this valuable marine ecosystem is the responsibility of the Department of Conservation. Link to relevant part of their website
Some other areas defined as “significant” in our Regional Coastal Plan are listed below:
- The long sandy beaches at Waimarama and Ocean Beach are popular for holidaying, surfing and other recreational activities.
- Cape Kidnappers is a site of international importance, being one of the world’s most accessible mainland gannet colonies and the subject of considerable scientific investigation.
- The Tukituki mouth is a small estuary of about 43 ha formed behind an unstable shingle river mouth bar and surrounded by flat, low-lying alluvial plains. The larger Waitangi Estuary is also enclosed by a shingle bar. Both estuaries have been designated Recommended Areas for Protection (RAPs) by the Department of Conservation as they are important wildlife areas.
- The Wairoa Hard, characterised by coarse cobble substrate, is an area of national importance as it provides a nursery for juvenile fish, particularly snapper, hammerhead shark, bronze whalers, John Dory and trevally.
- Nationally significant estuaries, all important wildlife habitats, include the Ahuriri Estuary, the chain of coastal wetlands extends from the mouth of the Wairoa River to the Whakaki Lagoon, and the Maungawhio Lagoon.
- Around the perimeter of the Mahia Peninsula are located a number of significant areas, all of which have significant ecological values and coastal landscapes.