Kaipara

The Kaipara ecological district is centred on Kaipara Harbour, with rolling hills, dune systems, fertile flats, and sheltered estuaries. Though much of its original kauri–podocarp forest has been cleared, it retains the country’s largest mangrove forests, extensive mudflats, swamp remnants, and dune lakes that support internationally important migratory birdlife and rare native species. The Otamatea District holds key estuarine feeding grounds, while Tokatoka District is defined by volcanic peaks and the nationally significant Manganui River floodplain forest.