The Ōkura River, also known as the Ōkura Estuary, is a
river
A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...
in the north of the
Auckland Region
Auckland () is one of the 16 regions of New Zealand, which takes its name from the eponymous urban areas of New Zealand, urban area. The region encompasses the Auckland, Auckland metropolitan area, smaller towns, rural areas, and the islands o ...
in the
North Island
The North Island ( , 'the fish of Māui', historically New Ulster) is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but less populous South Island by Cook Strait. With an area of , it is the List ...
of
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
. The river rises in the low hills to the south of Silverdale and flows into Karepiro Bay on the
Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana
The Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana is a coastal feature of the North Island of New Zealand. It has an area of 4000 km2,tide, tidal with only a narrow channel being navigable by small craft at
low tide
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another.
Tide tables c ...
. The area is popular for horse riding, riders wait till low tide and then ford the boating channel to ride the estuary and beaches on the northern side.
Geography
The village of Ōkura is situated on the southern bank. The Long Bay-Okura Marine Reserve extends from the Ōkura River to the Weiti River. The sand banks (above high tide mark) in Karepiro Bay are Dotterel breeding areas, protected by DOC ( Department of Conservation).
History
The northern shore of the Ōkura River was traditionally known as Otaimaro, and was an extensive
Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
settlement. In 1848, Henry Dacre and his father Captain Ranulph Dacre purchased the lands surrounding the river, creating the Weiti Station. Their house, the Dacre Cottage, was built circa 1855 from locally made bricks.
Development works with no limit to sediment dumping in the river are causing mass die off of shellfish in the river.
References
External links
*
Marine reserves of New Zealand
New Zealand has 44 marine reserves (as of August 2020) that are spread around the North Island, North, the South Island, South Island, and neighbouring islands, and on outlying island groups. They are governed by the Marine Reserves Act 1971 and ...
*
Department of Conservation (New Zealand)
The Department of Conservation (DOC; Māori language, Māori: ''Te Papa Atawhai'') is the public service department of New Zealand charged with the conservation of New Zealand's natural and historical heritage.
An advisory body, the New Zealand ...