Cape Rodney-Okakari Point Marine Reserve is a protected area in the North Island of

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. The reserve covers an area of , extending from Cape Rodney to Okakari Point, extending 800m offshore.

Te Hāwere-a-Maki / Goat Island Goat Island or Te Hāwere-a-Maki is a tiny island (approximately ) in New Zealand located close to the North Island coast, north of Auckland, northeast of Warkworth, and directly west of Little Barrier Island. It is within Cape Rodney-Okakari P ...

lies within the reserve and

Leigh Leigh may refer to: Places In England Pronounced : * Leigh, Greater Manchester, Borough of Wigan ** Leigh (UK Parliament constituency) * Leigh-on-Sea, Essex Pronounced : * Leigh, Dorset * Leigh, Gloucestershire * Leigh, Kent * Leigh, Staf ...

is the closest town. It was created in 1975 as the first

marine reserve A marine reserve is a type of marine protected area (MPA). An MPA is a section of the ocean where a government has placed limits on human activity. A marine reserve is a marine protected area in which removing or destroying natural or cultural ...

in New Zealand.

Auckland University , mottoeng = By natural ability and hard work , established = 1883; years ago , endowment = NZD $293 million (31 December 2021) , budget = NZD $1.281 billion (31 December 2021) , chancellor = Cecilia Tarrant , vice_chancellor = Dawn F ...

operates

Leigh Marine Laboratory The Leigh Marine Laboratory is the marine research facility for the University of Auckland in New Zealand. The laboratory is situated in north eastern New Zealand, north of Auckland city. The facility is perched on the cliffs overlooking the Ca ...

at the reserve. Laboratory scientists have scientific equipment around the reserve to study how marine ecosystems function.

Geography

The marine reserve has a variety of shores, including the rocky headland of Cape Rodney, the white sandy surf beach at Pakiri, and the sheltered mudflats and mangrove forests of Whangateau Harbour. There are also boulders, course sand, mudstone terraces, pebblestone rock and greywacke, providing a range of habitats for marine life.

History

Te Hāwere-a-Maki, also known as Goat Island or Motu Hāwere, is important to

Ngāti Manuhiri Ngāti Manuhiri is a Māori iwi of the Mahurangi Peninsula area of New Zealand. They have an interest in the region from the Okura River in the south to Mangawhai in the north, and extending out to Great Barrier Island. They are descended from ...

, who trace their

whakapapa Whakapapa (, ), or genealogy, is a fundamental principle in Māori culture. Reciting one's whakapapa proclaims one's Māori identity, places oneself in a wider context, and links oneself to land and tribal groupings and the mana of those. Exp ...

to the earlier iwi of Wakatūwhenua, who landed with the Moekākara waka captained by Tahuhunuiarangi. The island is named after Maki, the son of the iwi's founding ancestor Manuhiri, who led the conquest of the area in the late seventeenth century. Manuhiri's grandson maintained a pā on the island. Ngāti Manuhiri maintained homes and farms in the area until after early European settlement. They received formal title over the island in 1901. The reserve was established in 1975. Before the marine reserve was established, the seafloor had an imbalanced ecosystem dominated by

kina Kina can refer to: * Kina (animal), a sea urchin endemic to New Zealand * Kina (musician), American singer/songwriter, and former member of musical group Brownstone * Kina, an Italian music producer known for the single "Get You the Moon" * Kina ( ...

, due to over-harvesting of predator species like

rock lobster "Rock Lobster" is a song written by Fred Schneider and Ricky Wilson, two members of the B-52's. It was twice recorded and released as a single, first by DB Records as their debut release in April 1978, and again the following year for the b ...

and snapper. By 2011, after more than 35 years of protection, there was an abundance and diversity of fish in the reserve.

Wildlife

There is an abundance of fish and marine life in the reserve, including Australasian snapper and

New Zealand sea urchin Kina (''Evechinus chloroticus'') is a sea urchin endemic to New Zealand. This echinoderm belongs to the family Echinometridae and it can reach a maximum diameter of 16–17 cm. Kina have been a traditional component of Māori diet since pr ...

(kina). There are also seaweed forests, sponge gardens, coraline turf,

kelp forest Kelp forests are underwater areas with a high density of kelp, which covers a large part of the world's coastlines. Smaller areas of anchored kelp are called kelp beds. They are recognized as one of the most productive and dynamic ecosystems on Ea ...

, and encrusting marine life living in deep creeks. Sea-anemones, boulder crabs and bristle-tails live under boulders. Sand-hoppers and sea-lice live in the course sand. There are a range of creatures in the mudstone terraces and pebblestone rock, including snails, limpets, chitons, whelks, crabs, half-crabs, shrimps, starfish, small fish, sea-quirts, barnacles, tubeworms and oysters.

Recreation

The reserve has about 200,000 visitors per year. It is used by

snorkeling Snorkeling ( British and Commonwealth English spelling: snorkelling) is the practice of swimming on or through a body of water while equipped with a diving mask, a shaped breathing tube called a snorkel, and usually swimfins. In cooler waters ...

scuba-diving Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving whereby divers use breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface air supply. The name "scuba", an acronym for " Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus", was coined by Chri ...

and kayaking. However, it is unsuitable for in-water activities during east east or north-east winds of 20 knots or more, and east or north-east swells of more than a metre. Kayaking and boating is permitted in the reserve, and there is a boat launching ramp near the reserve at Omaha Cove. Boats are permitted to navigate and anchor carefully, but dragging anchors can damage marine life. Fishing is banned. Dogs are not permitted anywhere within the reserve, including on foreshore areas. Divers must not break off small fragile animals like hydroids, lace corals and sponges. Visitors are also not permitted to fish, feed fish, or move underwater rocks. On-shore rocks can be turned over carefully, but must be returned to their original position. There is a coastal walkway and farm walkway. Visitors can also explore rock pools at low tide.

References

External links

Cape Rodney-Okakari Point Marine Reserve
at the

Department of Conservation An environmental ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for the environment and/or natural resources. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of the Environment ...