Waikawa Beach Ratepayers Association
To inform and advocate for ratepayers of Waikawa Beach
Over the past couple of weeks Twitter user SirWB has published a fair few drone photos of Waikawa Beach. The following are posted with permission. All photos are from a drone and show various views of the river mouth, estuary and river, and Strathnaver.
Beware if you’re viewing using cell data — there are about 20 photos totalling around 10 MB. There is only one photo on the first page, the rest need a click to see them. No captions or alt text.
We received an email today from Craig Kidd, Horowhenua District Council Parks and Property Officer | Āpiha Papa Rēhia, Rawa. Note the request to remove acacia / wattle from your own properties:
Following checking the entrance on to the beach, the Acacia outside 61 & 63 Manga Pirau is out over the edge of the kerb.
While taking photos, I did not realise how much seed was on the plants, which there is a photo attached, and with the issue of acacia invading coastal dunes we are taking these out.
There is the reserve access opposite 52 Manga Pirau Street which the southern side has planted in acacia which we are removing under the pest management plan.
We will also try and cut out all the acacia from Hank Edwards back to the Southern end of Manga Pirau Street.
Can you please let the community know why we are undertaking removal of the wattle and ask if people have wattle on their properties, if they would consider removing it to help stop the acacia from spreading in the community and coastal reserves
If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact us and we very appreciate the communities support.
Between around 8 pm on Sunday 05 December and 4 am on Wednesday 08 December 2021 my rain gauge recorded a tad less than 100 mm rain. That’s just a smidge less than 4 inches, if that measurement means more to you.
It wasn’t windy though, so the rain fell pretty much straight down, and we didn’t suffer the lashing of a furious storm.
If you check the LINZ Data Service maps you’ll see a great many streams around Waikawa, with the main feeds for our river from the hills in North and South Manakau. Between around Takapu Road and Emma Drive many streams run very close to or pass below Waikawa Beach Road.
Reports from late on Tuesday 07 December 2021 were that the road had flooded in a few spots. At around 8 am on Wednesday 08 December 2021 water had receded, but it was easy to see there was still plenty making its way across and through paddocks, and at some points water still lay almost all the way across the road. At the footbridge the river was running very full and swift.
There are various photos below.
Most people know there are two small lakes at the corner of Strathnaver Drive and Reay Mackay Grove. The lakes are a haven for birdlife (and anyone who wants a quiet few moments for reflection) and attract a rich diversity of frogs, insects and many birds, including some that regularly take refuge from a busy beach.
Birds regularly include white-faced heron, spoonbills, Australasian coots, ducks, pukeko, swallows, as well as sometimes pied stilts, spur-winged plover, the critically endangered bittern, the rare and elusive white heron and others.
Although both lakes are privately owned, they are the only easily accessible wetlands at Waikawa Beach, given that both are bordered by streets.
What few people know is that the lakes have names: Lake Puna-O-Te-Ora for the northern one, and Lake Wai-Marie for the southern one.
Many thanks to local resident Kezna Cameron for discovering this recently and letting us know. Kezna has also pointed out that Lake Puna-O-Te-Ora is one of only 3 local breeding areas for the seldom observed Australasian Bittern.
It’s the time of year when Oystercatchers make their nests — in scrapes in the sand immediately south of the river mouth, near where the #10 Reay Mackay Grove pedestrian track exits onto the beach.
Please take care when walking, or with dogs, to avoid disturbing the birds or crushing their eggs underfoot.
Stephen Betts kindly sent a photo of the three Oystercatcher eggs in one scrape that he’s spotted so far this season.
Rivers always sweep round in S-shapes. Lately the Waikawa River mouth created a very lazy sweep in almost a full circle.
By 3.30 pm on 14 November 2021 there was only a narrow strip of sandbar where the loop doubled back on itself. By close to high tide the river broke through the sandbar. Stephen Betts sent a couple of photos.
If this lasts it should be just what’s needed to allow the Manga Pirau Street beach entrance to exit onto sand rather than water. Of course, there’s still the matter of the metre or two drop …
