Field Trips

All field trips are weather dependent and maximum and minimum numbers apply. All field trips and are on a first come first served basis. It is recommended that you bring warm clothing and wet weather gear including a rain coat and boots.
A packed lunch will be provided for full day trips
Please book your field trip on the registration form.

Wetlands

A field trip to discover man made wetlands that serve a purpose in the management of waste or to provide habitat for a range of introduced and native species.
A visit and tour of Whangarei Sewage Treatment Plant which incorporates waste treatment and polishing through some very well designed wetlands. Learn about the wide range of species that utilise the ponds and wetlands as their environment.
Then travel out along beautiful Whangarei Harbour and out to the headwaters of the Pataua River to a series of man made ponds and wetlands now protected under a QE11 Covenant. The construction and thought that has gone into this wetland has produced a significant habitat that supports a range of species including the rare Brown Teal.
Depart: Whangarei - Forum North 8.30am
Return: Whangarei - Forum North 2.00pm
Cost $45pp

Freshwater issues in and around the Mahurangi

The Mahurangi catchment is an important water supply for the town of Warkworth. We’ll stop near the water supply intake and discuss the resource issues and river monitoring. Sediment issues in the Mahurangi Harbour are degrading the harbour health; we’ll stop and discuss some of our experience trying to manage the effects of land activities in the contributing catchments.
In the Orewa area we’ll visit one of our State of the Environment monitoring soft bottom reference streams. Its size and substrate is characteristic of the majority of streams in the Auckland Region, and contrasts with streams elsewhere in the country. This reference site represents as good as it gets for this type of stream system in Auckland. The northern gateway has presented some environmental challenges. We’ll see best practice fish passage devices on a large scale development, including sunken invert culverts and baffles to reduce water velocity. The sediment control technology applied during the development will also be discussed. Until 1995 groundwater was the primary water supply for Orewa and Whangaparaoa and groundwater levels at the coast were below sea level. Has the aquifer recovered yet and what are the monitoring challenges in this urban area.
Depart: Whangarei - Forum North 8.00am
Return: Auckland Airport approx 4.15pm
Due to traffic congestion in and around the Auckland area please allow for delays when booking your flights.
Cost: $50

Kai Iwi Lakes Field Trip

Spend a full day exploring the unique Kai Iwi lakes; Northlands most popular lakes for water skiing, trout fishing and swimming. These deep dune lakes hold a number of nationally rare and regionally significant plants and animals, such as Hydatella inconspicua and dwarf inanga (Galaxias gracilis). All lakes have excellent water quality with visibility often exceeding ten meters.

The three lakes, Kai Iwi, Taharoa and Waikere, are situated within a 538 hectare reserve know as the Taharoa Domain which is located 35km northwest of Dargaville. Discussions during the day trip will include flora and fauna, management, water quality and biosecurity of the Kai Iwi Lakes.
Depart: Whangarei - Forum North 8.30am
Return: Whangarei - Forum North 3.40pm
Cost $50 pp