Mimiwhangata Coastal Park
Located in the Northland region
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Introduction
Mimiwhangata Coastal Park near Whangārei is home to recovering bird and marine species.For tide, boundaries and other information you can download the MarineMate app.
Find things to do and places to stay Mimiwhangata Coastal Park
There are no boat launching facilities at Mimiwhangata, but you can carry small boats from the car park to the sea. Hand-launching of dinghies is permitted from the car park.
To read about boating safety see the Maritime New Zealand Boating Safety webpage.
To read about how to keep safe while diving see Water Safety NZ's Underwater safety webpage.
Mimiwhangata Coastal Park is located on Northland's east coast about an hour drive from Whangārei (48 km) and from Russell (52 km).
Take the old Whangārei-Russell coastal road, turn-off at Helena Bay and continue on Webb Road. After Teal Bay the road is unsealed, narrow and winding, and unsuitable for towing caravans. Mimiwhangata Coastal Road is after the Ngahau Bay turn-off and is well signposted.
- Predator control present do not touch or interact with traps.
- Keep away from fenced off nesting areas, and watch where you walk. Sand dunes are fragile, as are many of the creatures that inhabit them.
- No cellphone coverage.
- No boat launching facilities – however, hand-launching of dinghies is permitted.
- No pets – including dogs, birds or cats.
- No fires are permitted within the Park.
- Remove all your rubbish.
- Northland reserve bylaws apply to Mimiwhangata Scenic Reserve.
- Read the Mimiwhangata Marine Park Regulations.
Water safety
If you plan to enjoy the water, learn how to stay safe when swimming, boating and fishing.
Varied land and seascape
The intervening coastal stretches are filled by broad beaches and sand dunes with a few areas of boulders, shingle and swamp. Beaches and dune areas are favoured nesting sites for threatened shorebirds. Around the hard, greywacke rock cliffs are large pohutukawa and kowhai trees, both of which attract tui in the flowering season.
Significant pockets of coastal forest remain on the hills above the beaches, dominated by kanuka, kohekohe, totara and taraire. Patches of karaka trees are generally associated with sites of Maori habitation.
In the valleys, large puriri trees are favoured by kukupa (native wood pigeons). One of the most colourful birds to be seen, the eastern rosella, is a recent introduction and native of Australia. Native parrots, or kaka, are occasionally seen in the forest. These birds are visitors from offshore island populations. At night the calls of brown kiwi and moreporks are often heard.
The recreated ponds and surrounding wetlands near the farm tracks are home to the rare brown teal/pateke, spotless crake and bittern.
Mimiwhangata Marine Park
The marine areas around Mimiwhangata are just as varied in topography and biology as the land area. They include exposed and sheltered waters, rocky and sandy coasts. These environments support a typical Northland open coast biota.
Mimiwhangata Marine Park is part of the Mimiwhangata Coastal Park. The 2000-hectare park was established to provide a level of protection to the marine life within it.
The sea around Mimiwhangata peninsula once teemed with life, including tuatua, kina, scallops, crayfish, mussels and numerous species of fish. In the last 30 years, biologists have been surveying the Mimiwhangata area and recorded more than 70 species of fish. Despite the Marine Park being introduced in a bid to protect and restore the Mimiwhangata marine environment, fish abundance has not improved since the mid-1970s surveys. Local and national groups are still campaigning for greater marine protection.
A number of rare species can be found in the park, such as the ivory coral, a red-lined bubble shell, a callianassid shrimp, the spotted black grouper (Epinephelus daemelii), sharp-nosed puffer (or toado) and sabretooth blenny. Reefs stretching 4 km offshore east of Rimariki Island, off Mimiwhangata appear biodiversity-rich with notable species of gorgonian fans, soft corals and black coral and a range of different fish species.
Mimiwhangata was once inhabited by a substantial Maori community. It has a rich and varied European history as well. Read about the history of Mimiwhangata
Contacts
| DOC Customer Service Centre | |
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| Phone | 0800 275 362 |
| whangarei@doc.govt.nz | |
| Address | DOC offices |
