8 Nov 2021

Off the beaten track with Kennedy Warne

From Nine To Noon, 11:45 am on 8 November 2021

Kennedy visits "the cloak of the south," Te Korowai o te Tonga, South Kaipara Peninsula, one of two thumbs of land that enclose Kaipara Harbour, one of the largest harbours in the world. It's a place of forests, farms, near-pristine dune lakes, expansive mangrove wetlands and seabird nesting areas. On the way to nowhere, it's an off-the-beaten-track kind of place to explore and enjoy.

Christmas tree farm on Te Korowai o te Tonga, South Kaipara Peninsula

Freshly sown maize on South Kaipara Peninsula

Pine trees are ubiquitous on the peninsula, with Woodhill forest dominating the western side. Here they frame a view to Mosquito Bay, Mānunutahi

Mosquito Bay, Mānunutahi, near South Head and the harbour entrance

Proximity to the Tasman Sea makes Mosquito Bay popular with fishers Iron-rich strata in the sandstone rocks of Mosquito Bay

Iron-rich strata in the sandstone rocks of Mosquito Bay

Lake Rototoa is the largest dune lake in the Auckland region

Swimmers enjoy the near-pristine water of Lake Rototoa

Roadsign alerting motorists to birdlife of Te Korowai o te Tonga