The Manaia River is a river of the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand's North Island. It flows north from its sources in the Coromandel Range, reaching the Hauraki Gulf at Manaia Harbour, 10 kilometres (6 mi) southwest of Coromandel.[1]
| Manaia River | |
|---|---|
 Manaia River and Marae Rd | |
 | |
| Location | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Kakatarahae Coromandel Range |
| • elevation | 725 m (2,379 ft) |
| Mouth | |
• location | Hauraki Gulf |
| Length | 12 km (7 mi) |
| Basin size | 47.95 km2 (18.51 sq mi) |
The Manaia catchment is nationally and internationally significant for biodiversity. Most of the rocks in the lower parts of the catchment are Cretaceous greywacke of the Manaia Hill Group, with Miocene andesite forming most of the uplands. Well-draining brown soils, formed mostly from andesite, cover most of the basin. Native bush covers 72.6% of the area, with mānuka and kānuka covering another 19%, so that water quality is good.[2]
Due to siltation of the harbour, following extensive logging in the last century,[3] mangroves increased by 195% from 1971 to 1995. In 1890 the Kauri Timber Company built 3 dams to drive the logs downstream and between 1885 and 1901 9.2 kg (20 lb) of gold[4] was dug from Leading Wind and Golden Hill mines.[5] One of the kauri dams is still marked on the map.[6]
The single-lane SH25 bridge over the river[7] opened in 1913.[8]
Manaia Forest Sanctuary
editIn 1970 Waipoua Preservation Society,[9] local artist, Rei Hamon, and Forest & Bird's Auckland Branch campaigned to protect the kauri being felled in the northern headwaters of the river. As a result, in February 1971, the Minister of Forests Duncan MacIntyre announced the end of all kauri milling at Manaia and the protection of a forest sanctuary.[10] The 482 ha (1,190 acres) Manaia Forest Sanctuary[11] has over 400 kauri trees[12] and 129 species of plant have been identified.[13] It is the only remaining stand of mature mid altitude kauri in Coromandel, with trees up to 2,500 years old. Species in the Sanctuary include Coromandel striped gecko (toropuku), Hochstetter’s and Archey’s frogs, forest ringlet butterfly (pepe pouri), painted cave weta, longfin eel (tuna), kokopu, kākā, North Island brown kiwi, kererū, tūī, korimako, pīwakawaka, miromiro, silvereye, riroriro, kōtare, ruru and pīpīwharauroa.[14]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Place name detail: Manaia River". New Zealand Gazetteer. New Zealand Geographic Board. Retrieved 12 July 2009.
- ^ "Manaia River Restoration Plan" (PDF). Waikato Regional Council. August 2020.
- ^ "Estuarine Vegetation Survey Manaia Harbour" (PDF). Waikato Regional Council. June 2009.
- ^ "Examining community risk, vulnerability and endurance at Manaia Settlement" (PDF). NiWA. December 2012.
- ^ "COROMANDEL. Auckland Star". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 28 November 1895. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
- ^ "Horomanga, Waikato". NZ Topo Map. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
- ^ "SH25/SH25A Thames-Coromandel Frequently asked questions". www.nzta.govt.nz. 9 March 2023. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
- ^ "NEWS IN BRIEF. New Zealand Herald". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 18 October 1913. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
- ^ "General news. Press". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 5 December 1970. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
- ^ "Forest & Bird Magazine Issue 382 Summer 2021 by Forest & Bird - Issuu". issuu.com. p. 27. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
- ^ "Deep beauty of Coromandel Forest Park. Press". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 20 May 1977. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
- ^ "Kauris to be saved. Press". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 24 February 1971. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
- ^ "Manaia Forest sanctuary (MANI)". New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
- ^ "Mahakirau Forest Estate". www.mahakirau.co.nz. Retrieved 19 March 2023.