TOSSI – Too much sun?

Tawharanui Open Sanctuary receives something like 160,000 visitors a year. The vast majority of these visitors go to Anchor Bay, the iconic sandy beach which is a short walk over the sand dunes from the carpark. The beach stretches out in both directions and is within the totally protected Marine Reserve. Increasing numbers of fish share the water with swimmers, surfers and stand-up paddle boarders.You can, however, have too much of a good thing. The rain that is finally falling is a welcome relief to the hot sunny days, not least for the 2015 plantings at Tawharanui. Like the rain, venturing further afield than Anchor Bay, offers a relief from the midday sun and crowds.

The circular Ecology Trail leads from the east of the beach into the remnant of native bush that is a lush green wonderland of mature puriri and nikau. Most of the introduced bird species are easily seen or heard on this relatively short walk, which loops back to the top of the paddock above the beach. Once exiting at the top, a short walk, towards the coast and across the paddock, leads to a recently upgraded track that provides easy access to the more remote stony coastal inlets. If the tide is right, you can walk back around the rocks to the sandy part of the beach.

The intrepid can bring snorkel gear to explore the rocky shores, or just enjoy what will probably be your own private beach space. The songs of the saddleback, bellbird and tui will be real, but the gannet calls will probably be, for now anyway, from the speaker perched on the top of the cliff as part of efforts to establish a resident population of these superb birds.

In addition to the sandy beaches and coastal forest, Tawharanui also has wetland and estuarine habitats that support different species of birds. The bird hide by the lagoon is a good place to see the ducks, shags, stilts and other birds that frequent that area. The wetland over the road is now well established, providing a shady walk beneath the manuka canopy. Sightings of banded rail are becoming increasingly common; the rare fernbird also lives in the vicinity, shared with a group of takahe.

As an alternative to slip, slop, slap, we suggest getting out of the hot sun by exploring some of the rest of the Tawharanui Open Sanctuary. Brochures are available from various sites on the park showing the marked trails.

For those who enjoy exploring the park and would like to help with it’s on-going development, the first workday of 2016 will be on Sunday February 7. Meet at 9am at the Woolshed and there will be plenty of time for a swim after the BBQ lunch provided.