The last of the sand fences for 2025
24 July 2025
We have just completed our sand fencing and native grass planting for 2025. We were blessed with superb weather which made the work a lot more enjoyable.
A very big thanks to all the volunteers who participated in this work. I hope you all got some enjoyment out of what we did even though I am sure some of you would have felt a little sore the next day!
This year we erected some 200 metres of sand fencing, and when we inspected it over the last couple of days, I was amazed at how well these fences have trapped the sand and started building up protection for the spinifex plants that we have planted. We planted 3000 spinifex plus a trial quantity of 300 pingao plants. Hopefully we will get regular rain over the next few months so that they have good conditions to get established.
Peter Wethey - Chair
The last of the spinifex being planted behind the bund wall on top of the dredge tailings
This week's planting team after planting approx 1500 plants
30 January 2025
Completed collection of 10 bags of spinifex seed heads at Te Arai. These bags will contain around 2000 seed heads & Coastlands Plant Nursery at Whakatane will separate the spinifex seeds from the heads & then propagate the seed. The seeds collected this year will be available as plants in 2026. The MHRS will be planting 3000 spinifex plants on the Mangawhai distal spit this coming season to assist with the stabilising of the sand.
The collectors were volunteers from the MHRS & the Tern Point community.
PLANTING THE SANDSPIT
An iconic feature of Mangawhai
A highly visible and powerful landform, the spit's size is not readily apparent when viewed from across the estuary, but seen from elevated locations, or from on the spit itself, its scale is impressive.
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Since commencement, over 100,000 spinifex and pingao have been planted on both the estuary and ocean sides of the sandspit. Net fencing has been installed by the MHRS to stabilise the sand dunes by collecting wind-blown sand drifts.
The planting and fencing programs are carried out with the support of DOC and are designed to be complimentary to the sandspit's bird sanctuary.