Waikanae

Geography

Waikanae lies in a setting of open farmland and forest between the Tasman Sea and the rugged Tararua Range. Prior to human settlement the Waikanae coastal plain comprised wetlands divided by a complex pattern of natural waterways and kohekohe wooded regions. Together with its neighbouring settlement of Waikanae Beach, the town comprises a quiet locale, popular with families and retirees. Just north of Waikanae is the small community of Peka Peka. The area surrounding the town is notable for its beach, the Waikanae River estuary and Kapiti Island, which lies offshore in the Tasman Sea. Waikanae Beach is approximately long from the Waikanae River estuary to the Waimeha Stream. The eastern section of the Kapiti Marine Reserve lies between Kapiti Island and Waikanae Beach, and adjoins the Waikanae Estuary Scientific Reserve. Whales and Hector's dolphins are sometimes spotted on their migration routes through the narrow corridor. Inland, to the east of Waikanae are the bush clad Hemi Matenga Reserve, the Tararua Ranges and the Akatarawa Valley, home to a conservation park, Staglands Wildlife Reserve & Cafe. A road through the valley over the Akatarawa Saddle provides a link with the Hutt Valley via Reikorangi and Cloustonville. The headwaters of the Waikanae River form where a number of streams converge in the inland Reikorangi Basin. From here the river runs through a gap in the foothills, across the coastal plain and sand dunes to the sea. The Tararua Range provides shelter for Waikanae from the south and east, as does Kapiti Island from the west. The area accordingly escapes the heavy winds and storms of the neighbouring Cook Strait region. The shallow depths of Waikanae Beach produces a higher water temperature than the steeper coastlines of Wellington harbour…