Okura River
The Okura River, also known as the Okura Estuary, is a river in the north of the Auckland Region in the North Island of New Zealand. The river rises in the low hills to the south of Silverdale and flows into Karepiro Bay on the Hauraki Gulf. The river is extremely tidal with only a narrow channel being navigable by small craft at low tide. The area is popular for horse riding, riders wait till low tide and then ford the boating channel to ride the estuary and beaches on the northern side.
| Okura River | |
|---|---|
 Avicennia marina subsp. australasica on the Okura River | |
Route of the Okura River | |
  Mouth of the Okura River   Okura River (New Zealand) | |
| Location | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Auckland Region |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • coordinates | 36.70866°S 174.66706°E |
| Mouth | Karepiro Bay |
• coordinates | 36.66382°S 174.73551°E |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Okura River → Karepiro Bay → Hauraki Gulf |
Geography
The village of Ōkura is situated on the southern bank. The Long Bay-Okura Marine Reserve extends from the Okura River to the Weiti River. The sand banks (above high tide mark) in Karepiro Bay are Dotterel breeding areas, protected by DOC (Department of Conservation).
History
The northern shore of the Okura River was traditionally known as Otaimaro, and was an extensive Māori settlement.[1] In 1848, Henry Dacre and his father Captain Ranulph Dacre purchased the lands surrounding the river, creating the Weiti Station. Their house, the Dacre Cottage, was built circa 1855 from locally made bricks.[1]
Development works with no limit to sediment dumping in the river are causing mass die off of shellfish in the river.[2]
References
- Cameron, Ewen; Hayward, Bruce; Murdoch, Graeme (2008). A Field Guide to Auckland: Exploring the Region's Natural and Historical Heritage (rev. ed.). Random House New Zealand. p. 132. ISBN 978-1-86962-1513.
- "Acres of shellfish dead in north Auckland estuary". Newshub. 14 May 2018. Archived from the original on 17 May 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2018.