Wenderholm Regional Park

Wenderholm Regional Park is located on a peninsula between the Puhoi River to the north and the Waiwera River to the south. There are two major sections of the park: a sandspit at the mouth of the Puhoi River, and the Maungatauhoro headland, which is covered by bush. ==Biodiversity==

A section of the park has been set aside since 1965 for an ecological experiment, stopping livestock from grazing and repopulating the forests. This allowed native species of birds which were no longer in the area to be re-introduced in 1999. One of the first species released into the area, Petroica australis ssp. longipes (North Island robins), has a generally high rate of survival and procreated a good number of young, unfortunately not high enough to compensate for the loss of the adult population. Tūī, kererū and New Zealand fantails are all commonly found in the park. The native bush of the park prominently features pōhutukawa, with the blaze of red in the summer, on the slopes facing north is the kōwhai bush which are covered with yellow blooms in the spring, and the low-laying sandspit. The Maungatauhoro headland forest includes tree species such as tawa, kohekohe, taraire, tōtara, nīkau palms, kahikatea and rimu. Australian kookaburras can occasionally be found in the regional park, having been introduced to Kawau Island in the 19th century. ==History==

Māori occupation of Wenderholm lasted until the late 19th-century and archaeological evidence points to a long-history of occupation dating back to the earliest Maori settlement of the region. The area had several names but the most common was from the Puhoi River. The flat area of Wenderholm was known as and the southern headland known as . A lookout over the Waiwera River was known as . Wenderholm had ample supply of food and the two rivers provided good access to the hinterland, making it a desirable location for Maori to settle. Te Kawerau related tribes lived in the area, settling in locations such as Te Akeake, a kāinga at the mouth of the Puhoi Estuary and Kakaha Pā, a defensive outpost located at the highest point of the peninsula, Wenderholm Hill. The Auckland politician and entrepreneur Sir Robert Graham protected many of the ancient trees in the area from felling. He went on to build a homestead in the park that he name Wenderholm (now known as Couldrey House), in the late 1850s. == References ==