Our coast

• What's special about our coast?
• Information about our coast - sand dunes, mangroves, maritime heritage
• Coastal monitoring.

What's special about our coast?

The 2,000km of coast that surrounds the Auckland region is home to a spectacular variety of wildlife and scenery; from the exposed and tempestuous black sand beaches on the west coast, to the more sheltered white sand beaches on the east.

Manukau Harbour entrance

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• Kaipara Harbour
• Manukau Harbour
• Waitemata Harbour.

The Hauraki Gulf on the east coast of the Auckland region has been recognised as being of national significance. (See the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park Act page).

The coast plays a very important role in our everyday lives. Despite the impact on its original character by human activity and development, much of the region's coastal environment holds a significant number of values:

• natural character - we have areas of very high natural character with important habitats and species, clean water, significant geological sites and active coastal processes. Even in highly modified urban areas there are important natural character elements such as Pohutukawa trees and exposed cliff faces
• landscape - we have a diverse landscape, from highly modified urban areas like Tamaki Drive, to wild and scenic areas like Rangitoto Island and much of the west coast
• recreational - access to the coast, beautiful views, swimming, boating, and fishing
• economic - tourism, aquaculture, ferry transport, commercial fishing, commercial shipping and ports
• cultural - mahinga kai, wahi tapu and taonga, and our historic and maritime heritage
• ecological - our wide variety of marine habitats supports a diverse range of aquatic plants and animals, including seaweeds, mangroves, seagrass, shellfish, marine mammals, fish and sea birds.

The ARC manages the use, development and protection of the coastal marine area, ensuring that these values are protected for future generations to enjoy.