Great Dunes at Te Paki (Northland) EarthCache
Hidden : 5/11/2007
Difficulty:
1 out of 5
Terrain:
3 out of 5

Size: Size: not chosen (not chosen)

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Geocache Description:



Quite close to Cape Reinga there are spectacular sand dunes. If you know anything about the geomorphology of this region, you will realise that most of the peninsula from Kaiatai to Cape Reinga is an ancient series of huge sand dunes. But the modern ones are amazing.

The combined reserves forming Te Paki Farm Park have a total area of 23,000ha of some of the most extraordinary land forms in New Zealand. They comprise most of the area stretching across the northernmost tip of the Aupouri Peninsula from Cape Maria Van Diemen in the west to North Cape in the east. The Maoris call this piece of land Te Hiku o te Ika. (the tail of the fish) from the legend that tells how a giant fish (the North Island) was pulled from the sea by Maui while he sat in his canoe (the South Island). Geology, however, has a different tale.

The rocks composing the uplands in the Cape Reinga-North Cape region were formed by marine volcanoes and sediment about 60 million years ago and later overlaid by marine deposits. Between 2 and 5 million years ago, they formed an island separated from the mainland by a shallow sea containing other small upthrusted islands. Then, about a million years ago, sand moved northward by the submarine currents along the coasts of the North Island, built up into long sandspits (tombolos) joining the islands together and to the region around the town of Kaitaia. The areas of the park are bordered on three sides by a convoluted coastline. Long gentle curves of sandy beaches are indented by craggy cliffs and sharp, rocky inlets. The west coast includes the last portion of the great sweep of Ninety Mile Beach which runs for an actual 102 kilometres in an uninterrupted line to end at Scotts Point. Here also, you find the great camel-coloured dunes of sand at Te Paki, which have been pushed 5 kilometres inlands by the powerful westerly winds that blow in off the Tasman Sea. They are an incredible picture of the geologic history of the region and of the erosional power of wind.

Wind-deposited materials hold clues to past as well as to present wind directions and intensities. These features help us understand the present climate and the forces that molded it. Wind-deposited sand bodies occur as sand sheets, ripples, and dunes. Wind blowing on a sand surface ripples the surface into crests and troughs whose long axes are perpendicular to the wind direction. Accumulations of sediment blown by the wind into a mound or ridge, dunes have gentle upwind slopes on the wind-facing side. The downwind portion of the dune, the lee slope, is commonly a steep avalanche slope referred to as a slipface. Dunes may have more than one slipface. The minimum height of a slipface is about 30 centimeters.

The Te Paki Reserves are public lands with free access; just leave the gates as you found them and don't disturb the animals. There are about 7 sq km of giant sand dunes on either side of where Te Paki Stream meets the ocean. A stop to take flying leaps off the dunes or toboggan down them is a highlight of locally operated tours. Vehicles are allowed to drive on the beach (Ninety Mile Beach is a designated highway) and the usual access point is Waipapakauri, just north of Kaitaia. The beach is only for the well prepared with rugged vehicles. Cars have hit soft sand before now and been swallowed by the tides - you may see the roof of an unfortunate vehicle poking through the sands. Check tide times before setting out and avoid 2 ½ hours either side of high tide - and watch out for quicksand on Te Paki Stream, just keep moving.


Park your car at the above coordinate and go walking on dunes that are like mountains or, if you are really foolish or brave, drive down the stream (the sand is so firm that you can actually drive down the stream) and on to Ninety Mile Beach. The views of the dunes are amazing. There are many other places to park and explore the dunes and you are not limited to using just the posted coordinate.

To claim this Earthcache, please complete the following requirements:

1. Find the crest of a dune in the Te Paki Sand Dunes and determine the height of its slipface. Also, determine the direction of the wind based on the shape of the dune and the direction of the crest. E-mail these answers when you log your visit.

2. Take an elevation reading where you park your vehicle and then take a reading at the top of the highest dune you are able to climb in the area. Include in your email the height of the dunes in this area.

3. Take a picture of your group either tobogganing down a sand dune or posing at the crest of one of the dunes. Post this picture with your log. Include in your email how many people were in your group.

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