Ara Manawa (Northland) Traditional Cache
nalawod: We haven't been able to do the necessary regular maintenance that we initially thought possible, so better to let the area be freed up for other possible cache hides.
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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This is a short out-and-back boardwalk to allow the public to view a typical mangrove forest in the Northland harbour environment.
Forests of the harbour
The mangrove tree is one of the marvels of our Northland harbours. It has adapted to living in the most harsh of conditions - a dunking in salt water twice a day when the tide comes in and heavy, stinky mud with no oxygen for its roots.
There are not many other flowering trees that could survive in these conditions, yet the mangrove has adapted so well that it has formed dense forests in sheltered harbours in Northland.
Until recently, the significant role mangroves play in the ecological system in harbours was not appreciated by many people. Swimmers did not like the stabbing roots of mangroves on their feet at their favourite swimming holes, and young plants were often pulled out to stop areas silting up.
However, it is now known that mangroves play an important part in the ecosystems of our harbours - sheltering young fish, stabilising land and forming a buffer zone to absorb floodwaters.
Importance to Māori:
The Māori name for mangroves is manawa. Māori traditionally gathered food from among the mangrove forests. This included mullet (kanae), oyster (parore tio), sea snail (karahu) and eel (tuna).
History
Mangroves in New Zealand caused confusion for the botanists on Captain Cook's first voyage. They would have seen mangroves before, because they grow in many other parts of the Pacific.
However, the botanists found large lumps of gum on the soft ground among the trees, and so named the trees Avicennia resinifera - which means ``the resin-bearing Avicennia''. They did not realise the gum had actually come from the kauri tree and had been washed down in flood waters.
Over the years, mangroves were regarded as having little value - they were even regarded as a weed by some people. Roads were formed around coastal shores, with causeways allowing too few channels to flush upper tidal areas properly. Silt built up quickly, smothering pneumatophores and killing trees.
Rubbish was often dumped legally and illegally around mangroves. Tip sites were still being permitted in mangrove forests in the late 1970s. Land reclamation was another major threat to mangroves. Large flat areas were created as cheap industrial land in many areas. However, this sometimes led to flooding problems, because mangroves and associated wetlands can act as a buffer zone to absorb stormwater in times of heavy rainfall.
Along this boardwalk one can see evidence of the areas milling industry (mainly kauri trees) and the propensity of some people to leave their rubbish behind (sadly).
The cache is in an obvious location (once at GZ) and is a medium size plastic screw-top holding a few small swaps along with the log and pencil. Enjoy the last short leg of the walkway before you return to the carpark.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Znahxn onfr