Mystery Waipā wetland tour on Auckland/Waikato Anniversary Day

Tuna/longfin eels. Photo / Karen Denyer

A family-friendly mystery tour exploring the habitats of the rare longfin eel is being organised for Auckland/Waikato Anniversary Day, February 1, in the Waipā.

In association with local hapu Ngāti Apakura, the National Wetland Trust, DoC and Waipā District Council are planning a self-drive tour to several Waipā locations, with clues to find and puzzles to solve along the way.

Kicking off at Ngā Roto Domain, Bank Rd at 10am, participants can pick up a registration pack with their map and quiz and head out. The route is on sealed roads with around 30km of driving and several stops with short easy walks.

Ngā Roto will be the starting point for the self-drive mystery tour. Photo / Waipā District Council

Final registration is at 12.30pm, allowing plenty of time to complete the route and return to Ngā Roto for prizegiving at 3pm.

While the tour will take place on Anniversary Day, the event is in fact to celebrate World Wetlands Day, held every February to mark the 1971 adoption of the International Convention on Wetlands and to raise awareness of these unique ecosystems.

"Wetlands and water", the theme for WWD 2021, shines a spotlight on wetlands as a source of freshwater and encourages actions to restore them and stop their loss.

The mystery tour is themed around our freshwater apex predator, the longfin eel/tuna, which holds special significance for Ngāti Apakura.

The Tuna Hikoi/Eel Journey will help families explore the district, learn about native eels and their habitats and compete for prizes.

Participants are advised to bring snacks and drinking water for the journey.

For more information see www.wetlandtrust.org.nz/what-we-do/world-wetlands-day