Northland West Coast Free Visitor Attractions
The west coast of Northland is a place of wild beaches, spectacular coastline and peaceful forests. It's exposed to almost continuous onshore oceanic swells, allowing only a few hardy species of shellfish, such as tuatua and toheroa, to survive.
Beach and dunefield habitats are home to several endangered plant species, while beaches are important as roosting, nesting and feeding areas for coastal birds such as the threatened New Zealand dotterel and the rare variable oystercatcher.