There's plenty to see and do at the estuary.
The estuary walkway provides beautiful views, and there are signs along the way providing information about some of the birds you might see.
There is a lot of interesting wildlife at the estuary. As well as birds, the estuary is also home to some interesting plants and is an important habitat for native fish.
The Manawatū Estuary Trust enjoys giving people the opportunity to learn more about this amazing environ
Mudwort Limosella lineata
Native. Not threatened.
This tiny dune wetland herb turned up in the Dune Garden in 2023 in a single patch which hopefully will increase over time.
Found in other dune wetlands on this coast, and a few estuaries too, it is not found in the Manawatū estuary at the time of writing.
One of the nice attributes of this species is that it can flower at any time of the year, but you must look closely – the flower is ca. 2 mm in width. Often growing in dense patches over open mudflats, these patches can be green, brown or red. It can also host a rare form of endemic yellow rust (fungus), which until a few patches were noticed north of Foxton Beach in 2023, had not been registered anywhere since 1970.