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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.
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The Manawatū Estuary Trust enjoys giving people the opportunity to learn more about this amazing environ
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Maikaika/Onion-leaved Orchid Microtis unifolia
Native. Not threatened.
The first example of this orchid arrived in the Dune Garden in late 2023. There are no other native orchids inclined to ephemeral dune wetland environments on this coast, so it may be the only one we ever see here.
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It is probably the most common species of orchid in Aotearoa New Zealand inhabiting a wide variety of habitats and elevations from the coast to montane. This is usually the species found in lawns and flower borders in urban areas. There is a small population in the long grass on Holben Reserve
Outside of our shores its range also extends to New Caledonia, Polynesia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Japan and