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
Whitebait Galaxias sp.
Whitebait is the collective name for the juvenile stage of five species of fish of the genus Galaxias. The most frequently caught of the five, Inanaga G. maculata has a wide distribution reaching as far as Argentina but listed as declining in Aorearoa New Zealand.
Kōaro G. brevipennis is also found in Australia while the Banded G. fasciata, Giant G. argeneus and Shortjaw Kōkopu G. postvectus.are found nowhere else other than in Aotearoa New Zealand. Whitebait are caught as they start their migration up-stream.
As a group they are fascinating with a diverse lifestyle, much of which is covered in a fun Whitebait activity book produced by the Department of Conservation and available here for download.
They are a much-loved source of food which are caught in nets over a brief period each year. Current regulations can be found here.