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Take a family-friendly walk around the lake, enjoy the views, and discover a unique part of Horowhenua history at Lake Papaitonga. An ideal spot for a picnic and some bird watching, this dune lake is a refuge for birds that depend on wetlands or lowland forests for their survival.
A popular walking track at the end of Buller Road, Levin, Papaitonga Scenic Reserve has some great spots to enjoy views and look for and listen to birds – and is particularly popular for kids.
Within Papaitonga Scenic Reserve is Lake Waiwiri, a dune lake in the Horowhenua coastal plain rich in cultural and natural history. It provides an important sanctuary for recovering wetlands birds and gets its name (Papaitonga) from one of the lake islands. The lake contains two islands - ; Motukiwi (Papaitonga) and Motungarara (Papawhaerangi).
The latter is an artificial island constructed by Muaūpoko residents in 1820 to extend their village. The lake and the surrounding wetland and lush coastal forest make up 135 hectares of scenic reserve. It is a refuge for birds that depend on wetlands or lowland forests for their survival. The reserve is managed by DoC.
