Te Oneroa-a-Tōhē, Ninety Mile Beach is in need of a massive clean up, with an estimated 8-10 tonnes of flotsam and dumping; together we can clean this up. Last year we removed 5 truckloads plus trailers in one morning, this year we aim to double that!
We love our beach, and our kaimoana, so come lend a hand and keep Northland wonderful! On Saturday 10th of November at 8.30am we will meet in Ahipara by the toilets for a blessing then get to work (with smaller groups meeting on the on ramps further up the beach) we will clean till 11.30. Then we will gather at Ahipara domain, enjoy our efforts with a free sausage sizzle, spot prizes and much more!
Please let us know if you’re coming and what you can bring via the Awesome Ahipara Beach Clean Up event on Facebook. We’re getting lots of likes and shares which is awesome, but we need to know who’s ‘going’ too! Thanks to all the folks who came with trucks last year, will you be bringing a truck and trailer? Let us know!
On top of that it helps with the catering….Whanau Meats is donating sausages for the sausage sizzle, so all our hard workers will be in for a treat. Liquor King is providing a chiller and non alcoholic drinks, making our event cool (and hydrated!)
Repco, Hunting and Fishing, Z Kaitāia and Awanui, to name a few are donating spot prizes, who knows what great treats will be in store when you come help your whenua and moana stay clean!??!
Te Rarawa is a major sponsor of this event, also involved are Far North REAP, Corrections, CBEC/ EcoSolutions, EcoCentre, Transition Towns Kaitāia, and more; let us know if your organisation would like to jump in and help, its a great cause, and tonnes of fun, while we give our beautiful beach some aroha!
The Ahipara coast watch will be there on the day and Sweetwater Farms are jumping in again this year to help with the clean up, they are Kaitiaki for our area, and support efforts to keep our Taatahi clean.
I have heard that there are pockets of flotsam all up the beach, if people could indicate where they have seen deposits, AND/OR if teams could indicate where they would adopt to clean up. If you wish to launch a clean up from further up Ninety Mile and join us for free disposal, the brand audit, and after bash BBQ and prize giving at Ahipara that will be cool.
One of the really important but fiddly tasks is snipping away all the disintegrating plastic netting that was used for erosion control. Sadly that too is now eroding and sending thousands of itty bitty microplastics into the moana where they end up in the food chain. Some of the netting waste was hard to remove last year, maybe bring some spades whānau!
It will take a bit of planning to extend the clean up this year, so indicating where you will clean will go a long way to coordinating the clean up this year. Thanks to Corrections providing a team they will be tackling some of the deposits further up the beach. However, Norm has told me that the teams usually fill a trailer within a few kilometres, so we will need some folks and trailers to really make a difference to our wonderful beach.
Finally, if anyone with tech knowledge could help with a map that we can add stars, spots or anything to would be super cool!
Any offers, questions etc contact us via the Ahipara Beach Clean Up Facebook Group or the Facebook event. If you don’t do Facebook contact me, Jo via CBEC.
by Jo Shanks, CBEC Ecosolutions
Beach access points:
TE PAKI STREAM 7Okm North of Waipapakauri Ramp: this access is a sand based stream bed 3km in length located between sand dunes. Because of the treacherous nature of the stream and its bed, it is advisable to engage a low gear and NOT to STOP in the stream. The stream entry is sign posted.
THE BLUFF 5Okm North of Waipapakauri Ramp, this access is a private road. To be used only in cases of extreme emergency. A short section of loose dry sand could cause problems for two wheel drive vehicles.
HUKATERE HILL 2Okm North of Waipapakauri Ramp, Hukatere Hill access is identified by a dome shaped hill. It provides an easy access on and off the beach.
WAIPAPAKAURI RAMP Is used by private car and tour bus alike, and is safe all year round. It is about 20 km from Kaitaia and is the most reliable access to 90 Mile Beach.
AHIPARA Approximately 17km South of the Waipapakauri Ramp these two access points can be quite unreliable and Four Wheel Drive is generally advised. The Northern access is a stretch of loose dry sand firming up during spring tides, while the Southern access consists of a rough rocky base.
