Te Paki Sand Dunes

Many people visiting this area enjoy sandboarding down the steep faces of the dunes. They are taking advantage of the lee slopes where sand that has been blown up the front face of the dune is dropped in the calmer air on the more sheltered side. These lee slopes or slip faces can be at an angle of up to 33 degrees. Due to the prevailing westerly winds, these steeper slopes are on the eastern side of the dunes (facing inland).
The dunes are made of material that originated in rivers to the south, was washed out to sea, and has been transported by ocean currents along the Northland coast. During the ice ages, when sea level was about 120 m lower, the coast was much further out than today, and the persistent westerly winds picked up the exposed sand to pile it up where we see it today. Of course this erosion and transport continues (although with reduced area of source material due to higher sea level) making these dunes an unstable environment where only highly specialised dune plants can get established. They stabilise the dunes around the fringes and allow a further succession of plant species to add diversity to the ecosystem.

As you walk on to the dunes from the car park, have a think about whether they are still advancing or not. Look out for areas where you think sand is being eroded, accumulating, or stabilised where plants are getting established . As you walk on the tops, enjoy the many fascinating variations of ripples and other features, and notice how the windward face of the sand slopes much more gently down to the sea.