Welcome to North Auckland

A Park of Firsts

Opened in 1965, Wenderholm is Auckland’s first and most loved regional park. It’s a place of unforgettable beauty, where golden beaches meet calm estuary waters and lush native forest. Beneath the land flow Waiwera’s natural hot springs, with pure water still rising from bores for drinking.

A Sanctuary for the Rare Tūturiwhatu

Along the sandy shores of Wenderholm and Waiwera lives one of New Zealand’s most precious and vulnerable birds, the New Zealand dotterel. These small, sandy-coloured shorebirds are masters of camouflage, blending almost invisibly with the beach where they make their nests.

The dotterel is incredibly rare, with only about 2,500 left in the country. They build their nests directly on the open sand, often no more than a shallow scrape lined with shells. This makes them extremely vulnerable, yet their persistence is part of their wonder.

At Wenderholm, the dotterel finds a rare safe haven. The park’s protected status makes it more than just a place of scenic beauty—it is a living sanctuary, where the ocean, the forest, and the sands protect one of Aotearoa’s rarest treasures.