Okiwi Community is nestled in a valley at the northern end of Aotea/Great Barrier. To the east we are borded by Whangapoua spit and estuary and on all other sides by DOC administered bush clad hills, or farmland merging to the bush clad hills.
Our project area incorporates approximately 50 ha and 33 properties (15 with permanent residents) and includes a church, community room, honey processing facility, environmental contracting company, market gardens and nursery, and at its centre is Te Kura O Okiwi (primary school) and the Auckland Council ‘Okiwi Park’. Two streams flow through the project area to the Whangapoua estuary.
The staff and students of Te Kura O Okiwi, along with Okiwi Park play a significant role in the project and are a source of inspiration and motivation.
Our taonga include Kaka, Kakariki and Kereru (recently a flock of 16 was counted flying over Okiwi). Pateke live on the streams and Okiwi Reserve, bittern are occasionally seen flying over and live in the estuary. Many other more common species also live within Okiwi.