Dredge keeps Mangawhai estuary and spit alive

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STORY/PHOTOS BY JULIA WADE

Although Mangawhai’s golden coastal sands are mined and shipped out of town for industrial purposes, within the estuary, sand lying along the sea bed stays local thanks to an important vessel whose history goes back 30 years.

Launched in Whangarei in December 2005, Mangawhai Harbour Restoration Society's (MHRS) dredge, Spirit of Mangawhai II, was born from the legendary 1991 ‘Big Dig’, an inspiring event where locals rebelled against authorities and took up shovels and diggers to save their dying harbour.

Often confused with the sandmining vessels which patrol the Mangawhai/Pakiri coast and whose excavating operations allegedly cause environmental harm, the Spirit’s purpose is to safeguard the health and pristine quality of Mangawhai’s estuary by hoovering sand from the water channels and funnelling it back onto the Distal Spit.

From late autumn through winter, the Spirit’s permitted activity not only restores and maintains the Spit, which is vital in protecting the estuary from the open sea, but ensures marine and bird life habitats are sustained along with recreational aquatic activities. Planned placement of the discharged sand and shells also creates bird nesting environments including for the endangered fairy tern, MHRS president John Pearson says.

“For a few months every year, the Society surveys the estuary to locate areas of sand build-up before removing the residue and placing it onto the Spit, although last year we also widened the white sand beach along Sellars Reserve,” he says. “We actually have consent to dredge all year but we know that people use the harbour in summer and we also recognise the fairy tern breeding season, so we usually start in May and go till the end of August, beginning of September.”

However, the Spirit’s dredging season has recently been shortened by Northland Regional Council (NRC) and Department of Conservation, with all dredging and discharging of sand to halt at the end of July, to further protect the Fairy Terns.

“So, to get all the dredging done we’ll now probably have to start earlier in April. Four months is enough time, however it may have some impact on people who still water ski along the channel in that time.”

‘Captain’ of the Spirit II, barge master and local builder Mark Vercoe took over the paid 8am-5pm five-days-a-week position in May this year from former captain Grant Stewart who had an eight-year stint at the helm. Vercoe confesses

his only experience similar to sucking anything off the seabed floor or dredging, has been ‘vacuuming the house’.

“It’s the one job I can come to work and suck at and not get fired!” he jokes. “It’s quite pleasant out here on the water usually though, you start to talk to yourself and sing along to the radio, and good to know I’m doing something for the community.”

 

 

1:

Recycling what the wind and tides have put into the estuary. Spirit of Mangawhai II anchored at work keeping harbour waters flowing pristine and clear while simultaneously maintaining the dunes.

 

2:

Pictured from left, ‘captain’ Mark Vercoe with MHRS president John Pearson and member Ken Rayward. Pearson says due to the annual $80 they pay via their rates, all Mangawhai ratepayers actually own a share in the Spirit.

 

3:

The man who ‘sucks’ at his job, barge captain Mark Vercoe sporting the official Big Dig t-shirt. “The words ‘Trust us’ are significant,” Ken Rayward says. “At the time of Big Dig, council would come up to Jim Wintle, asking ‘what the hell is going on?’ and he would calmly say ‘trust us’… and then walk off.”

 

4:

Down in the engine room – the ‘heart and lungs’ of Spirit II.

 

5:

Not a grain is wasted. From estuary to the spit, sand is pumped and funnelled where MHRS member and tractor operator Brett Godley is ready to distribute the grains.

 

6:

Numerous coastal birds, including a pair of endangered fairy terns who were sited perched on the pipeline, flock to the area hoping for a tasty morsel caught up in the discharged estuary sand.

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