Lake Kereta

Lake Kereta is approximately 32 hectares and 1.5 meters deep. There are no streams or rivers flowing to the lake and it is filled by underground water. This dune lake is off limits to fishing and power boats but there are jet ski lanes in the northern end of the lake. Woodhill Forest separates the lake from the Kaipara Harbour, one of the largest harbours in the world. The sand based, pine forest stretches along the coast, covering 12,500 hecatares of Crown land. The area was originally covered by native bush but deforestation efforts by Europeans changed the area into a dessert within a few years. In 1903 the Sand Drift Act was introduced and restoration work began to prevent coastal sand from drifting. This lake is monitored for Cyanobacteria only.