Photos

The fresh water Kai Iwi lakes are situated 25.8 kilometres north-west of Dargaville along State Highway 12 near the small settlement of Kaihu. The turnoff to the lakes is signposted at Omamari Road, which is on the regions Twin Coast Discovery Tourist Route. There are three lakes. Lake Kai-Iwi in the south, Lake Taharoa (the largest), and Lake Waikere in the north, situated within Taharoa Domain, a 538 ha recreation reserve.

They come alive in summer as a popular camping spot. There are facilities for swimming, boating, windsurfing, water-skiing, camping and trout fishing. You can walk through lush farmland to the wild west coast where 100km of golden sands stretch south to Pouto, the northern headland of the notorious entrance to the Kaipara Harbour.

For more information have a look at the Fish and Game New Zealand brochure for this location or the New Zealand communities webpage for Kai Iwi Lakes.

Yachting is another pastime that’s commonly pursued here. It’s a great location because, being a closed body of water, isn’t subject to the heavy, oceanic water movements. That makes it a great place for people to learn this recreational sport.

Alterations to this image include the following: -
Rotation to correct horizon
Heavy cropping to eliminate surplus scenery and to position the yacht according to the ‘rule of thirds’
A slight increase of both red and yellow to overcome a strong blue tint in the original pic
A slight increase in both contrast and saturation.

I hope the end result looks satisfactory on your screen! :)


Kind regards,
Tony