At Boundary Stream Scenic Reserve, a 'mainland island', you can get a glimpse of pre-human New Zealand.
Boundary Stream Scenic Reserve is a 'mainland island' - an area on the mainland of New Zealand that is managed by the Department of Conservation with the aim of recreating conditions found in pre-human times - no animal or plant pests, intact ecosystems and the presence of rare species.
Situated on the eastern flanks of the Maungaharuru Range northwest of Napier, Boundary Stream is home to several threatened bird species, including North Island brown kiwi, kereru, North Island kākā and New Zealand falcon. It also preserves a number of threatened plants, such as kākā beak and yellow-flowered mistletoe. The reserve is protected from pests by fencing, geographical features and ongoing pest control.
At one end of the Boundary Stream Reserve is Shine Falls. At 58 metres it is the highest waterfall in Hawke's Bay, falling like a semi-transparent veil. Another highlight is an 800-year-old matai tree, saved from the axe in the 1930s.
