Kapiti Marine Reserve

The Rauoterangi Channel, also known as the Otaheke Strait, is a channel that separates Kapiti Island from the Kāpiti Coast of the North Island in New Zealand.

Paraparaumu Beach is a coastal settlement on the Kāpiti Coast of New Zealand's North Island. It is located west of the main Paraparaumu township, 50 km north of Wellington. The area faces Kapiti Island.

Kapiti Island ([kɑːpiti]), sometimes written as Kāpiti Island, is an island nature reserve located 5.6 km (3 mi) off the west coast of the lower North Island of New Zealand and within the Kāpiti Coast District. Parts of the island were previously farmed, but it is now a predator-free sanctuary for endemic birds, including many endangered birds. The island is 10 km (6.2 mi) long, running southwest/northeast, and roughly 2 km (1.2 mi) wide, being more or less rectangular in shape, and has an area of 19.65 km2 (7.59 sq mi). The island is separated from the North Island by the Rauoterangi Channel. The highest point on the island is Tūteremoana, 521 m (1,709 ft). The seaward (west) side of the island is particularly rocky and has high cliffs, some hundreds of metres high, that drop straight into the sea. The cliffs are subject to very strong prevailing westerly winds and the scrubby vegetation that grows there is low and stunted by the harsh environmental conditions. A cross-section of the island would show almost a right-angled triangle, revealing its origins from lying on a fault line (part of the same ridge as the Tararua Range). The island's vegetation is dominated by scrub and forest of kohekohe, tawa, and kanuka. Most of the forest is regenerating after years of burn-offs and farming, but some areas of original bush remain, with 30 m (98 ft) trees.

Kapiti Coast Airport (IATA: PPQ, ICAO: NZPP), also spelt Kāpiti Coast Airport and previously called Paraparaumu Airport, is on the Kāpiti Coast of New Zealand's North Island, between the Wellington dormitory suburbs of Paraparaumu Beach (to the west and north), Paraparaumu to the east, and Raumati Beach to the south. The Wharemauku Stream flows through part of the airport's land. Originally government-owned, the Kapiti Coast Airport was the greater Wellington region's main airport until Wellington International Airport re-opened in 1959. It was privatised in 1995.

Raumati Marine Gardens is a public park in Raumati Beach on New Zealand's Kāpiti Coast. It is near the Tasman Sea just behind the beach, hence its name, and on the northern side of the park, the Wharemauku Stream reaches the ocean. The Gardens are a popular recreation location for locals and visitors from nearby towns. The park includes an outdoor ridable miniature railway operated by Kapiti Miniature Railway and Associates. It features a dual gauge (5 inch and 7¼ inch) circuit that has been progressively upgraded and expanded over the years and features bridges and tunnels. Trains operate Sunday afternoons and motive power includes live steam, internal combustion, and battery electric. An indoor HO scale model railway was built beside the outdoor railway's main station in the early 1990s but was closed early in the 21st century. The Gardens also contains a children's playground with splash pad. The heated indoor swimming pool complex that is the main public pools for Paraparaumu, Paraparaumu Beach, Raumati Beach, and Raumati South has moved to the Paraparaumu Aquatic Centre near the Coastlands Complex.

The Wharemauku Stream is a stream on the Kāpiti Coast of New Zealand's North Island. Its headwaters are in the Maungakotukutuku valley, and it flows through Paraparaumu and Raumati Beach before reaching the Tasman Sea on the northern side of Raumati Marine Gardens. From its headwaters to the sea, it passes through Kapiti Golf Course, Kaitawa Reserve, under the North Island Main Trunk railway and the former State Highway 1, Coastlands shopping centre, part of Paraparaumu Airport, and Weka Park. Many small nameless streams meet the Wharemauku Stream, and a walking track approximately 3 kilometres (2 mi) long follows it from Rimu Road to Weka Park.

Raumati Beach is a beach community on the Kāpiti Coast of New Zealand's North Island; located 60km north-west of Wellington, and about 10 km north of Raumati South. It is immediately to the south-west of the larger town of Paraparaumu. The Maungakotukutuku area is located immediately behind Raumati. "Raumati" is the Māori language word for "summer". Following the laying out of Raumati Beach as a seaside resort in 1908, the first general store was built in Raumati Beach in 1919.The town has many landmarks including Kāpiti College, in which Peter Jackson (New Zealand filmmaker) and Christian Cullen (Rugby Union footballer) received their education, St. Mark's Church, the vast sandy beach (popular for walks, fishing and people on holiday), Raumati Beach Shopping Village, Kapiti Island and Weka Park. The Wharemauku Stream meets the sea in Raumati Beach on the northern side of Raumati Marine Gardens. This park is a popular recreation location: it features a ridable miniature railway. The Beach offers a boat ramp and a tractor is on offer from the Raumati Fishing Club. During the year several large events are held at Raumati Beach including the Raumati Beach Surf Casting competition which attracts hundreds of fisherman from all around New Zealand. The Kapiti Woman's Triathlon is also held annually within the Marine Gardens and attracts large crowds and is well supported.

Waikanae River is located on the Kāpiti Coast in the North Island of New Zealand. The river drains the western flanks of the Tararua Ranges around Reikorangi and the Akatarawa Valley, then passes to the south of the town of Waikanae to the north of the river and Otaihanga/ Paraparaumu to the south before entering the Tasman Sea at Waikanae - Paraparaumu Beach. Tributaries include the Maungakotukutuku Stream, Ngatiawa River, and Reikorangi Stream. The estuary of the river is a significant reserve providing shelter and habitat for local and migratory seabirds. It also provides a major recreational location, both for residents and tourists. Walking and cycling tracks are present on both sides of the river, leading from Waikanae Beach and Otaihanga Domain to the old state highway bridge just south Waikanae. Water up to a maximum amount is taken out of the river as water supply for Waikanae and Paraparaumu. This sometimes leads to water restrictions if the river runs low, however in January 2005 the river burst its banks after heavy rain. The river has good water quality and high aquatic biodiversity, but there are occasional blooms of toxic cyanobacteria after prolonged periods of low flow during hot, dry weather.There have been multiple instances in earlier years (2020, 2021) where the river back has burst, leading to several floods in the elevated areas south of the river. It came with heavy rainfall and heavy storms and cyclones in the area.The estuary of the Waikanae River is ever changing, with major and minor storms disrupting the banks and causing it to change shape. Prior to storms in 2016/17, the river seamlessly transitioned into the sea, but after storms, long sandbars and banks have caused the river to take an winding path to reach the Tasman Sea.

Kāpiti College is situated at Raumati Beach on the Kāpiti Coast in New Zealand, 45 minutes drive from Wellington City. It was called Raumati District High School when built in 1954, then renamed Kapiti College in 1957. The Kapiti College motto is "Semper Fidelis" which translates to "Always Faithful".The roll is 1477 in April 2023, including international students from as far afield as Germany, Brazil, China, Japan and Thailand. Numbers of students at the college increased by 400 in the 2003–2012 period. Kāpiti College is a Decile 8 school, meaning the majority of its students are from above average socio-economic status. Its students come from a wide range of backgrounds and includes a Māori proportion of 19 percent.

Paraparaumu College is a Year 9 to 13 co-educational state school on the Kāpiti Coast of New Zealand. There is an international student programme operating with students attending from different countries. The college was opened in 1977.

Raumati South is a coastal community on the Kāpiti Coast of New Zealand's North Island. It is 50 km north-west of Wellington, and immediately south of Raumati Beach and south-west of Paraparaumu. The Maungakotukutuku area is located inland."Raumati" is the Māori language word for "summer". In 1912, Herbert and William Eatwell had named the place Kawatiri, but the name was changed to the current one in 1934 because of another place with the same name in the Tasman Region.To the south of the town, between it and the town of Paekākāriki, is the Queen Elizabeth Park, a 638 hectare regional park used during the filming of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, where it represented Pelennor Fields. Raumati South is known for the large number of its residents pursuing alternative lifestyles and artistic endeavors. The main primary education provider is Raumati South Primary School. There is also a Steiner school called 'Te Ra' located on Poplar Avenue.

Otaihanga is on the Kāpiti Coast of New Zealand's North Island. It is just north of Paraparaumu on the south bank of the Waikanae River and is roughly 55 km north of New Zealand's capital city, Wellington. Its name is Māori for "the place made by the tide". The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "place of Taihanga [a personal name]" for Ōtaihanga.