Matuku Link – Wetlands open week
22 November 2025 - 30 November 2025
Region(s): Auckland
Type(s): experiences, promotion, exhibitions
Matuku Link has been recognised on the world stage, winning a Gold Star Award at the Wetland Link International Awards – one of only three wetland centres in the world to be given this award!
They are celebrating with a week of open days from 22 to 30 November with fun activities, daily tours, and informative displays.
Discover their expo showcase, sharing the story of how a small community of volunteers transformed an old barn and wetland into an award-winning education centre. Learn about their ongoing conservation work – restoring habitats, propagating native plants, and protecting threatened species like the matuku-hūrepo (Australasian bittern), banded kokopū, and pāteke (brown teal).
Australasian bittern | Matuku-hūrepo
An Australasian bittern | Matuku-hūrepo (Botaurus poiciloptilus) hunting for prey in a wetland.
Find out more about this endangered bird species on the New Zealand Birds Online website.
Enjoy a cuppa and home baking at their pop-up café, browse the gift shop, and connect with the dedicated volunteers and supporters who make this all possible.
Daily tours: Guided Wetland Tours at 11 am and 1 pm ($5 per person).
Weekend extras: Free eel talk at 10:30 am on Saturdays and Sundays. Local artist Derek March will talkg about his impressive 35 meter long mural Tuna Heke on 22 and 23 November at 12.30 pm as part of the Waitākere Open Studios.
Whether you’re a nature lover, photographer, or simply curious, this is your chance to experience this hidden wetland sanctuary up close, celebrate community-led conservation in action, and be part of protecting Aotearoa’s last remaining wetland.
For more information: https://matukulink.org.nz/open_week_2025.
Get tickets for the guided walks here: https://matukulink.org.nz/product/wetland-tour.
Location: Matuku Link, 111 Bethells Road, Te Henga, Auckland
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Te whakamahi i ngā rauemi o Tuihonoa Te Reo o Te Repo hei whakarite ara whakaako curates our collection of te reo Māori resources drawn from Te Reo o Te Repo – The Voice of the Wetland. He kōrero hei āwhina i te kaiako is a mātauranga pūtaiao framework for kaiako with suggestions on how to use the repo resources.
Repo (wetlands) – a context for learning curates our collection of English-medium resources, along with pedagogical and curriculum information. The interactive Wetlands – inquiry and action learning process supports educators who are interested in local wetland connections and restoration. We’ve also created Te repo/wetlands – a public collection for you to copy and use.
Explore the importance of wetlands alongside the Waikato River here.
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