Sinclair Wetlands Te Nohoaka o Tukiauau is a short deviation as you head towards Waipori Falls Road from State Highway 1 along Henley Berwick Road. Turn left onto Berwick Road at Berwick to head around the west side of Lake Waihola and Lake Waipori wetland complex. Keep going till you see the signposted driveway access for the wetland facilities and camping sites.
Once there, follow the tracks, boardwalks and explanatory signs around the wetlands, including over to a couple of obvious islands (Whakaraupuka/Ram and Lonely). These provide expansive views. This is a very pretty place, with plentiful birds and native regrowth. You may even get to see a rare native fernbird (mātātā).
The wetlands are substantial at 315 hectares and internationally renowned, with an interesting conservation history. Taieri Plain to the northeast was mostly drained and converted to farmland in the 1800s. Two lakes survived at the south end of the plain – Waihola and Waipori – along with some connected swampland. In 1960, Horrie Sinclair stopped draining water from around the swamps, allowing them to start recovering. In the 1980s, the wetland was formally protected, and in 1998, Ngāi Tahu took possession as part of the Ngāi Tahu Claim Settlement Act. Since then, there have been continuing efforts to restore the wetland, including large-scale replanting of native shrubs and trees.
The Māori name for the wetland arises from the early 18th century. Tukiauau and his Ngāti Mamoe iwi, pursued by Ngāi Tahu, took refuge on Whakaraupuka and then stayed for a time.
