Riverhead Forest

File:Riverhead Forest 20211205 124308.jpg trees growing in Riverhead Forest]]

The forest is 4,846 hectares in size.{{Cite web |title=Riverhead: an Urban Forest |first=Harriet |last=Lamb |url=https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/riverhead-an-urban-forest/ |year=2001 |publisher=New Zealand Geographic |access-date=11 March 2022 |archive-date=20 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120162415/https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/riverhead-an-urban-forest/ |url-status=live }} The forest is bordered by the Auckland townships of Huapai, Kumeū and Riverhead to the south, and the affluent rural community of Coatesville to the east. To the north and west, the forest is bordered by rural areas of Rodney, including the vineyards of West Auckland. The forest is named after the township of Riverhead.

The coldest temperature recorded in the Auckland Region, {{convert|-5.7|C}} was recorded at Riverhead Forest in June 1936.{{cite web|title=Auckland Climate|work=National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research|url=https://www.niwa.co.nz/static/Auckland%20ClimateWEB.pdf|access-date=19 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170523145749/https://www.niwa.co.nz/static/Auckland%20ClimateWEB.pdf|archive-date=23 May 2017|url-status=live}}

{{Weather box|width=auto

|metric first=y

|single line=y

|collapsed = Y

|location = Riverhead Forest (1960–1987 normals, extremes 1928–1987)

| Jan record high C = 29.2

| Feb record high C = 30.2

| Mar record high C = 27.8

| Apr record high C = 26.0

| May record high C = 25.1

| Jun record high C = 21.6

| Jul record high C = 20.1

| Aug record high C = 20.6

| Sep record high C = 22.7

| Oct record high C = 25.8

| Nov record high C = 26.5

| Dec record high C = 27.9

| year record high C = 30.2

| Jan avg record high C = 26.9

| Feb avg record high C = 27.0

| Mar avg record high C = 25.9

| Apr avg record high C = 23.6

| May avg record high C = 20.7

| Jun avg record high C = 18.6

| Jul avg record high C = 17.7

| Aug avg record high C = 18.0

| Sep avg record high C = 19.4

| Oct avg record high C = 21.3

| Nov avg record high C = 23.5

| Dec avg record high C = 25.6

| year avg record high C = 27.7

| Jan high C = 23.5

| Feb high C = 23.7

| Mar high C = 22.6

| Apr high C = 20.1

| May high C = 17.5

| Jun high C = 15.3

| Jul high C = 14.5

| Aug high C = 15.1

| Sep high C = 16.2

| Oct high C = 17.8

| Nov high C = 19.8

| Dec high C = 21.7

| year high C =

| Jan mean C = 18.3

| Feb mean C = 18.5

| Mar mean C = 17.6

| Apr mean C = 15.1

| May mean C = 12.6

| Jun mean C = 10.7

| Jul mean C = 9.7

| Aug mean C = 10.4

| Sep mean C = 11.8

| Oct mean C = 13.2

| Nov mean C = 14.9

| Dec mean C = 16.7

| year mean C =

| Jan low C = 13.0

| Feb low C = 13.3

| Mar low C = 12.5

| Apr low C = 10.1

| May low C = 7.7

| Jun low C = 6.0

| Jul low C = 5.0

| Aug low C = 5.8

| Sep low C = 7.4

| Oct low C = 8.6

| Nov low C = 10.1

| Dec low C = 11.7

| year low C =

| Jan avg record low C = 7.3

| Feb avg record low C = 7.4

| Mar avg record low C = 5.3

| Apr avg record low C = 3.2

| May avg record low C = 0.4

| Jun avg record low C = -1.2

| Jul avg record low C = -2.1

| Aug avg record low C = -1.1

| Sep avg record low C = 0.5

| Oct avg record low C = 1.8

| Nov avg record low C = 3.3

| Dec avg record low C = 5.6

| year avg record low C = -2.6

|Jan record low C = 1.2

|Feb record low C = 2.2

|Mar record low C = -0.8

|Apr record low C = -1.9

|May record low C = -2.8

|Jun record low C = -5.7

|Jul record low C = -5.0

|Aug record low C = -4.4

|Sep record low C = -2.9

|Oct record low C = -1.1

|Nov record low C = -1.7

|Dec record low C = -0.6

|year record low C = -5.7

|rain colour = green

|Jan rain mm = 78.9

|Feb rain mm = 94.5

|Mar rain mm = 95.0

|Apr rain mm = 120.4

|May rain mm = 125.3

|Jun rain mm = 167.4

|Jul rain mm = 154.6

|Aug rain mm = 138.1

|Sep rain mm = 125.3

|Oct rain mm = 96.2

|Nov rain mm = 98.0

|Dec rain mm = 106.1

|year rain mm =

|source = NIWA{{cite web

|url = https://cliflo.niwa.co.nz/

|title = CliFlo -The National Climate Database (Agent numbers: 1405)

|publisher = NIWA

|access-date = 15 May 2024}}

}}

The land was purchased from Ngāti Whātua in the mid-1800s. The future location of the Riverhead Forest was isolated, and so remained mostly unoccupied. Originally a native forest primarily consisting of kauri trees, the area was logged and kauri gum was dug from the soil. Gumdigging was profitable in the late 19th century and early 20th century, and at its peak there were 12 gumdigger camps in the Riverhead Forest area. In the early 20th century as transport connections to the area improved, there was greater public pressure to release the land for agriculture. In the 1920s, the New Zealand Government intended to divide the area into 36 allotments, as a part of the Riverhead Homestead Settlement scheme. In 1926, the land was designated as a production forest by the state, after the Commissioner of Crown Lands suggested the area for this use a year earlier. Private land within the forest borders was purchased by the state, and tree planting began in 1927, with most of the forest planted by 1933.{{cite web |title=Auckland places |first=Margaret |last=McClure |url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/auckland-places |website=Te Ara |date=1 August 2016 |access-date=8 November 2021 |archive-date=4 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104070500/https://teara.govt.nz/en/auckland-places |url-status=live }}

The first generation of pine trees failed, due to phosphate deficiency in the soil. After this was identified as an issue in the 1950s, the pine forest began to thrive. The findings at the Riverhead Forest were important for New Zealand forestry, as this led to forestry soils being tested to ensure a correct nutrient balance was available.

The forest was formerly owned by the New Zealand Government, and was administered by Carter Holt Harvey, which purchased tree cutting rights in 1990. Most of the forest land has now been vested in the ownership of Te Kawerau ā Maki through their treaty settlement.{{Cite web |title=Te Arawhiti - Te Kawerau ā Maki |url=https://www.tearawhiti.govt.nz/te-kahui-whakatau-treaty-settlements/find-a-treaty-settlement/te-kawerau-a-maki/ |access-date=2024-04-29 |website=www.tearawhiti.govt.nz}} The forest license now sits with Rayonier Matariki Forests, which purchased Carter Holt Harvey's assets in 2005.{{Cite web |date=2024-04-29 |title=Sale of Carter Holt forests completed |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/sale-of-carter-holt-forests-completed/GGGW4K37E6V3NN57G72Z7CU5LM/ |access-date=2024-04-29 |website=NZ Herald |language=en-NZ}}

The forest is known for biking and horse trails. Riverhead Forest is host to events involving mountain bikers, four-wheel drive vehicles and dog sled drivers. The forest is also popular in winter months for hunters looking for wild pigs, and is the location of the longest running paintball field, which has been operating since 1985.{{cite web |title=About Us |url=https://worldchallengetag.co.nz/about-us/ |website=World Challenge Tag |access-date=11 March 2022 |archive-date=7 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220307111922/https://worldchallengetag.co.nz/about-us/ |url-status=live }}

File:Riverhead Forest 20211205 124339.jpg|View of the Riverhead Forest looking south towards Auckland

File:Riverhead Forest 20211205 124135.jpg|Recently felled section of the Riverhead Forest

File:Riverhead Forest - XTerra Race 3.jpg|Trail runners competing in the XTerra Trail Run Series in 2009

File:Riverhead Forest - Remains of the mill and the upper harbour.jpg|Remains of the Riverhead Forest mill

{{Reflist}}

{{Rodney Local Board Area Dairy Flat Subdivision}}

{{Rodney Local Board Area Kumeū Subdivision}}

Category:Forestry in New Zealand

Category:Forests of New Zealand

Category:Landforms of the Auckland Region

Category:Outdoor recreation in New Zealand

Category:Rodney Local Board Area