In boggy places tiny sundews catch insects on sticky droplets, absorbing valuable nutrients from their quarry. Several plants found on the downs occur nowhere else, including a yellow-flowered lily and a small native foxglove. To the west, below 300 metres, podocarps start to appear. The most common is rimu, but miro, kahikatea, and matai are also present. Other broad-leaved species in the canopy include rata, mahoe, kamahi, pigeonwood, hinau, pokaka and pukatea.
Undergrowth is generally richer than at higher altitude too.
Kiekie and supplejack, twist their way upwards, while many small shrubs jostle for light near the forest floor. The coastal forest is lush with many large-leafed glossy plants and vines. The nikau palm gives a subtropical feel to the place in contrast to the cold sea and tight clumps of wiry shrubs bent by the strong, cold, coastal winds. Native bird species readily found include weka, pipit, tui, bellbird, pigeon, and robin. With luck and a bit more commitment it is possible to see, or at least hear the great spotted kiwi, morepork, rock wren, and blue duck.