page_title: Kitekite Falls
section_title: Local flora and fauna
hierarchical_section_title: Kitekite Falls / Local flora and fauna
caption_attribution_description: English: Waitakere ranges New Zealand long fin eel (Anguilla dieffenbachii) by David Burgess
context_page_description: Kitekite Falls is a scenic 3-tiered waterfall near Auckland, New Zealand. The falls drop a total of 40 metres. From the lookout on Kitekite track the falls appear even higher because there is white water running over rocks into a small pool from the upper swimming hole, then falling down into a large pool, then falling to a small pool before beginning an almost vertical descent in the final 3-tiers, making the total height closer to 80 metres. They are located on the Glen Esk stream near Piha Beach.
context_section_description: It has taken many decades for the young kauri (Agathis australis), known as 'rickers' to regenerate and finally, begin to emerge through the forest canopy again. Many sharp pointed, cone shaped, rickers can be seen from the Kitekite loop track near the falls. At about 100 years old, kauri begin to develop a spreading crown. It is now approaching 100 years since milling stopped. The crowns generally continue to expand for a further 500 years.
  The walk to the falls progresses through an impressive patch of nikau palms where the call of the Tui (bird) is frequently heard from above. Other native plants include silver tree ferns, puriri trees whose red berries attract kereru (native pigeon), and the rangioroa plant (bushman's friend due the soft underside of its broad leaf). The falls have been identified as a site of a rare moss Fissidens rigidulus var. pseudostrictus.
  New Zealand longfin eel, (Anguilla dieffenbachii) hide among the rocks around the base of the falls.
caption: New Zealand long fin eel at the base of the falls.
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