Ahukawakawa Swamp

The Ahukawakawa Swamp is an area of sphagnum bog in Egmont National Park in the Taranaki Region of New Zealand.

[5] This alpine wetland is of interest to botanists because "its wide range of plants have adapted to acidic soils at very low temperatures.

"[2][3][4] Sedges, herbs, grasses and mosses make up the ground cover on the floor of the wetland and the divaricating shrub Melicytus drucei is endemic to the area.

Small bodies of open water towards the east end of the swamp contain the pond weed Potamogeton suboblongus and the New Zealand sub-species of the milfoil Myriophyllum pedunculatum.

[8] The Pouakai Circuit, a 2–3 day 25 km tramp that has two overnight huts available, passes through "the unique Ahukawakawa Swamp" via a boardwalk.

Mt Taranaki drainage system. Ahukawakawa Swamp is visible to the left of the summit of Mount Taranaki and the upper canyon of the Stony River can also be seen to the west.
Red tussock grasses in the Pouakai Range