The Opaheke Reserve in Papakura has a few nice podocarp trees alongside Otūwairoa / Slippery Creek worth a closer look. Amongst a few dozen tōtara up to 4.5 m in girth are a few kahikatea and mataī trees. This tree is the largest of 3 mataī in one part of the reserve. Mataī are now a rarity around the Auckland Isthmus. The tree is located near the creek and nearby is a wetland area where bird species like poaka (pied stilt), weweia (dabchick), white-faced heron and waterfowl are common. There is also a sportsground on the higher ground to the northeast (Barker, K.P., 2022).