A wetland reserve across the Wairarapa lakes, set on the shores of Lake Wairarapa and Lake Ōnoke. The area has been a taonga, a treasure, for hundreds of years, and local Māori regard it as a place of great cultural and spiritual value. A collaboration of local groups, mana whenua and agencies is restoring the wetlands, including a project to bring 18 hectares of wet pasture back into connection with Lake Ōnoke. The reserve is a hot spot and migratory pathway for many important and threatened birds, so birdwatchers come for the hides and the lake edges.
Lake Domain has a picnic shelter, a toilet, camping and good vehicle access, and it is the starting point for a 30 to 40 minute loop walk around Boggy Pond, which has a bird hide along the way. Walks also run around Barton's Lagoon and to the Tauherenikau Delta. Further along Western Lake Road, Ōnoke Spit is a wild stretch of sand known for its wind. The website also describes the kākahi, a freshwater mussel that keeps its eggs inside its shell and needs clean water to survive, so the reserve's restoration work matters for the mussels as much as for the birds. Lake Ferry has a hotel that the website recommends for fish and chips.