At 63 kilometres long and with a catchment of 4,100 hectares, the Papakura Stream is a significant freshwater system. Reaching from Brookby in East Auckland to the Manukau Harbour in the West, the stream has seen a lot of change over the years. This area was once covered in indigenous forest, including kahikatea swamp, but most of this habitat has been lost due to agriculture, industry and urban development.