The boat was the main outlet to civilisation for the settlers who were mostly male bachelors and it was easier for them to eat stale bread brought up by the boat weekly than to make it themselves. It also brought mail and took cream back to Kopu which took four hours. The rivers were a major lifeline for the plains in the early days and they are still a part of everyday life, though not nearly as much as they used to be. Industries Dairy farming Dairy farming is the most important industry on the Hauraki Plains, providing the most income for the region. The sizes of dairy farms range from around 100 cows to over 500. 66% of the total land area of the plains is used in dairy farming. This equates to 779.34 km2 of land. Other farming Although dairy farming is the main industry it is not the only farming industry. Sheep and dry stock farming are beginning to catch on with farmers. There is still the demand for wool and meat, which the Hauraki Plains region helps to provide. An ostrich farm has been developed near Turua which deals in tourism, meat sales and gifts. Education There are primary schools in Ngatea, Kaihere, Pipiroa, Waitakaruru and Turua. Secondary education options include Hauraki Plains College in Ngatea, Paeroa College, and Thames High School. Wetlands conservation In the 1840s an estimated 1100 km2 of wetland covered the lower Waikato area and Hauraki Plains. Since then 85 to 90% of New Zealand wetlands have been lost. The Department of Conservation (DOC) estimates of wetlands that remain in the Waikato are around 320 km2, approximately 25% of their original area. This figure includes Whangamarino (5,130.35 hectares), and Kopuatai Peat Dome (9,238.44 hectares). Roughly 80% of New Zealand's remaining wetlands are in areas across the Waikato region, mostly within the Waikato, Matamata-Piako and Hauraki Districts. Five of New Zealand's wetlands are listed on the International Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar sites); there are three of them in the Waikato Region: Kopuatai Peat Dome Whangamarino Wetland Firth of Thames estuary Kopuatai Peat Dome At 9,238.44 hectares, the Kopuatai Peat Dome is New Zealand's largest unaltered restiad peat bog, and is also globally unique. The area is protected by the Wetland Management Reserve under the Conservation Act 1987 and is managed by the Department of Conservation. Fifty four species of birds