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Remember to be a tidy Kiwi!

All our regional parks are rubbish free. Whether you call it rubbish, trash or garbage, please bag it all up and recycle it or throw it away when you return home.

Important notice

Temporary partial park closure 16 February - Thursday 1 March 2018

Splore Music Festival 23-25 February 2018

The Splore Festival will again be returning to Tapapakanga Regional Park in February 2018. As part of the event, there will be areas of the park closed to the public for the pack in, event and pack down period. These areas will be closed from Friday 16th February - Thursday 1st March 2018 inclusive.

All camping areas will be closed during this period. The nearest campgrounds are at Waharau or Omana Regional Parks, or Orere Point Top10 & Miranda Top10.

These areas will be closed from Friday 16th - Monday 5th March inclusive. Should ground conditions allow, the campground will be reopened earlier but not before Thursday 1st March.

The area closed will be:

The rough triangle north of Derrys Road starting at the parks entrance pou, further defined as per below.
The south boundary being Derrys Road until Tapapakanga Stream and then following Tapapakanga Stream to the lagoon area (including Kaparanui Stream and Tapapakanga Stream SCC campgrounds)
The east boundary being Ashby's Beach.
The west boundary being an approximate line running north-west of the entrance pou across the top paddocks in front of the private dwelling
The north boundary being the northern boundary of the park.

About Splore

Situated in a beguiling bay on the shores of Tapapakanga Regional Park, Splore is a boutique music and arts festival like no other. An entertainment extravaganza and New Zealand's greatest dress up party. We invite you to embrace the theme and join this mindful tribe of party animals!

For event information and ticket sales visit http://www.splore.net

Keep Kauri standing

Kauri dieback is a deadly disease, killing Kauri trees throughout the Auckland region. The Kauri in Tapapakanga regional park are currently healthy, please help us keep it that way.

For more information visit Kauri protection. Also see information about track closures in the Hunua ranges or www.kauridieback.co.nz.

About

Park facilities

Park activities

Tracks

History

About Tapapakanga

An attractive coastal farm park, Tapapakanga has a rich Maori and European history and offers an accessible, pohutukawa edged beach on the western shores of the Firth of Thames. The Tapapakanga Stream winds its way through the park.

Park information

Pedestrian access:	Open 24 hours
Summer gate opening hours:	8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. (Daylight savings)
Winter gate opening hours:	8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. (Non daylight savings)
Distance from CBD:	70 km
Park map:	Click here to download a park map
Physical address:	95 Deerys Road, Orere Point ( off Orere Matingarati Road)
Casual group size:	75

Dog walking restrictions

Dogs are allowed under control on leash on the park between 1 December and 30 June.
Dogs are allowed under control off leash on the associated beach.
Dogs are prohibited on the park between 1 July and 30 November (lambing and calving season).

Click here for information about which regional parks allow restricted dog walking

Key information

How to get to Tapapakanga

Drive south on Highway 1, take the Manurewa off ramp and head for Clevedon. From Clevedon, follow the signs to Kawakawa Bay and on towards Orere Point. Just past Orere Point turn off East Coast Road down Deery Road to the park.

View larger map

Maps

Download park map

Auckland Council GIS viewer

Get directions with Google Maps

Park facilities

Bach Tapapakanga Bach

Camping Beach Front Campground Sea View Campground Waikaha Stream Campground

SCC campgrounds and designated parking areas Kaparanui Stream SCC Campground Tapapakanga SCC parking area Tapapakanga Stream SCC Campground

BBQ

There are gas BBQs available for use along the foreshore. Note: There are no BBQ's available in the Sea View and Beachfront Campgrounds.

Beaches

The beach is white sand – and a short walk from the car park.

Cellphone coverage

Historic homesteads

The Ashby homestead is down near the beach front dating from 1900.

Interpretation

Notice board

Parking

Ranger contact phone

Ranger office

Security gates

Toilet block

Toilets

Unsealed access road

Park activities

Bird watching

Birds you can expect to see include Whiteface heron, oystercatchers, Pied Shag, Black Shag, Tui, Kereru, Fantail and Kingfisher.

Boating

Camping - vehicle based

Dog walking with restrictions

Dogs are allowed under control on leash on the park between 1 December and 30 June.
Dogs are allowed under control off leash on the associated beach.
Dogs are prohibited on the park between 1 July and 30 November (lambing and calving season).

Drones or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

Click here to obatin rules and guidelines for flying UAVs and drones. In particular pay attention to the code of conduct.

Farm animals - viewing

Tapapakanga is a coastal farm park with sheep and cows.

Fishing

Mountain biking

Mountain Bike Track

Picnics

There are designated picnic sites behind the beach. Groups of 15 or more should book.

Sightseeing

Swimming

Tapapakanga has a family swimming beach.

Volunteering

Please contact (09) 536 7012 if you are interested in volunteering on our southern parks.

Walks (1 hour or more)

Walks (less than 1 hour)

Historic Loop Track

Wedding or civil union

Ceremonies are able to be held on the park. A permit is required, contact the Senior Ranger Recreation on (09) 261 8001.

Tracks

Mountain Bike Track 1 hour - 6.9 km This basic route is mostly through farmland, following the yellow waymarkers. Only small sections of the track are on formed surfaces.

Farm Walk 2 hour - 5.9 km Follow the orange waymarkers from the car park up the road before branching off just beyond the cattle stop. This walk takes you through open pasture where sheep and cattle graze, to the highest point of the park.

Historic Loop Track ½ hour - 1.4 km Follow the blue way markers from the carpark. The Historic Loop Track takes you past the pä site and historic stone fields and returns to the car park.

Tapapakanga Coastal Walk 2 hour - 7.4 km Follow the red waymarkers along the coast from the carpark. At high tide, the Täpapakanga Stream, which flows around the impressive Mäori pä, can be difficult to cross. An alternative route heads inland past the pä and rejoins the track.

History

For many centuries Täpapakanga was an important dwelling place for the Marutüahu iwi, especially Ngāti Pāoa and Ngāti Whanaunga.

In those days Tāpapakanga supported several large ka – inga (villages) each with extensive ku - mara and taro cultivation.

Archaeological sites on the park, mainly concentrated around the Täpapakanga Stream and along the coastal strip, include, three Māori pā, storage pits (rua), terraces (tūāpapa), shell middens (ahu ota ota) and ovens (umu) as well as stone heaps indicating extensive riverside gardens.

The Māori relationship to this land is commemorated by two pou whenua (carved posts) at the park entrance. An interesting feature of these carvings is the representation of a European, James Ashby, depicted carrying an axe.
Ashby settled on the land in 1899 and enjoyed a lifelong friendship with the local chief Tukumana Te Taniwha. James and his wife Rebecca built the existing homestead beside the beach in 1900. They raised 14 children on the property, which remained in family ownership until 1990.

The Auckland Regional Council purchased a significant block of land in 1990 and officially opened Tāpapakanga Regional Park in 1995. The park recently increased to 197 hectares when the council purchased an adjoining block of land in 2009.