Tawharanui Regional Park

Image © of Alastair Jameson, Auckland Regional Council.

Tawharanui Regional Park is an Open Sanctuary with a beautiful mix of farm and forest, complemented by a wonderful coastline and surf beach, part of which is protected as a Marine Park (and later possibly to become a formal Marine Reserve).

Mature native bush on the Park contains puriri, kauri and nikau palms. Large stands of maturing kanuka and manuka are evidence of a major regeneration programme. The New Zealand dotterel nests in dunes on the northern coast.

The park is surrounded by sea on all but one side and offers panoramic views of the Hauraki Gulf, Kawau and Little Barrier islands.

The Art in the Woolshed exhibition of paintings, sculpture and ceramics by local artists is organised biennially (every alternate year) by TOSSI. It has now been held on three occasions at the Tawharanui Woolshed (at the main park entrance) with the most recent and highly successful exhibition being held in March 2006. All of the artworks on display are usually for sale with proceeds going towards TOSSI and the Open Sanctuary project. Artists interested in being involved in the upcoming 4th biennial exhibition (March 2008) should contact the 2008 Exhibition Co-ordinator Helen Crosby at 09 422-9936.

Opening Hours

Opens: Daily 6am

Closes: Daily 9pm (summer) 7pm (winter)

Distance from Auckland
90km (Approx 90 minutes)

Getting to Tawharanui
From Auckland, head north on the Northern Motorway (State Highway 1) to Warkworth. At the second set of traffic lights, turn right and follow the signs through to Matakana. After going through Matakana village, turn right at the Omaha/Point Wells/Tawharanui turn-off. Then take a right turn at the 'Provence' vineyards roundabout out to the Takatu Peninsula. Head along Takatu Road and follow the signs out around the Kawau Bay coastline to the Park (around 20 minutes).

Park Map
Click on the 'thumbnail' image below for a detailed PDF map (496kb) of Tawharanui Regional Park. Once downloaded the map can be 'zoomed' down to individual walking tracks.


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Take the following link to download a copy of the free reader.

Camping

Tawharanui has a large campground holding up to 260 people. You must book early if you want to get into this extremely popular campground in the peak summer months. Contact the ARC at 09-366-2000 for booking enquiries. See also New Zealand Camping

Overnight parking

A limited number of self-contained camper-vans are permitted to stay for up to two nights in the designated parking area.

Walking

Tawharanui has been the favoured park for many New Zealanders and overseas visitors - you can also experience all that Tawharanui has to offer! Tracks range from one to three hours, over pasture, through native bush or along the diverse coastline. You could also try one of the Mystery Walks - pick up a pamphlet from the information hut near Anchor Bay. An excellent resource for walkers and trampers can be found at the NZ Tramping Tracks website. Two separate walks have been added to their website

1. The Tawharanui Ridge Walk and

2. The Tawharanui Beach Walk

Swimming

The northern coast is a surf beach, and is said to be one of Auckland's best white sandy beaches. Enjoy the surf but take care - think safe and be water safe. Watch your young ones near the water.

History of the Tawharanui and Takatu Area

Tawharanui has a long history of human occupation. Maori enjoyed its rich variety of marine and forest resources for over 1000 years. It was later farmed until purchase as a Regional Park in 1973. During this time shingle was quarried from the land, creating the Jones Bay Lagoon. Some of the shingle was used in the construction of the Auckland Harbour Bridge. There are numerous historical articles from a variety of contributors in the archived section (Special Articles) towards the end of the 'TOS' section of this website.

Farming at Tawharanui

Sheep and cattle grazing helps to keep the ridgetops of the park open for walking and the spectacular views of the northern Hauraki Gulf. The farming leases also provide a source of extra revenue for the Auckland Regional Council.

Further information

If you need any further information on the park contact the ARC at 09-366-2000 or check out the ARC website at www.arc.govt.nz