Tapapakanga
Located just south of Orere Point, beside the Firth of Thames, Tapapakanga takes you back to the world of the early settlers with its isolated beachfront homestead and pohutukawa-fringed coast. This is a costal farm park with sheep and cattle.
As well as its rich Maori and European history this beautiful park offers rolling farmland, a winding stream and expansive coastal view, all within easy reach of Auckland.
The beach is ideal for swimming. Other recreational activities at Tapapakanga include picnics, barbecues, camping, fishing, kayaking, family walks, mountain biking & bird watching
Tapapakanga - a Puku takes its name from a time when the kumara propagation bed belonging to a local chief, Puku, failed.
Park facilities
BBQ
There are wood BBQs available for use near the foreshore. Please bring your own supply of wood. Note: There are no BBQ's available at the Sea View campground. In extreme weather conditions BBQ's may be unavailable for use.
Beaches
The beach is white sand – and a short walk from the car park.
Campervan access
Self contained campervans are able to stay up to 2 nights in the car park. Also 6 sites are available in the Beachfront campsite. When dry can camp in Seaview camp site
Cost per night:
Adult: $10.00
Child: $5.00
Infant: $0.00
Cellphone coverage
Historic homesteads
The Ashby homestead is down near the beach front dating from 1900.
Interpretation
Long drop / vault toilet
Notice board
Parking
Additional parking available for 2000 in top paddocks.
Picnic tables
There are designated picnic sites behind the beach. Groups of 15 or more should book.
Ranger contact phone
Ranger office
Security gates
Toilet block
Unsealed access road
Dogs are not permitted in the camping ground
Dogs are permitted on a leash but prohibited from 1 July – 30 November for lambing.
History
For many centuries Tapapakanga was an important dwelling place for Marutuahu iwi, especially Ngati Paoa and Ngati Whanaunga.
In those days Tapapakanga supported several large kainga (villages) each with extensive kumara and taro cultivation.
Archaeological sites on the park, mainly concentrated around the Tapapakanga Stream and along the coastal strip, include three Maori pa, storage pits (rua), terraces(tuapapa), shell middens (ahu ota ota) and ovens (umu) as well as stone heaps indicating extensive riverside gardens.
The Maori 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 an 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 a family ownership until 1990.
The Auckland Regional Council purchased the last block of land in 1990 and officially opened the park in 1995.
Wildlife
The most common coastal birds are black (torea pango) and South Island (torea) pied oystercatchers, black shags (kawau), pied (karuhiruhi) and little (kawau paka) shags, white-faced herons, black-backed and red-billed gulls (tarapunga) and kingfishers (kotare).
Further inland look for paradise and mallard ducks (putangitangi), pukeko, pheasants, kereru (wood pidgeon), fantails (piwaiwaka), grey warblers (riroriro) and tui. Campers will hear the mellow sound of the morepork (ruru) at night.
Native bush
Large spreading pohutukawa are a highlight of this park's coastline. Inland, much of the park is pasture but many of the steeper slopers have been fenced from stock and manuka and kanuka planted to act as a nursery crop for other native trees as part of a restoration programme for the park.
The best example of remnant native forest on the park is at the northwestern end, where you will discover puriri, taraire, rewarewa, mahoe, tawa and tarata.
Tanguru (Olearia albida), a rare tree daisy up to five metres tall, grows along this part of the coast. Its sweet scented flower heads appear around autumn.
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