Tawharanui Regional Park

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Slice of Paradise in New Zealand Tawharanui Regional Park is an absolute gem! 🌿 The drive in itself is beautiful, with rolling hills and coastal views, but the real magic starts once you arrive. The combination of golden sandy beaches, crystal-clear water, and lush native bush makes it feel like you’re stepping into a postcard. The walking tracks are well-maintained, with options for all fitness levels—from peaceful coastal strolls to slightly more challenging bush walks. Along the way, you’ll spot native birds thanks to the predator-free sanctuary—tui, fantails, and even the occasional kiwi if you’re lucky! 🐦 The beach is stunning—perfect for swimming, surfing, or simply relaxing on the sand. If you love photography, sunrise here is absolutely worth waking up for. There are clean facilities, picnic spots, and plenty of space to spread out, so even on busy days it never feels overcrowded. It’s the perfect place to escape the city, reconnect with nature, and just breathe. Highly recommended for families, couples, and solo explorers alike. Me and my husband go to place whenever we get time love this park ❤️

Beautiful large campsite in protected wildlife area. Short walk to beach. Lots of birdlife and birdsong - love hearing that!! Clean composting toilets. Drinking water on tap. You will need to book and pay online to get access code for gate. Would definitely be back if up this way again.

A summer paradise! Beautiful white sand beaches, clear blue water, and fantastic coastal walks. Perfect for swimming, picnics, and enjoying the outdoors. The wildlife, including native birds, is a highlight. A must-visit Auckland destination for a relaxing beach day or scenic hike. Make the trip, its worth it

Nice scenic hiking/picnic/surfing spot. You probably need to allot a day so you can explore the whole park. Will definitely come back here to explore the other hiking trails.

I was blown away by the beauty of the beach, the white sand and crystal clear water. we came here just before sunset so didn’t get enough time to explore. Kids loved to run around on the beach, climbed the rock and draw in the sand. We will definitely come back for trails and kiwi spotting at night, thinking of camping here in the summer time. For me, this is by far the most beautiful and magical beach around Auckland.

Beautiful place with extra green rolling hills, incredible cliffs and a very vibrant ocean. The cattle wandering across the area creates some beautiful photos. We did the north/south coast hike with all of the viewpoints included. Beware that the elephant rock track was not maintained at all.

What a special spot to visit, beautiful beaches and some fantastic walks. Go slow, enjoy the scenery and do a bit of birdwatching we saw many species of birds including the Kaka, Kereru, Whitehead Popokatea, Dotterel, Bellbirds, Pateke, and the very common Tui. If you are heading back to Auckland you could consider a visit to the Puhoi pub for a refreshing drink.

Tawharanui is an epic regional Park to visit. For camping and vanlife you can book a site near the beach or if it's full (as we found) we parked at the car park until late (to go Kiwi spotting) and then relocated outside the gate at about 11pm. Back to the park and beach at 6am when the gate opened. Beach is awesome, caves to explore, hills to climb, white sand and surf. Hard to beat in NZ. Facilities are the cleanest and most well appointed of any regional Park in NZ I would say. May not have showers there though. Kiwi spotting... Go after dark, can use a red light or a normal light. The cool kids use red. We followed paths through the bush to no avail, then when we were fairly lost, went up a path to the field above the bush and look and behold, there was a kiwi in the field. We could actually get quite close. After following this guy around, we found we were surrounded by kiwis in the open field. So you've heard it here first - go to the open fields. This is a fabulous place to visit for a day, or stay a few days!

If I had to pick a favourite day trip out of Auckland there's a high chance that Tawharanui would be it. It has the most beautiful beach, large enough for everyone to spread out over busy summer weekends but small enough to still feel intimate and easy enough to find friends who've had the same idea as you! You can walk out past the first bay and there is a huge stretch of beach - more popular with the surfers as the break is bigger on this side. If sunbathing and lazing isn't your thing, there are plenty of walks and wildlife in the regional park, and you can even camp here (something I've never done but is on my bucket list). Looking forward to plenty of day trips next summer already!

I'd been in Auckland for precisely two weeks when my friends insisted one hot hungover Sunday that they were going to drive me to Tawharanui beach for a day of sunbathing. Sit in a car for over an hour? On a boiling hot day? With a hangover? I still can't believe they managed to talk me into it...But I'm oh so glad they did. Tawharanui is without a doubt my favourite out of Auckland day trip. The beach is just gorgeous with perfect white sand, big crashing waves and lots of caves at the side you can explore. It literally makes the inner city beaches pale in comparison. Stop in Matakana for ice-cream or a meal on the way there or back. Load up a cool box with beer and sit and take in the amazing view. Tip: it gets really packed on sunny days so head there early to secure a good spot. Also, not drinking the night before will help to uphold your enthusiasm for the journey.

Tawharanui is a small piece of paradise that I've been lucky enough to grow up next to. I've spent many a summers day in the waves at Anchor Bay or picnicking under the pines along the coast. We love it so much we even spend every second Christmas at the campground. It's a magic place for me and if you're visiting the area would be my first recommendation. It's a bit of a drive out there, and the last part of road is treacherous, so plan to stay the day. The whole area is a Regional Park and is protected by DOC. There is a state or the art predator fence around the park, and animals (dogs included) are strictly forbidden. Part of the park is still an operational farm and there are many walking tracks over it. My favourite is the 'ecology trail' which is an easy walk through a beautiful piece of regenerated bush. You can continue up over the hills for some stunning views. The beach is bigger and less busy than others in the area, and there is decent swell for surfers (or boogey boarders like me). Tawharanui is the perfect day trip, or if you have time, summer camping trip.

A popular escape for Aucklanders, Tawharanui is usually buzzing on a fine weekend. It is an easy drive from Auckland and is a great swimmer's beach. It is only about an hour from the Supercity. There is plenty of parking, which is particularly useful when there are large crowds. The beach is just big enough for a bit of breathing room on busy days, while small enough you are able to easily find friends. There are plenty of beaches nearby also if Tawharanui proves to be too crowded. If the group is a mix of surfers and swimmers, as it were with us, the numerous beaches nearby provide other options for surfers, who favour less crowded places and better waves, whereas the swimmers might as well stick to where the crowds are, with Tawharanui being a swimmer's paradise anyway.

This place is amazing! Would definitely go if you are a surfer, great waves, never had one incident and I come here almost every weekend in the summer, by far my favourite beach!