Papamoa Hills Regional Park

If you’re in the area and looking for an outdoor adventure, you should check out Papamoa Hills Cultural Heritage Regional Park. The park is one of the first in the country and features expansive views of Tauranga, Papamoa and the Pacific Ocean. Its 135 hectares are filled with walking trails and picnic areas. The park is also home to at least seven Maori pa sites.

Papamoa Hills offers a wonderful walk with unbelievable 360 degree views once you have reached the top. Papamoa Hills has a summit of 224 meters. The walk begins from the carpark at the base, this track leads you through pine forest, native bush and across open farmland along the way.

It’ll take you about 45 minutes to complete this steep walk from the carpark to the trig station but the views are definitely worth the effort. Once at the top, you will be standing 224m above sea level. You will experience breathtaking views overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Papamoa and right along the coastline from Mount Maunganui to Whakatane. These are awesome alternative views from the popular summit of Mauao.

The park is the only regional park in New Zealand’s central city. Visitors will find pre-European archaeological features in the Papamoa Hills, including seven pa sites. In addition to this, the surrounding landscape has several other ancient pa sites. The archaeological features of the region date back to 1650 AD, when the Maoris had control of the Tauranga Moana and the coastal strip down to Maketu.

There are several tracks which allow you to explore this cultural heritage of the park and make the most of the expansive views. Most tracks lead you to each of the seven pa sites within the Park boundary.

Good footwear is recommended as well as a reasonable level of fitness. Most tracks are well-formed and easy to move along. Don’t forget to use sunscreen and wear a hat, particularly in the summertime. The park is also an operational farm, so please leave any gates the way you found them.

Entry to the Papamoa Hills is at the end of Poplar Lane off SH2 between Papamoa and Te Puke. More information about the different walking trails can be found on a display board at the Poplar Lane carpark. Here you will find plenty of car parks and nearby, the entrance to the main track.

This is a wonderful place and walks for people of all ages to explore. The Papamoa Hills Regional Park is open daily from 6:30 am until 7 pm in winter and until 9 pm in summer.