Last updated October 2026
Rural Pāpāmoa is the farmland and hill country behind Pāpāmoa Beach, on the inland side of the Te Puke Highway between Tauranga and Te Puke. Its official LINZ name is simply Papamoa, and it sits in the Western Bay of Plenty District, while the busy beach suburb on the coast is a separate official area, Pāpāmoa Beach Suburb.
The landmark here is Te Rae o Pāpāmoa, the Pāpāmoa Hills, whose summit pā sites look out over the whole Bay of Plenty coastline. It is a quiet area of farms and lifestyle properties rather than a town, with shops, schools and services a short drive away in Pāpāmoa Beach or Te Puke. For most visitors the reason to come is the walk up the hills.
Official Suburb Facts
- Population (2023 Census)
- About 4,010, up 351% since 2018
- Land area
- 37.49 km²
- Location
- 13.7 km south-east of central Tauranga
- Council
- Western Bay of Plenty District Council
- Neighbouring suburbs
- Pāpāmoa Beach, Te Puke, Waitao, Kairua
- Main shopping
- None in the area itself. The nearest shopping is in Pāpāmoa Beach and in Te Puke town centre.
- Nearby landmarks
- Pāpāmoa Hills Cultural Heritage Regional Park (Te Rae o Pāpāmoa), Pāpāmoa Beach, Te Puke
Who Lives in Pāpāmoa
About 4,010 residents in 1,260 households. From the 2023 Census, with the New Zealand figure alongside for comparison.
Schools in Pāpāmoa
One school sits inside the Pāpāmoa boundary. It has an enrolment zone, so check an address is in zone before you buy or rent.
Also zoned for Pāpāmoa
Show all 7 zoned schools
Zones change, so confirm with the school before relying on one.
Bin Day in Pāpāmoa
Tauranga City Council sets collection days street by street. Look up your address to get your day and which bins go out.
Find your bin day and what goes in each binStreets in Pāpāmoa
111 streets are in Pāpāmoa. Search any street in Tauranga to see which suburb it is in.
Show all 111 streets in Pāpāmoa
- A
- Akeake Place
- Anawhata Lane
- Anchor Crescent
- Apostle Mews
- Arrow Close
- Atutahi Lane
- B
- Bale Close
- Bell Road
- Belt Lane
- Bill Miller Drive
- Bronze Court
- Brooklyn Street
- C
- Carronade Street
- Central Street
- Chain Place
- Chestnut Lane
- Chrysler Street
- Coolgardie Close
- Crest Way
- Crown Street
- D
- Dexter Way
- Dunkeld Drive
- E
- El Questro Drive
- Empire Crescent
- F
- Farrier Street
- Fetlock Way
- Flatiron Way
- Flaxmill Way
- Fontana Street
- Friesian Way
- Furlong Road
- G
- Garrison Road
- Gold Lane
- Greenwich Street
- H
- Haka Way
- Harlem Lane
- Harp Place
- Hills View Drive
- Hoiho Place
- Holstein Way
- Horopito Way
- Houpara Place
- J
- Jersey Way
- Jewels Lane
- Julie Lane
- K
- Kaitaka Way
- Kanapa Close
- Karo Close
- Kuru Place
- L
- Lance Way
- Latham Drive
- Liberty Street
- Lion Place
- M
- Manaia Place
- Manawa Road
- Manhattan Crescent
- Mercury Lane
- Middle Ridge Road
- Moko Lane
- Monaro Place
- Morepork Way
- N
- Navy Lane
- Nursery Lane
- P
- Pakati Lane
- Parkside Mews
- Parton Road
- Pasture Way
- Pattie Lane
- Pense Place
- Perehia Place
- Plantation Way
- Plate Lane
- Plow Way
- Poplar Lane
- Punga Way
- R
- Rehua Way
- Reid Road
- Retimana Way
- Rockefeller Street
- Rose Lane
- Royal Crescent
- S
- Saddlers Way
- Salers Lane
- Silver Fern Lane
- Soho Lane
- State Highway 2
- Steenson Street
- Stevenson Drive
- Stream Ridge
- Summerhill Drive
- T
- Taioma Close
- Taniko Lane
- Taranaki Lane
- Tauhinu Place
- Te Okuroa Drive
- Te Okuroa Drive
- Te Puke Highway
- Te Puke Quarry Road
- Te Wharo Drive
- The Sands Avenue
- Times Avenue
- Toi Place
- Tractor Way
- Tribeca Lane
- U
- Unicorn Lane
- Union Drive
- W
- Waikiwi Way
- Warlock Way
- Welcome Bay Road
- Wharangi Lane
- Whau Lane
A long road is listed in each suburb it runs through.
Safety and Hazards
Higher than the Tauranga average for the number of people who live here. Busy beaches, town centres and nightlife draw lots of visitors, which lifts the figure. Another 58 reports were at shops and businesses.
Buses from Pāpāmoa
12 bus stops inside the suburb.
Typical weekday daytime frequency.
Weather and Rent at a Glance
City-wide figures.
In Pāpāmoa
Places and businesses inside the official Pāpāmoa boundary.
Places
Businesses
See all businesses in Pāpāmoa
About Rural Pāpāmoa
Most people who say “Pāpāmoa” mean the beachside suburb, which LINZ records as Papamoa Beach.
Most people who say “Pāpāmoa” mean the beachside suburb, which LINZ records as Papamoa Beach. The area this page covers is the official LINZ area called Papamoa: the rural land that rises from the highway to the ridge of the Pāpāmoa Hills. It is governed by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council rather than Tauranga City Council, and it has the feel of the countryside, with farmland, bush and homes on larger blocks.
The hills are known by their traditional name, Te Rae o Pāpāmoa. They are a traditional home of the original Māori inhabitants of the Pāpāmoa area, including Waitaha, Ngā Pōtiki, Ngāti Pūkenga and Ngāti He, and the ridgeline is lined with pā sites, terraces and other archaeological features.
The iwi and hapū involved in caring for the hills work alongside the Bay of Plenty Regional Council through a joint group, Te Uepu.
The best-known part of the area is the regional park on the upper slopes. Established in 2003 to protect the cultural heritage of the hills, it covers about 135 hectares of native bush and open farmland, and it is still run as a working farm. A quarry also operates off Poplar Lane, so expect trucks on the road in to the park.
Daily life for people living here is tied to the towns on either side. Families shop, study and work in Pāpāmoa Beach, Te Puke and Tauranga, and the Te Puke Highway is the main link to all three.
Te Rae o Pāpāmoa: The Pāpāmoa Hills
The Pāpāmoa Hills Cultural Heritage Regional Park is managed by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council.
The Pāpāmoa Hills Cultural Heritage Regional Park is managed by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. The main walk climbs fairly steeply from the Poplar Lane car park to the trig station at 224 metres, through native bush and open farmland, passing the terracing of several pā sites on the way.
The Western Bay of Plenty District Council lists it as about one hour return, and there are six pā sites inside the park boundary. From the summit there are wide views along the coast. For the full walking guide, see our page on Pāpāmoa Hills Regional Park.
The park was closed from 22 January 2026, when heavy rain triggered more than a dozen significant landslides across the site. Parts of it reopened on 3 April 2026: the Pūraho Track and the Karangaumu Track (by an alternative route) from Poplar Lane, and the Summerhills Track from the Summerhill Recreation Farm car park on Reid Road.
The Pāpāmoa, Te Ihu o Ruarangi, Te Hōuāwe and Te Kaingapākura tracks stayed closed because of ongoing damage. Check the Regional Council’s page for the current track status before you go, keep to open tracks, and do not park on the Poplar Lane roadside.
There is no drinking water in the park, so take your own. Dogs, bikes, horses, camping and fires are not allowed. Because the park is a working farm, leave gates as you find them, and note that the car park gate is locked overnight.
Near Pāpāmoa
Just outside Pāpāmoa, within 10 km of its centre, nearest first.
Places
Show 2 more places
Businesses
Explore all Tauranga businesses
Where to Learn More
Bay of Plenty Regional Council: Pāpāmoa Hills: the park managers’ page, with track status, opening hours and park rules.
Western Bay of Plenty District Council: Papamoa Hills Regional Park: directions, walk times and a track map.
Partial re-opening of Pāpāmoa Hills (April 2026): which tracks reopened after the landslides and which stayed closed.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people live in Pāpāmoa?
About 4,010 people lived in Pāpāmoa at the 2023 Census, up 351% since 2018. See Who Lives in Pāpāmoa
What school zones cover Pāpāmoa?
Golden Sands School, Pāpāmoa Primary School, Te Akau ki Papamoa Primary School, Te Manawa ō Pāpāmoa School and 4 more have zones covering part of Pāpāmoa. Zones change, so check an address with the school. See Schools in Pāpāmoa
Which buses serve Pāpāmoa?
Route 2, about every 30 min. There are 12 stops in the suburb. See Buses from Pāpāmoa
Is Pāpāmoa in a tsunami or flood zone?
About 20% of Pāpāmoa is inside the tsunami evacuation zone, and about 30% of its land is in the council's mapped flood areas. A long or strong earthquake means move to high ground or inland straight away. Check a street on the council flood map before you buy. See Safety and Hazards
Are dogs allowed in Pāpāmoa?
Papamoa Hills Park: no dogs. Otawa Reservoir Track: no dogs. See every dog park and walk in Tauranga.
What suburbs border Pāpāmoa?
Is Rural Pāpāmoa the same as Pāpāmoa Beach?
No. Pāpāmoa Beach is the coastal suburb with the shops, schools and housing. Rural Pāpāmoa is the separate official LINZ area inland, covering the farmland and the Pāpāmoa Hills.
Which council looks after Rural Pāpāmoa?
The Western Bay of Plenty District Council. The Pāpāmoa Hills regional park within it is managed by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council.
How long is the walk to the summit?
The main walk from the Poplar Lane car park to the 224 metre trig takes about one hour return. It is fairly steep, so good shoes and a reasonable level of fitness help.
Spotted something incorrect on this page? Let us know.
Explore Tauranga only lists suburbs officially recognised by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), and Pāpāmoa is one of them. Suburb boundary: LINZ, CC BY 4.0.
Sources and data notes 7
- Official Suburb Facts: Boundary, area and neighbours: LINZ, CC BY 4.0. Population: Stats NZ 2023 Census usually resident population, CC BY 4.0, summed from the statistical areas inside the boundary.
- Who Lives in Pāpāmoa: Stats NZ 2023 Census, CC BY 4.0. Figures are summed from the census areas inside the official Pāpāmoa boundary. Percentages are of the people or homes that answered each question; a figure is left out when fewer than 100 answered.
- Schools in Pāpāmoa: Ministry of Education school directory and enrolment zones (CC BY 4.0 and CC BY 3.0 NZ), October 2026.
- Streets in Pāpāmoa: LINZ NZ Addresses road data, CC BY 4.0.
- Safety and Hazards: NZ Police victimisation data, CC BY 4.0, September 2025 to August 2026 (crimes inside homes are only published for burglary); Bay of Plenty Regional Council tsunami evacuation zone (October 2025); Tauranga City Council flood risk map (depth 300 mm or more) and Western Bay of Plenty District Plan flood hazard areas.
- Buses from Pāpāmoa: Bay of Plenty Regional Council Baybus timetable data, CC BY 4.0.
- Weather and Rent at a Glance: NIWA climate averages 1991-2020 (via Figure.NZ); Tenancy Services rental bond data (MBIE), CC BY 4.0, September 2025 to August 2026.