Waitawa Regional Park is 188ha of coastal parkland located 13km east of Clevedon.
A tribal homeland for Ngāti Pāoa and Ngāi Tai, the park boasts the best example of a headland pā in the Auckland region, largely unchanged from when it was last occupied as a fortress.
From the 1950s, the land was used for storing and manufacturing explosives. The wharf, buildings used for storing explosives and a test cell are reminders of this industrial past.
Waitawa was purchased in 2004 with Auckland's future recreation needs in mind and is the first regional park to open since Auckland Council was established. Visitors can walk, swim, kayak, mountain bike, horse ride and fish at the park, as well as enjoy stunning views of the Hauraki Gulf.
More info
- Clevedon-Kawakawa Road, 53km south of central Auckland
- Mountain-biking, walking and horse-riding trails
- Park open 6am-9pm (daylight saving) and 6am-7pm (non-daylight saving)
