Te Ārai Regional Park sits on 78ha of coastal headland on the northeast Rodney coast.
The park features magnificent views of Pākiri Beach, Mangawhai Heads, Sandspit and Tomarata Lakes.
It has dune lake ecosystems, wetlands, a coastal broadleaf forest and regenerating forest over most of its area.
The full name of the parkland is Te Ārai o Tahuhunuiarangi (the shelter of Tahuhu) and it was the pā of the founding ancestor of Ngai Tahuhunuiarangi.
Te Ārai has pristine white-sand beaches popular with surfers and swimmers.
It’s home to several endangered species of birds, including the New Zealand fairy tern and the northern New Zealand dotterel.
