Tawharanui Regional Park Camping- Complete Guide 2022 (Updated 2023)
Tawharanui Regional Park is an amazing day trip to take in Auckland and the best place for stargazing at night in Auckland. There are a lot of things you can do here, from swimming, surfing, and hiking, to even witnessing the national treasure wild kiwis!
This is also one of the best places I’ve been to camp in Auckland, New Zealand, it has a beach, many hiking trails, and an amazing night sky. And it is only around an hour’s drive from Auckland city, which is suitable for a weekend getaway. Also, a perfect stopover for your road trip up to Northland.
I’ve been here a few times, specifically for kiwi spotting as I’ve mentioned in my other post. My friend dragged a group of friends here to see the wild kiwis, and I have to say I really enjoyed it. We were quite lucky to witness some kiwis crossing the path right in front of us 🙂 And another time is to come here for camping, I’ve explored more of this place as I had more time this time round. I did a few different trails and walked along the Tawharanui Peninsula.
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How to get to Tawharanui Regional Park
Tawharanui Regional Park is an hour’s drive from Auckland CBD and close to the Matakana town center. The entry is free, and the pedestrian access is open 24 hours; however, please note that the gate for driving is only open during a certain time period.
6 am-9pm- Daylight Saving (Last Sunday of September- First Sunday of April)
6 am- 7 pm- Non-Daylight Saving (First Sunday of April- Last Sunday of September)
The road leading up to the main Regional Park is amazing, you’ll have a view of the Tawharanui Peninsula. On a clear day, the water is so blue and clear, it’ll make you want to get out of the car and take some tourist pictures haha. I took the photo when there was no car around, always look out and be respectful if there’s a car passing!
If you’re only here for a day trip, there is plenty of designated public parking in the park. This Regional park is quite big, so download the map here and figure out where you want to go, and park at the nearest convenient parking!
For people who are camping, follow the map to the campground and you’ll have to pass by a locked gate (which you’ll get the code via email once you book a camping spot).
Things to do at Tawharanui Regional Park
Explore the Tawharanui beaches
There are 4 beaches at the park, and the most famous one is Anchor Bay. Many people go surfing here, I’m not the best judge of the wave as I don’t personally surf. But seeing so many people here, I’d assume that it has a decent wave 🙂
Walk along the beaches, and explore some caves at the beach. Go for a swim, make some sand castles, or just lie there for some sun! You can easily spend half a day here.
Walk some trails
There are a lot of different trails for you to choose from, suitable for different ages and fitness levels. If you have downloaded the map, you could see it clearly marked there. Just note that the trails can be a bit confusing, each trail has a represented color so follow the colored wood along the trails.
Spot some wild kiwi birds
If you know anything about New Zealand, you would know that kiwis are NZ’s national icon. They are flightless birds and have long beaks. I was lucky enough to spot kiwis here on my first try, they come out at night. You’d have to be very quiet and only use a red light torch.
Stargazing at night
It is truly a magical activity to do, simply look up to the sky and enjoy the hundreds of millions of stars above you. It is for sure one of the best places in Auckland for stargazing!
Camping at the Tawharanui Campground
Non-flush toilet
Water taps (Untreated)
Beach access
Fire ban at all times
The Tawharanui Campground is a large open area, which is situated in the Tawharanui Regional Park. You will need to book your camping spot online here, there’s no allocated spot. It’s a first come first served base, so try to come early and secure a nice spot 🙂
It has very basic facilities, like non-flush toilets, and water taps. There are a few non-flush toilets within the campground. Each area has one, so the walk from any camping spot to the toilet shouldn’t be too far away.
The campground has easy access to the beach and the tracks in the park. You will get emailed a pin code to enter the campground. (There is a wooden gate you need to get through)
It is a very basic campground, so you will need to bring almost everything. Check out here for a full camping guide in NZ 🙂 The campground gets very dark at night, so bring a flashlight and head torch!
I really loved camping here, it’s very secluded and it’s a big open area so you don’t feel cramped at all; even though there were a lot of people there! One thing to note is that the birds are quite noisy in the morning, so be prepared, just think of it as a natural alarm clock haha!
What to pack for your trip to Tawharanui Regional Park
Overnight Camping at Tawharanui Regional Park
- Tent/ Campervan
- Sleeping bag
- Travel pillow (Optional)
- Inflatable Mattress (Highly Recommended)
- Extra blanket (For comfort during colder seasons)
- Flashlight
- Camping chairs and table
- Portable Gas Stove/ BBQ
- Utensils
- Cooking pans/pots
- Chilly Bin (Recommended if you’re buying fresh produce, especially during warmer seasons)
- Ice Bricks (To put in the chilly bin and keep the food even fresher)
- Pair of slippers (For convenience)
- Pair of good walking shoes
- Swimsuit
- Towels
- A light jacket (It gets colder at night)
Day Trip to Tawharanui Regional Park
- Swimsuit
- Change of clothes
- Beach towels
- Packed food for picnic
- Good pair of walking shoes
- Pair of sandals/ slippers
- Snorkelling gear (Optional)
- Surfing gear (If you’re a surfer)
- Red Torchlight (For kiwi spotting)
If it’s your first time camping, it will feel a bit overwhelming to decide what to bring and what not. It is totally normal, there’s no harm in bringing too much as you’d be driving anyway. And with the Tawharanui Campground, you can park your car right next to the tent.
The more you camp, the easier the packing process will become. Everyone packs differently, you’ll slowly find out what things you can’t go without while camping 🙂
What other things to do near Tawharanui Regional Park
Matakana Village
15 minutes drive from Tawharanui Regional Park
Visit Matakana, it’s only a 15 minutes drive from the Tawharanui Regional Park. The town is famous for its Saturday Farmer’s market, vineyards, and some amazing food shops and cafes.
Visit the Sculptureum: For art lovers, and wine lovers; this is where you’d want to be!
Saturday Farmer’s Market: Open year-round Saturdays 8 am-1 pm. They have live music, cute food stalls, and a playground for kids to enjoy!
Sheepworld
30 minutes drive from Tawharanui Regional park
Near Warkworth
Cheap activity
It is an immersive farmyard experience, suitable for all ages. Interested to know what sheep farms around New Zealand are doing? This is a good place to start 🙂 They have live shows and feeding times!
I finally went there in 2023, it was such a cute little farm where you can hand feed the alpacas, sheeps, piggys and rabbits etc. Take some pictures with an alpaca friend while you’re there, they’re so cute and kind of ruthless (one just sneezed on us so hard lol)
Explore Goat Island
30 minutes drive from Tawharanui Regional Park
Water Activities
It is a marine reserve, therefore it means fishing, and destroying any cultural or natural resources is prohibited. Because of this, the underwater life would be very amazing, and you won’t need to swim far to see many creatures 🙂
Cruise to Kawau Island
Cruise or Water Taxis
Departs from Sandspit (a 10-minute drive from Matakana)
Take a cruise to one of the largest islands in Hauraki Gulf, and get away from the city hustle-bustle. It is a hidden gem that can offer you complete serenity, and peace. Grab your snorkel gear, picnic, or just simply relax on the bay doing nothing.
Pay a visit to the Mansion House, a historical building with antique furnishings.
Please note that opening hours and cruise times are different between seasons. Check here for more information
Summary of Tawharanui Regional Park Camping
It is truly an amazing place to spend a night or two camping, I was so excited to camp here. And when I did, my excitement was fulfilled 🙂 There’s so much to do in the regional park, or even doing nothing is amazing as well. Simply relax on the beach, in your tent/campervan; Listening to the birds chirping, and waves crashing.
Camping is one of my favorite activities on the weekend, it is a good way to destress, and relax after a week of work. Especially since I love connecting with nature, and unplugging from the city life!
Hope you all find camping relaxing, and enjoyable! Let me know below if you’ve been to the Tawharanui Regional Park, or camped there. And what do you think?
