Paekakariki Pride Parade. Photo: Mark Coote.

Welcome to Paekākāriki!

Welcome to Paekākāriki — we hope this site helps you find your way around. There’s a Paekākāriki map on the notice board by the shops too. Here’s an introduction.

Paekākāriki… to Ngāti Haumia who settled here it was the perch of the kākāriki (green parakeet), some say it’s another name for paradise, it’s even been called The Centre of the Universe. But whatever it’s been called, while you’re here you can call it home.

We’re a small place, nestled between the sea and the hills, bounded to the north by Queen Elizabeth Park, but you’ll find lots to do here. Famous as a beach-holiday destination, we also have many walking and biking tracks, parks, friendly cafes and a pub, shops with free wifi from Groundtruth, organic fruit and veges, a dairy with everything else, local arts, a hairdresser, the railway station museum, and the occasional pop-up surprise as well.

Just past the shops on Beach Road you will find St Peter’s Hall — home to great live gigs, movie nights, monthly markets, and the community bike library.

Turn right, down Wellington Road, and you’ll find our bowling club, library, tennis courts, and Playcentre only a couple of minutes’ walk away.

Further north along Wellington Road there’s Paekakariki School, and running down to the sea on the other side is Campbell Park with sports fields, a children’s playground, skate park and Memorial Hall.

The local Surf Lifesaving Club is at the North end of the beach. And to make sure you’re not caught short out and about, we can tell you there are toilets on the corner of Beach and Wellington Roads, at Campbell Park, and our end of Queen Elizabeth Park, see the map.

At the north end of Wellington Road is the Holiday Park for campers, and Queen Elizabeth Park with trails that will take you past Mackays Crossing – where the WWII US Marines encampment is commemorated, alongside the Tramways Museum – and right through to Raumati. If you want a more challenging hike, try our dramatic and very popular local escarpment section of the New Zealand-long Te Araroa Trail that climbs the hills between here and Pukerua Bay to the south.

Don’t like walking or riding? Grab a ticket at the dairy and jump on a train, heading north to Paraparaumu or Waikanae, or south for the 45-minute trip to Wellington; kick back and relax at the beach listening to Paekakariki.fm – online or at 88.2FM; or grab a beer at the local pub, Finns. If you prefer to make your own fun you can hire St Peter’s, or Memorial Hall on the waterfront.

Here are a few quick links that you might find useful, especially if you’re living here:

There’s heaps more information, stories and links — so look around.

Please let us know if you think anything’s missing, or not working like it should. We are always interested to know how we can make our site more useful.