Tāpapakanga Regional Park

About

Tāpapakanga Regional Park is a regional park situated in the Auckland Region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located in Franklin, east of Kawakawa Bay, and is owned and operated by Auckland Council.

The park is a mix of farmland, coastal bush and beach, overlooking the Firth of Thames. The native bush remnants include taraire, tānekaha, tawa and rewarewa trees. The park is a known hotspot where the coastal tree species tanguru ( Olearia albida ) occurs.

The land was an important place for the Marutūāhu iwi of the Hauraki Gulf, in particular Ngāti Whanaunga, and it was a traditional area for stonefield gardening. In 1899, settler James Ashby settled on the land, building a kauri homestead with his wife Rebecca in 1900. Ashby developed a lifelong friendship with Ngāti Whanaunga chief Tukumana Te Taniwha. Two pou are found in the regional park, one of which features a carving of James Ashby.