First off, yes! I know I have spelt darling incorrectly but for those of us who lived in Auckland in the 80’s and 90’s Pauanui was, and to some extent still is the playground of the rich and famous. A familiar catch cry could be heard through the suburbs of Remuera and Herne Bay as the weekend drew closer “we are off to Pauanui Dharling” when asked what they were doing. Not being part of the rich and famous crowd meant that our accommodation options were somewhat different. In fact, we intended to stay at one of the two freedom camping sites in the town. Located in the carparks at either end of the beach they are designated North and South.
The North spot, located at the far end of town, is where we attempted to stay back in 2021 before being called back to Auckland. It is well located close to toilets and not too far from the dump station but is on a significant slope, making getting level quite a challenge. We hoped that this time we would be able to find a spot at the southern end which is much flatter and lo and behold, we were in luck. There is official parking here between the two signs for five self contained vehicles with a maximum stay of two nights.
Regular readers of this blog will know that as soon as we are settled we like nothing better than getting out to explore. And so it was here in Pauanui with a walkway up the hill behind the freedom camping area. Signage suggests that it’s an hour and fifteen minutes and one and a half kilometres to the top. What it doesn’t say is that this is all up hill with almost no level ground to catch your breath. Add to that the ground underfoot is covered in tree roots or large stones and its certainly not a “walk in the park.” I would say that on a scale of one to ten for fitness a seven would be a minimum unless you took multiple rest stops on the way up.
Anyway, we made it to the top without either of us expiring on the way up 
. And I must say that the views were spectacular making the climb absolutely worth it. The walk down was obviously a lot less strenuous but still required careful placement of the feet to ensure an even surface. Two and a half hours later we were back at the motorhome slightly exhausted but very happy with the walk.
Once we had recovered and had a bite to eat it was time to explore the beach. Located a short stroll from the freedom camping area. Although it was too cold to go swimming, at least for us. There were plenty of surfers in the water as well as the occasional hardy soul. It’s hard to think of too many places in the north island where you can stay for free next to such a magnificent beach. Even though the posted limited on freedom camping was five vehicles this was exceeded both nights we were there and I hate to imagine what it might be like in summer. Still I had the photo I had taken above that proved when we arrived there was only one other camper here.
After a very restful and quiet nights sleep it was out with the bikes to explore the local bike trail. This was built with the help of Hopper Developments who developed the local waterways and includes the boardwalks over the mangroves. Whilst I like riding on a scenic route like this I always worry about losing my balance and having a rather wet accident. The route is flat with just a couple of gentle slopes to climb or descend and its an easy ride. If somewhat short when just after the six kilometre mark the pathway just ends. There is no signage or anything to say that and it’s all very confusing. We tried riding on through what soon became a swamp and decided against that turning around and heading back the way we came.
I have since read that there are plans afoot to finish the track, including building a bridge over the Tairua river. Construction is expected to start in 2025 subject to the granting of consents. This will then take the extended track to Tairua where if the local ferry is running (and it wasn’t during our visit.) you could then return to Pauanui by boat.
We weren’t ready to finish our time in Pauanui after the second night freedom camping and looked at the NZMCA App to see where else we might stay. It turns out that there is a POP located just a few doors up the road with pre-bookings required. We sent off a text to the listed number and very shortly had a response telling us we were welcome to stay. A small donation towards their AED, which is available to the public, is appreciated. We had barely got our van out of first gear, before it was parked up at the new site, it’s that close.
Out again with the bikes for a big ride around the village. Pauanui is covered in pathways leading from street to street and since it’s so level with little traffic its a pleasure to ride around. We rode past the dump station, which we would use later and were disappointed to discover that there was no water here. There is also a dump station at the Pauanui sports club, where you can stay for $20 per person per night with power. They also have showers , a laundry, water and apparently a very good restaurant and bar according to some people we spoke to. I have also added a photo of the northern end freedom camping, the photo doesn’t show it too well but there is a serious slope to the ground here.
So three nights and days filled with plenty to keep us occupied and a choice of places to stay not forgetting the local campground. Turns out Pauanui isn’t just for the rich and famous but for all of us and a place I recommend as well worth a visit.
To view the places we have visited click here to see them on Google maps. You can then click the link to read the blog about that area.
