Papamoa Hills Regional Park | |
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Location | Western Bay of Plenty District, Bay of Plenty Region, New Zealand |
Coordinates | 37°43′57″S 176°17′15″E / 37.73250°S 176.28750°E |
Area | 135 ha (330 acres) |
Established | 2003 |
Visitors | 80,000 (in 2016) |
Papamoa Hills Regional Park is a protected area in the Bay of Plenty Region, owned and managed by Bay of Plenty Regional Council. [1] It is located between Papamoa and Te Puke, on Poplar Lane off State Highway 2. [2]
It covers 135 hectares of native bush and open farmland. [3] The landscape consists of steep hills, [3] reaching to a summit of 224 metres with sweeping views of the Bay of Plenty coastline from the Coromandel Peninsula to East Cape. [1] [4]
The area is a traditional home for where Papamoa’s original Māori inhabitants, [2] including Waitaha, Ngā Pōtiki, Ngāti Pūkenga and Ngāti He. [5] [6] Its traditional Māori name is Te Rae o Pāpāmoa, translating roughly as "the forehead of the woman who is the hills". [7]
The park is an operational farm several gates, located behind a Fulton Hogan quarry with regular truck traffic. [7] [1]
There are several walking tracks, all requiring a reasonable level of fitness. [2] These include a 45-minute track from Poplar Lane to the trig station at the summit. [1]
Camping, motorbikes, mountain bikes, horse trekking and fires are banned, and dogs are banned at all times. There is no drinking water supply available in the park. [1] The park and carpark is open during daylight hours, with later closing times during winter. [3]
There are over 2000 archaeological and cultural sites within the park, dating back to 1650, including Te Ihu o Ruarangi Pā and six other pā. [7] [2] [3] [1]
The park was established in 2003 to protect these sites, [2] becoming the first regional park outside the Auckland and Wellington regions. [7] Over 50,000 native plants have been planted on the trees since then. [2]
Visitor numbers quadrupled between 2006 and 2016, when about 80,000 people were visiting the park every year. [7]
An additional 25 hectares were added to the park in 2017. [8]
In September 2020, the summit track was briefly closed for an upgrade. [9]
In December 2020, Bay of Plenty Regional Council approved a concept design for a more substantial upgrade in December 2020, including a new carpark, new amenities, a new entranceway, and signage to explain the site's history and cultural importance. Work was due to start in late 2021. [5] Local iwi and hapū were consulted on and supported the plan. [6]