Final piece of regional park slots into place

A large section of land with rolling farmland and coastal views has been bought by authorities to complete a regional park south of Auckland.

The 27 hectare area, connected to Tapapakanga Regional Park and an hour's drive from central Auckland, was bought for $1,050,000 by Auckland Regional Council.

Parks and Heritage committee chairwoman Sandra Coney said the move protected the area from development and completed a larger regional park by filling in space between two ARC sites.

Ms Coney said that the disconnected "wings" of Tapapakanga meant that people largely stayed on one side of the park without realising that the other side existed. She said visitors would be able to move more seamlessly across a much greater area.

"It increases the scale of the park, providing longer walks and more views."

The park covers 197 hectares. The coast is lined with pohutakawa, and a homestead sits near the shore. It is known as a swimming spot, and has opportunities for camping, kayaking, mountain biking and picnics with a view to the Firth of Thames.

The park is also the site of the biennial Splore music and arts festival.

The property has a three-bedroom residence and a number of other buildings. These will be assessed to see whether they are appropriate for use for park purposes, including as an accommodation option in the ARC's Bach Escapes.

Ms Coney said there was a risk that someone could have built close to the shoreline on the property, effectively splitting the park in the middle.

ARC bought the last block of land at Tapapakanga in 1991 and opened the park in 1995. The first 120 hectares were bought from the King family in 1979 and the balance from the Ashby and Hicks families in 1990 and 1991.