Ōakura is about a 15-minute drive from New Plymouth. It’s a rather small beach town (as of June 2024, it had a population of only 1,720 people) but we found it to be quite charming, and being right on the Northern Coast, it was a great place for us to settle in while we explored the Taranaki region.
This was another Home Exchange for us, and we shared many messages and a few video calls with the family we exchanged with in the months leading up to our trip. Since they had lived in Ōakura for a few years, they shared a few tips and helped us get a sense for the place before we visited.
After a somewhat stressful time trying to find a ride* from the New Plymouth Airport to the home in Oakura, we found a local van/shuttle service and had a great chat with the driver about the area as we made our way to the home. He apologized for the road quality which was surprising, and we assured him they seemed totally fine to us! Being from Colorado we’re used to roads that can sometimes be pretty sketchy since snow plows and extreme temperatures wreak havoc on asphalt.
* Pro-tip: Use one of the local van services instead of a taxi or Uber from the airport… much easier for a larger group like ours.
When we arrived, we settled in to the home and looked around the place. There was plenty of room for the five of us, a small lemon tree in the back yard (which made delicious ice water and lemonade on those hot summer days) and a heated outdoor shower for rinsing sandy feet after a day at the beach. Perfect!
Another great feature of this home? It was literally just a five-minute walk to the beach! So, we threw on our sandals, grabbed some beach towels and started walking.
We didn’t stay long (a long travel day meant we were all getting hungry), but enjoyed seeing the black sand and gentle surf. We found New Zealand beaches in general to be less crowded than we expected and the Ōakura Beach was no exception.
The Beach
The beach in Ōakura is… perfect. Black sand, a cool freshwater inlet and easy access made this the perfect place for us to unwind. The black isn’t too crowded, and I’m pretty sure every time we were there we saw multiple lifeguards and a designated swimming zone. The surf is gentle and while we did see some pretty big waves during one particularly windy day, the kids had a blast swimming and boogie boarding (we rented from Vertigo Surf Shop). There are only two things to watch out for at this beach: first, there was quite a lot of driftwood scattered across the sand and second, because the sand is black it gets HOT in the sun!
Food in Ōakura
The first place we ate in Ōakura was called Butler’s Reef and maybe it’s because we were all really hungry, but I remember the dinner here was so, so good. I ordered the Fish and Chips and found them to be just as good as the Fish ‘n’ Chips I ordered in London a few years ago. Be sure to order the mushroom sauce if you have the option. I wish I had taken some photos of the food there! We actually went back here late at night to sit in their bar area (they were hosting live music out back) and ordered some fries and calamari.
Since we had a nice kitchen and quite a few days ahead of us, we stocked up on some groceries at the Woolworths, a.k.a. “Countdown” (we’re not sure why it’s called that). It was easy to find delicious options for all of us, and most of the products – this is true for most of New Zealand – were made in New Zealand. So, we bought some local meat, high-quality milk, local produce, and some basics.
One of the best restaurant views in Ōakura is hands-down the Black Sand Pizzeria & Bistro which has a front-row seat to the ocean and beautiful sunsets. Their pizza is pretty awesome too, but you really need to try the Panne Frito which is a fried pizza bread with a garlic dip. So delicious!
We had a few other notable food experiences in Ōakura: Dawn (next to Serial Griller, for coffee and brunch), Ōakura Meat Co & Fine Foods (a local butcher shop where we picked up some local steaks and sausages), High Tide Cafe (small, but lively coffee shop), Surf’n Sip Coffee (a coffee trailer just across the street from the beach). There aren’t too many options in Ōakura, but we enjoyed having some options, especially for coffee and brunch.
Matekai Park
One of the coolest hidden parts of Ōakura is Matekai Park (or what we referred to as “Central Park”). It’s not easy to find because it’s nestles between homes and in a valley, but it’s a really beautiful walk with plenty of trees and birds guiding you along the trails.
This park is a great place to get lost in for 30 minutes, or you can use it as a shortcut from the upper road down to the main beach road. It’s very quiet and I don’t think we saw another person on the trails there even though we walked the park several times.
Five minutes from Ōakura…
There are three places just five minutes from Ōakura that are worth mentioning: a forest trail system, a milk stand, and a winery with an awesome view.
Lucy’s Gully Picnic Ground
One day while driving south from Ōakura, we decided to take a quick detour on a whim to something called Lucy’s Gully Picnic Ground. I know, this doesn’t sound like a trail system at all, but after turning left on to the narrow road, and making our way up to the main parking area, we were amazed by the forest we suddenly found ourselves in the middle of.
What we didn’t realize, is this “picnic grounds” is actually kindof a back door to Edgmont National Park – the same park where Mt. Taranaki is the main feature! We didn’t hike very far on these trails (we were hoping to come back with water and proper shoes), but signs here seemed to indicate many, many kilometers of trails to explore.
Beach Road Milk Co.
The second place we found interesting was a roadside milk stand. Yes, you read that right: a little shed on the side of the road that serves up raw milk and local products.
We passed the Beach Road Milk Co. at about 100km/h quickly found ourselves turning around to make our way back. Just a few hundred meters away from the main road is this little, unassuming shack building with ample parking and a field full of cows right next to it.
We weren’t sure what to expect, but after walking inside we saw lots of fresh, local produce, candles, breads and honey. Oh, and milk. If you do stop by, just beware that the milk vending machine is really confusing. We had to ask a local to help us out, but after paying, we did end up coming home with 3 liters of delicious, local milk.
Okurukuru Winery
One thing New Zealand is known for is wine. There are many climates and varied terrain in the country (particularly on the South Island) and each area results in unique flavor profiles in the grapes. We had passed by Okurukuru winery many times during our stay in Ōakura, but we didn’t actually stop by until the last week of our time there. We weren’t sure what to expect, but we were surprised by the location (the view of the ocean is spectacular) and the number of grape varieties they were growing on site.
It was a last-minute decision to stop here (and the kids were hungry), so I actually didn’t take any pictures of the wine. However, I did get some great shots of the view from the outdoor patio & tasting area. We ordered a flight of wines, with four out of five of the grapes grown on site. The drive to the main building is really beautiful and it’s a great place to take in the view as you meander through vine after vine.
Our take
We really enjoyed our time in Ōakura. A big part of this was having such a nice home to stay in (a Home Exchange) which was only minutes from the beach and some nice coffee shops. If you like a slow pace of life in a small surf town but want access to wild beaches, forests and a volcano, this is the perfect spot. While we walked the streets we saw beautiful homes, cute little gardens and lots of people out and about, enjoying themselves.
Would we move to Oakura? Maybe some day! Our kids are older though, and we could easily see how this would feel a little small for them.
We really loved Ōakura, and would love to come back!