Papamoa Hills Regional Park
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| Papamoa Hills Regional Park | |
|---|---|
 Papamoa Hills from Papamoa | |
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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]