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Park Activities

BBQ
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BBQ

There are electric and wood barbecues available, bring your own wood or buy from the park ranger.

9 out of 10

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Farm animals
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Farm animals

Omana has chickens, pigs, rabbits for children to come and see. During lambing there is the opportunity to feed the lambs. Contact 09 536 6007 to check the feeding times.

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Dogs
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Dogs

Dogs are allowed on the beach at Omana in winter but prohibited from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm during daylight saving time (summer). Dogs are prohibited from the farmed areas, campsites and picnic areas.

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Swimming
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Swimming

Omana beach is suitable for swimming and is more attractive at high tide. Oysters grow on the rocks so wear shoes to protect your feet.

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Kayaking
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Kayaking

You can launch your kayak from the beach or boat ramp at Omana Esplanade. Kayaking is best at high tide.

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Bird watching
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Bird watching

You'll probably see pied oystercatchers, shags and kingfishers. Inland you might see tui, tiny grey warbler and fantail.

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Beaches
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Beaches

There is access down to the beach at the entrance to the park. The rest of the park is up on cliff tops.

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Education
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Education

Omana offers seashore education programmes. Contact 09 536 7012 for bookings and enquiries.

10 out of 10

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Volunteering
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Volunteering

Please contact 09 536 7012 if you are interested in volunteering on our Southern Parks.

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Weddings
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Weddings

Ceremonies are often held on the park especially up at the pohutukawa trees on the cliff edge. A permit is required, contact the Senior Ranger Recreation on 09 292 4823.

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Walks (Less than 1 hour)
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Walks (Less than 1 hour)

Take a stroll through the rural setting of Omana and find native forest, coastal views and a Maori pa site.

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Tracks

Farm Walk
10 minutes / 0 km
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Farm Walk

Walk
Time: 10 minutes
Distance: 0 km

A gentle stroll across a rural setting.

Pram friendly: No

Perimeter Walk
60 minutes / 2 km
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Perimeter Walk

Walk
Time: 60 minutes
Distance: 2 km

This walk will take you through native forest, tidal estuaries with mangrove, open paddocks, coastal views, pohutukawa tress and a Maori Pa site.

Pram friendly: No

Print view

Omana

Omana Regional Park lies on a gently contoured knoll from which visitors can enjoy expansive views of the inner Hauraki Gulf.

Located south east of Auckland city, between Beachlands and Maraetai, Omana is an ideal family park with a shelly beach offering safe swimming at high tide, picnic areas and barbecues. It has friendly, pet farmyard animals, which are always popular with the kids.

The park has an intriguing name which is a shorthand version of O-Manawatere ("the dwelling place of Manawatere") a Ngai Tai pa site in the park. Ngai Tai tradition records that this ancestor travelled from the Pacific homeland not by canoe, but by gliding over the waves on a Taniwha.'

Park facilities

Camping
There are basic campsites with toilets, barbecues and drinking water nearby. more...
Campervan access
Campervans can stay overnight in the campground or in the carpark
Picnics sites
Omana has bookable sites available for groups or just find your own favourite spot. more...
Boat Ramp
The nearest boat ramp is at Omana Espanade in Maraetai.
Drinkable water
There is a drinking fountain in the playground.
Wheelchair access
There is disabled toilet facilities by the car park.

History

Ngai Tai lived here for many generations, and built the O Manawatere pa. The pa is a small rectangular area on the cliff edge with a defensive "ring" ditch around the tree inland sides. Ngai Tai and members of other Hauraki tribes lived on the park when it was part of William Fairburn's Maraetai Mission Station which included a small school for Maori from 1837 - 42. Omana was part of the mission farm, developed from 1837. It was one of the region's first farms. As with the surrounding district, the forest was felled for timber. The area was dug for kauri gum and even prospected for gold and silver. The land continued to be farmed from 1837 until 1970, when the Auckland Regional Council purchased it for a regional park.

Wildlife

The forest is home to native birds such as fantails (piwakawaka), grey warblers (riro riro), tui and native pigeon (kereru). Pukeko, spur winged plover and paradise shelducks (putangitangi) roam around the farmed area of the park. Look out for South Island pied oystercatchers (torea), pied shags (kawau tikitiki) and kingfishers (kotare) on the foreshore and pohutukawa-fringed cliffs.

Native bush

As well as the large grassy areas and farmland you will find areas of regenerating native forest. Trees such as tanekaha, puriri, taraire, rewarewa, mapou, kowhai and kahikatea are flourishing here.

Picture of Omana

Try the perimeter walk - it only takes an hour and you will be rewarded with great views and close up encounters with farm animals.

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Park opening hours:

Opens:
8am
Closes:
6pm (winter)
8:30pm (summer)

How to get there

Turn off State Highway 1 at Highbrook Drive and bear left. Continue into Allens Road and turn left at Te Irirangi Drive.  Turn right into Ti Rakau Drive at Botany Town Centre then left into Chapel Road. Turn right at the next roundabout (1.6km).  You are now on Whitford Road, travel straight through the next two roundabouts (5.6km) Continue through Whitford Roundabout. And follow the Whitford Maraetai road (10km). The park is on the left just before you enter the township.

Distance from Auckland:
40 minutes
  
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