TL;DR
Tāwharanui Regional Park, about 90 minutes north of Auckland, is one of the region's best coastal camping spots: a white-sand surf beach, a marine reserve for snorkelling, an open sanctuary full of native birds, and a simple campground behind the dunes at Anchor Bay. Camping is basic (long-drop toilets, cold water, no power) and must be booked in advance through Auckland Council. It's popular in summer, so book early.
Tāwharanui is the closest thing to wild coast you can reach from Auckland in an hour and a quarter, and the reason it feels different from everywhere else nearby is a fence.
A predator-proof barrier runs right across the neck of the peninsula, keeping out the rats, stoats and possums that eat New Zealand's birds. Inside it, the bush sounds like the country did before people arrived.
What makes Tāwharanui different?
It is an **open sanctuary** — protected, but you can walk in freely. Behind the fence, species that struggle elsewhere are common: bellbirds, saddlebacks, and at night the kiwi that were reintroduced here.
You will hear the difference before you see it. Dawn in the bush at Tāwharanui is genuinely loud.
The beach and the walks
Anchor Bay is white sand, usually near empty on a weekday, and safe for swimming in most conditions. It is one of the better beaches in the Auckland region and almost nobody outside Auckland has heard of it.
The **Ecology Trail** loops through the regenerating bush in about two hours, and the coastal track along the clifftops gives you the Hauraki Gulf and, on a clear day, Little Barrier Island.
Camping at Tāwharanui
The campsite sits just behind the dunes at Anchor Bay — a large grass field, basic facilities, and the sea a two-minute walk away.
It is a regional park site, which means **you must book online in advance**, including in winter. This is not a place you can turn up to. It also fills months ahead for summer weekends, because Aucklanders know about it.
Facilities are minimal: toilets and cold water, no power. A self-contained camper makes it comfortable; without one you will want to be prepared.
Getting there
An hour and a quarter from central Auckland, and the last stretch is a winding road down the peninsula. It is sealed to the park.
There is no shop inside the park and the nearest supplies are in Matakana, twenty minutes back — a good stop in its own right for the weekend farmers market.
When should you go?
Weekdays, in any season. Weekends in summer are busy with Auckland day-trippers, and the campsite books out.
For a first or last night on a North Island trip it is hard to beat: far enough from the city to feel like you have arrived somewhere, close enough that a delayed flight does not wreck the plan. Our North Island route passes this way.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, at the beachfront campground behind Anchor Bay. It's a basic site (long-drop toilets, cold water, no power) and must be booked in advance through Auckland Council. A self-contained camper is ideal here.
Yes. Camping is by advance booking through Auckland Council's regional parks, and popular dates — summer weekends and school holidays — sell out well ahead.
About 90 minutes' drive north of Auckland, near Matakana, at the end of a partly unsealed road onto the headland.
Yes — Anchor Bay is a lovely surf-and-swim beach, and the surrounding marine reserve makes for excellent snorkelling. Take care in surf and rip conditions.
Related pages
Sources & official info
Written by Lauran & Nikki
Family owners of JustGoodCampers, living in New Zealand and helping travellers explore it by camper. More about us
