Guidebook for Parua Bay
Drinks & Nightlife
Parua Bay Tavern
1034 Whangarei Heads RdNice local place to enjoy and unwind for the evening
Astroboy NZ
69 Bank StreetNew place for going out in town
The Butter Factory
8 Butter Factory LnLots of live music! Good local atmosphere, all ages.
Parks & Nature
Mt Manaia Lookout
Local with amazing walkway and views
Beautiful white sandy ocean beach. Beautiful to walk on, swim at, surf or boogie board at, or slide down the sand dunes on a boogie board!
34 locals recommend
Ocean Beach
374 Ocean Beach RdBeautiful white sandy ocean beach. Beautiful to walk on, swim at, surf or boogie board at, or slide down the sand dunes on a boogie board!
Beautiful beaches with a choice of safe swimming beaches, surf beaches, an estuary to swim, kayak, paddleboard, fish or go boating in.
Also a beautiful scenic place to walk around from the south over the foot bridge to the north side and around.
6 locals recommend
Pataua South by the Beach
Beautiful beaches with a choice of safe swimming beaches, surf beaches, an estuary to swim, kayak, paddleboard, fish or go boating in.
Also a beautiful scenic place to walk around from the south over the foot bridge to the north side and around.
Lovely 4.2km loop walk. Cafes to stop at, sculptures on the way to view and beautiful scenery. Easy access and fairly flat.
8 locals recommend
Town Basin Loop Track Sculpture Trail
Lovely 4.2km loop walk. Cafes to stop at, sculptures on the way to view and beautiful scenery. Easy access and fairly flat.
Beautiful beaches, estuary, footbridge, surf beach, lovely to wander around the south and north side. Back in time unique!
6 locals recommend
Pataua South by the Beach
Beautiful beaches, estuary, footbridge, surf beach, lovely to wander around the south and north side. Back in time unique!
Great walk. Leave from Reotahi carpark and walk up and over or around.
17 locals recommend
Mount Aubrey
Great walk. Leave from Reotahi carpark and walk up and over or around.
Essentials
This store is great. It pretty much seems to stock a bit of everything.
17 locals recommend
Four Square Parua Bay
1379 Whangarei Heads RdThis store is great. It pretty much seems to stock a bit of everything.
PAK'nSAVE Whangarei
Walton StreetLow price groceries. Large store.
Countdown Whangarei
Okara DriveGood supermarket in Whangarei town
Local supermarket on the way into the city. Approx. 15 mins drive from Parua Bay
10 locals recommend
New World Onerahi
128 Onerahi RdLocal supermarket on the way into the city. Approx. 15 mins drive from Parua Bay
Good supermarket with a lot more specialty items than some of the others
17 locals recommend
New World Regent
167 Bank StGood supermarket with a lot more specialty items than some of the others
Food Scene
Great cafe and good bread stop for something special.
Sometimes they are open for pizza at night.
Smith & Local
6 Rathbone StGreat cafe and good bread stop for something special.
Sometimes they are open for pizza at night.
The growers market is only open saturday mornings from early until 10am. The market is busling and the fruit vege and flowers are great fresh and local.
13 locals recommend
The Whangarei Growers Market
17 Water StThe growers market is only open saturday mornings from early until 10am. The market is busling and the fruit vege and flowers are great fresh and local.
Great coffee and homemade food. Great service, well supported by locals
14 locals recommend
Smith & Local Parua Bay
1375 Whangarei Heads RdGreat coffee and homemade food. Great service, well supported by locals
The Deck Cafe
1 Reotahi RdSeaside cafe and takeaways. Lovely view. Inside or outside seating!
Lovely spot to drive as destination. Great gallery onsite, with art inside and outside to view. Great outing. Nice cafe
7 locals recommend
Helena Bay Cafe
Lovely spot to drive as destination. Great gallery onsite, with art inside and outside to view. Great outing. Nice cafe
Lovely cafe in the Quarry gardens. Nice food, nice building in a lovely setting. Wander the sub tropical gardens after your meal.
10 locals recommend
Quail Cafe
37A Russell RdLovely cafe in the Quarry gardens. Nice food, nice building in a lovely setting. Wander the sub tropical gardens after your meal.
Good health food store with local organic veges available also
Putiputi Ra Organic Traders Health & Eco Store
79 Walton StreetGood health food store with local organic veges available also
The Quay
31 QuaysideLocated in the Town Basin. For a nice meal out!
City/town information
Whangarei Heads is a quiet area only 20-25 minutes drive from Whangarei city. Parua Bay is at the beginning of the heads and has many beautiful beaches and walks nearby.
Whangarei city has the beautiful town basin with the loop walk and cafes & restaurants.
The quarry cafe and gardens is another highlight.
Another area an hours drive away is the Tutukaka coast with its lovely beaches and marina with trips to the poor knights islands running out of there.
Another nice area to drive is out to the one tree point area with marina, then onto Waipu historic town and the beautiful Langs beach. Mangawhai a bit further on is a nice seaside place to visit and sometime has markets in the weekend.
20 locals recommend
Whangarei Heads
Whangarei Heads is a quiet area only 20-25 minutes drive from Whangarei city. Parua Bay is at the beginning of the heads and has many beautiful beaches and walks nearby.
Whangarei city has the beautiful town basin with the loop walk and cafes & restaurants.
The quarry cafe and gardens is another highlight.
Another area an hours drive away is the Tutukaka coast with its lovely beaches and marina with trips to the poor knights islands running out of there.
Another nice area to drive is out to the one tree point area with marina, then onto Waipu historic town and the beautiful Langs beach. Mangawhai a bit further on is a nice seaside place to visit and sometime has markets in the weekend.
Sightseeing
A new place of interest to see while you are staying in Whangarei is the Hundertwasser art centre with cafe.
Aqua Restaurant and Bar (In the Hundertwasser Art Centre)
81 Dent StreetA new place of interest to see while you are staying in Whangarei is the Hundertwasser art centre with cafe.
New place of interest. Unique building. Lovely setting in the town basin overlooking marina
11 locals recommend
Hundertwasser Art Centre
81 Dent StreetNew place of interest. Unique building. Lovely setting in the town basin overlooking marina