Hauraki District Council | Paeroa Ward

Paeroa - in the middle of everywhere

Paeroa is the largest settlement of the Paeroa Ward which is located in the centre of the Hauraki District and has a population of 6,114 (Statistics New Zealand, 2018). The town was established in the 1870s and was originally a thriving port. Paeroa is now an attractive rural service centre, which is extremely busy given its central location at the junction of three State Highways. Paeroa is conveniently within an hour and a half drive of three of New Zealand’s largest cities; Hamilton, Auckland and Tauranga.

Paeroa is ‘world famous in New Zealand’ for the fizzy drink Lemon and Paeroa (L&P) which was originally developed in Paeroa by combining lemon juice with carbonated mineral water from the Paeroa Springs. Paeroa is well known for its ‘big bottle’, which is a seven metres tall imitation bottle of L&P and is located in the Ohinemuri Reserve on the side of the main road through Paeroa.

In February 2012 Paeroa was named Mitre 10 Community of the Year at the 2012 Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Awards. Paeroa was highlighted as a community determined not to fall into decline as so many small towns do when faced with an increasingly mobile population. Paeroa has worked hard to counter this phenomenon with an active events calendar and enhancement of local opportunities to promote Paeroa as a great place to live in, work in and visit.

The area in front of the Paeroa Post Office won the Civic Heart Revitalisation Award in 2010. This award was given by the New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects (NZILA) to Soul Environments, who undertook the design of the area in front of the Post Office.

There are a number of smaller settlements in the Paeroa Ward including Mackaytown, Karangahake, Tirohia and Netherton.

View Map of Paeroa - Launch our online Web Maps Application

See also: Hauraki District | Plains Ward | Waihi Ward 

Things to do and see...

Paeroa has a number of good cafés, restaurants and places to stay and is well known for its selection of antique stores. There are a range of attractions to keep any visitor busy in the Paeroa area, some of which are listed below.

The Karangahake Gorge

A must do when you are in the Paeroa area is a visit to the rugged and beautiful Karangahake Gorge which is located just minutes from Paeroa and acts as the main corridor from Paeroa to Waihi.

The Karangahake Gorge boasts some of the most spectacular scenery in the North Island with the Ohinemuri River flowing through the Gorge, sheer cliffs towering high above it and stunning bush vistas. The Gorge has various walking and tramping tracks that take travellers through the mining relics which date back to the gold rush in 1875, more adventurous walkers can traverse up the mountain or further into the bush. See the Department of Conservation website for information about tracks and walks in the Karangahake gorge.

The Hauraki Rail Trail links Paeroa to the Karangahake Gorge and follows the old railway line through the Gorge to Waikino and onwards to Waihi. For more information see the Hauraki Rail Trail website.

The Ohinemuri Estate Winery and Restaurant is located opposite the entrance to the Gorge and is a great place to have a bite to eat and sample some delicious wines. Also situated along SH2 is the Waikino Station where you can stop to eat at the Waikino Station Cafe or jump on the train operated by the Goldfields Railway.

Museums

The Paeroa Ward has a number of museums including the Paeroa and District Museum, located on the main street of Paeroa, which provides some insight into the early history of the area and has a large display of Maori artefacts.

The Paeroa Historical Maritime Museum and Park is located on Puke Road (SH2) just north of Paeroa. This museum has excellent displays of national and local maritime history including that of Captain Cook and the Northern Steamship Company. 

Events

Each year a number of major events take place in the Paeroa Ward including the Paeroa Battle of the Streets which is held annually on the third weekend of February. The Battle of the Streets attracts thousands each year with motorbike riders from around the country and overseas coming to compete. Another major event in Paeroa is the Highland Games and Tattoo which is held on the second Saturday of February each year.

Many events are listed here on our own website on the Events Calendar and on the Positive Paeroa website.

Paeroa is centrally located to many main centres and approximate travel times to these centres are noted below.

* The winding roads on the Coromandel Peninsula may require a greater time allowance.

Contacts

Visitor Information

Positive Paeroa
Phone: 07 862 6999
email: enquiries@paeroa.org.nz
Website: www.paeroa.org.nz 
Address: 101 Normanby Road, Paeroa (Old Post Office Building in the centre of town)

Paeroa Information Hub
Phone: 07 862 8636
email: pae.info@xtra.co.nz 
Address: 101 Normanby Road, Paeroa (Old Post Office Building in the centre of town)

Health Services

Paeroa Medical Centre
Phone: 07 862 8755
Address: 15 Princess Street, Paeroa

Emergency Services

Paeroa Police Station
Phone: 07 862 8744
Address: 6 Willoughby Street, Paeroa