Whakanewha Regional Park, Regional park on Waiheke Island, Auckland Region, New Zealand.
Whakanewha Regional Park is a 270-hectare park on Waiheke Island that stretches from ridge lines to Rocky Bay. It contains mature coastal forests with taraire, kohekohe, and kanuka trees alongside crescent-shaped beaches.
In the 1850s, Ngāti Pāoa communities established extensive fruit and vegetable gardens here to supply food to Auckland residents. These gardens demonstrate the long tradition of land use by Māori in this area.
The name Whakanewha comes from te reo Māori and refers to the gesture of shielding the eyes from the setting sun over the bay.
The Poukaraka Flats Campground provides accommodation for visitors who want to stay longer. Multiple walking tracks ranging from 30 to 80 minutes offer options for different fitness levels.
Waiheke Island has no possums, which has allowed native tree species in the park to grow more successfully than on the mainland. The absence of this pest makes the forest here unusually productive and healthy.
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