Tamsin’s Guidebook
Food scene
A great little local Saturday market selling produce freshly picked from the fields around Pukekohe, as well as seafood, honey, plants and hot food.
Pukekohe Farmers Market
Roulston Street A great little local Saturday market selling produce freshly picked from the fields around Pukekohe, as well as seafood, honey, plants and hot food.
If you’re into quality, seasonal local food then Clevedon Farmers Market is a great place to visit on Sunday morning. As well as heirloom tomatoes, organic veg, buffalo mozzarella, salami, sweet treats, chutneys and bread, there’s also a range of cooked food including Thai, hotdogs, wood fired pizza and falafel.
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The Clevedon Village Farmers Market
107 Monument RdIf you’re into quality, seasonal local food then Clevedon Farmers Market is a great place to visit on Sunday morning. As well as heirloom tomatoes, organic veg, buffalo mozzarella, salami, sweet treats, chutneys and bread, there’s also a range of cooked food including Thai, hotdogs, wood fired pizza and falafel.
IZU is one of our favourite local-ish restaurants, serving Japanese food with a European twist, always beautifully plated. A small, friendly restaurant on the Main Street in Papkura.
IZU
170 Great South RdIZU is one of our favourite local-ish restaurants, serving Japanese food with a European twist, always beautifully plated. A small, friendly restaurant on the Main Street in Papkura.
This is our local restaurant - cheap and cheerful and very convenient. Leave the car at home and wander up to the The Village, just a kilometre from the house.
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The Village Bar & Kitchen Patumahoe
1 Patumahoe RdThis is our local restaurant - cheap and cheerful and very convenient. Leave the car at home and wander up to the The Village, just a kilometre from the house.
A new arrival to the Pukekohe dining scene, Franklins offers good quality meals in a relaxed, pub setting. Worth booking ahead of time.
Franklins Bar & Eatery
1 Queen StreetA new arrival to the Pukekohe dining scene, Franklins offers good quality meals in a relaxed, pub setting. Worth booking ahead of time.
Our local little cafe with good coffee and a great cabinet of slices, pies and cakes. A short 1km walk from The Homestead.
Butcher's Cafe Patumahoe
4 Patumahoe RdOur local little cafe with good coffee and a great cabinet of slices, pies and cakes. A short 1km walk from The Homestead.
Sightseeing
Make a day trip up the Awhitu peninsula and after a scenic drive you will eventually arrive at this old lighthouse, at Manukau Heads. As well as exploring the lighthouse and admiring the views you can learn the tragic story of HMS Orpheus, sunk on the bar in 1863.
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Leuchtturm von Manukau Heads
759 Manukau Heads RoadMake a day trip up the Awhitu peninsula and after a scenic drive you will eventually arrive at this old lighthouse, at Manukau Heads. As well as exploring the lighthouse and admiring the views you can learn the tragic story of HMS Orpheus, sunk on the bar in 1863.
This is one of our favourite spots and just a couple of hundred metres from home! Children will enjoy paddling in the stream and exploring the bush. There is also a pretty waterfall. The shady forest is great on a hot summer’s day.
Henrys Reserve
This is one of our favourite spots and just a couple of hundred metres from home! Children will enjoy paddling in the stream and exploring the bush. There is also a pretty waterfall. The shady forest is great on a hot summer’s day.
Book a cruise or a fishing trip in the beautiful Manukau Harbour on the beautifully restored little ship Ratahi, built over 80 years ago. It’s worth checking early as trips leave from Waiuku and are very tide dependent.
Ratahi Cruises
11 King StBook a cruise or a fishing trip in the beautiful Manukau Harbour on the beautifully restored little ship Ratahi, built over 80 years ago. It’s worth checking early as trips leave from Waiuku and are very tide dependent.
Our children used to love travelling on the steam trains between Glenbrook to Waiuku! The beautifully restored carriages and the sounds and smells of the steam train make for a very memorable day out. You can stop in waiuku and have a wander around the town before hopping back on another steam train. There’s a brief stop at the engineering works on the way back to see train repairs in progress.
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Glenbrook Vintage Railway
135 Glenbrook Station RdOur children used to love travelling on the steam trains between Glenbrook to Waiuku! The beautifully restored carriages and the sounds and smells of the steam train make for a very memorable day out. You can stop in waiuku and have a wander around the town before hopping back on another steam train. There’s a brief stop at the engineering works on the way back to see train repairs in progress.
Although this is a bit of a drive, we think it’s well worth it as you have the opportunity to be guided through a beautiful cave which even has its own glow worms! The cafe has homemade food and good coffee.
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Nikau Cave & Cafe
1770 Waikaretu Valley RdAlthough this is a bit of a drive, we think it’s well worth it as you have the opportunity to be guided through a beautiful cave which even has its own glow worms! The cafe has homemade food and good coffee.
As well as having a popular campsite, this 110ha Park can be explored on foot, where you’ll be able to admire the working farm and views of Manukau harbour from the beaches. The walks are 1.5-3 hrs.
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Awhitu Regional Park
Brook RoadAs well as having a popular campsite, this 110ha Park can be explored on foot, where you’ll be able to admire the working farm and views of Manukau harbour from the beaches. The walks are 1.5-3 hrs.
Our favourite local beach with golden sand, safe swimming for the children, gas barbecues and lots of grass and shade from the trees.
Grahams Beach
Our favourite local beach with golden sand, safe swimming for the children, gas barbecues and lots of grass and shade from the trees.
Once the site of a waterwheel powering a flax mill, and later a rock quarry, this site has now been transformed into a lush 4 acre garden with many water lilies, lotus and iris. After visiting the gardens you can relax at the cafe with some home baking and a coffee!
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Wrights Water Gardens and Cafe
128 Mauku RdOnce the site of a waterwheel powering a flax mill, and later a rock quarry, this site has now been transformed into a lush 4 acre garden with many water lilies, lotus and iris. After visiting the gardens you can relax at the cafe with some home baking and a coffee!
No trip to this area is complete without visiting one of our wild West coast beaches, complete with pounding surf and black sand. This vast beach is also a popular spot for exercising horses.
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Conifer Beach
Karioitahi RoadNo trip to this area is complete without visiting one of our wild West coast beaches, complete with pounding surf and black sand. This vast beach is also a popular spot for exercising horses.
Even if you don’t have green fingers, Hamilton Gardens will surprise and delight, young and old. Definitely worth a visit and combine with lunch at Punnet Eatery in Hamilton.
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Hamilton Gardens
Even if you don’t have green fingers, Hamilton Gardens will surprise and delight, young and old. Definitely worth a visit and combine with lunch at Punnet Eatery in Hamilton.
Open on Saturday and Sunday only, the warbird hangar at Ardmore houses a variety of small planes dating from WW2 to more recent airforce training jets.
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New Zealand Warbirds Association
824 Harvard LnOpen on Saturday and Sunday only, the warbird hangar at Ardmore houses a variety of small planes dating from WW2 to more recent airforce training jets.
Sport and Leisure
Fun for all the family , especially on a rainy day! We usually call to book a lane beforehand.
Pukekohe Cosmopolitan Club
78 Nelson StFun for all the family , especially on a rainy day! We usually call to book a lane beforehand.
Swimming pool with separate children’s pool. Great for hot days - or rainy days!
Franklin Pool and Leisure
29 Franklin RdSwimming pool with separate children’s pool. Great for hot days - or rainy days!
Cinema 3
85 Edinburgh StOur three screen cinema in Pukekohe.
Horror theme park in a former psychiatric hospital, with actors playing evil clowns & zombie brides.
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Spookers Geisterattraktion Themenpark
833 Kingseat RdHorror theme park in a former psychiatric hospital, with actors playing evil clowns & zombie brides.
Asylum Paintball
833 Kingseat RdIndoor and outdoor paintball for adults and kids
Laser Strike
994C Paerata RdOutdoor laser strike for adults and children
Get your blood pumping at Adrenalin Forest's multi-level aerial obstacle course!
Adrenalin Forest Auckland
12 Stone RdGet your blood pumping at Adrenalin Forest's multi-level aerial obstacle course!
A place where the children (and their parents) can bounce to their hearts content!
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JUMP Trampoline Park - Takanini
212 Great South RdA place where the children (and their parents) can bounce to their hearts content!