25
PAKU VIEWS ISSUE 3 SPRING/SUMMER 2011-12
HA I R STUD I O
TAIRUA
Main Road Shopping Area
07 864 9190
PAUANUI
Pauanui Shopping Centre
07 864 7926
(just behind the library)
• Professional hairstyling for the whole family
• Latest colouring & cutting techniques
• Wedding and special occasion hair & make-up
• Stockists of quality haircare products & ghd styling irons
• Vouchers available
• Eyelash & eyebrow tinting ( Tairua salon only)
Going on a bear hunt (bush walking)
Provided you’re prepared with appropriate footwear and
a raincoat, bush walking is a great activity when it’s
raining. There are several tracks in and around Tairua but
our favourite is a walk to the lookout on the Red Bridge
Rd track, located at the end of Hinemoa Terrace (turn left
as you reach the top of the hill from Windsor Dr, Tairua
Heights. It takes about an hour with young ones. For more
walks visit the Tairua Information Centre or get in touch
with the Tairua Ramblers, details under clubs on www.
tairua.info
Visiting Moonshine the Donkey
Moonshine isn’t on the tourist map but he’s a real favourite
with children. When he’s at his paddock on the main road
to the north of town - and if he’s in the mood for visitors
- he may wander over to the fence and let you give him a
pat (and a carrot or two). If you’re lucky you’ll get a bray
that will inspire a braying competition amongst yourselves.
Fun from the Tairua Wharf
Even as the weather cools the wharf is a great place for
catching fsh that kids can ‘set free’ soon after. But even
if the fsh aren’t biting, there are usually other interesting
things to see. Among the ‘life’ spotted from the wharf in
recent times–sting rays, game fsh being weighed in, ferry
boats full of passengers, dolphin and pods of orca whales!
A visit to the Tairua Library
A great place for any age. See page 26.
Call Sarah on 07 864 7002 or 021 238 9490
Tairua's a great place to be as a kid. Friendly people, great kindergarten and school, as well as opportunities
for bike riding, swimming and adventures in nature. Here’s some inside information on “What’s Hot in Tairua if
you’re a kid.”
Things to do
around Pa- ku
A Picnic at Sailors Grave
Get to Sailors Grave early to stake your claim under the
shade of the Pohutukawa trees next to the fresh water
pool, which forms from a river in the bush-clad hills
behind. You can choose to take buckets, spades and other
toys or just get your kids to create their own boats with
sticks and leaves and encourage hours of fun using rocks
and driftwood for dams and bridges. Great place for a
picnic any time of year.
Bathing at the Tairua School Pool
After many hours in the salt water there’s nothing more
refreshing than a dip in the Tairua School Pool. Funds
raised from the Tairua School Wine and Food Festival
were used to renovate the pool area with bench seating
and a shade area. Tairua Hammer Hardware sells school
pool keys, which cost $75 or $50 for those with children
at the school.
Jumping off the Pepe Bridge at High Tide
Health and safety aside, bombing off the bridge is still a
lot of fun. Extend the swimming season a bit longer in the
estuary as the waters stay warmer than the nearby ocean.
Playing at the Pepe Playground
There are few better locations for a playground than
here, since good fun can be followed by ice creams
when it’s warm and hot chocolates when it’s cool. Fish
& chips, snacks, refreshments and take-out coffees (for
caregivers) are all close at hand as well. There are also
picnic tables, toilets, a fresh water shower, an estuary for
crab hunting or swimming and shade trees.
Boogie boarding or Surfng
at Ocean Beach
Depending on conditions, Tairua can be a great place for
kids to surf. If the waves are dumping, try returning on a
lower tide, or head up the hill to Sailors Grave or across to
Pauanui on the ferry.
Kayak, SUP or swim up the Pepe Inlet
If you don’t have your own kayak or SUP board (stand up
paddle board) you can hire them. Or take the kids along
the river up the Pepe Inlet for a swim in warm weather or
kayak in cooler weather. A public walkway is signposted
from the end of Pepe Rd and continues on Dept of
Conservation land alongside the inlet.
by Allison Smith