Blog: 4. Pāpāmoa Sand Dunes

The Taupō eruption of 1800 years ago significantly impacted the Pāpāmoa area with ashfall and pumice deposits.  The eruption, one of the largest in the world, sent a pyroclastic flow that blanketed the region with pumice and ash which resulted in changes to the local environment, including the vegetation and soil composition.  The large influx of pumice is believed to have contributed to the formation of sand dunes along the coastline and up to 400m inland.

Māori settlement of Pāpāmoa dates back to approximately 1400 CE with swamp pa sites used to collect preserved wood.  For the next 300 years the people prospered, harvesting their crops and fisheries, occupying and abandoning sites in accordance with the kūmara cycle and soil fertility. 

From the late 1800’s farmers occupied the land and then from the 1950’s, the land went from rural land into subdivisions, and is now Tauranga’s largest suburb with over 34,000 people calling Pāpāmoa their home.

Pāpāmoa Beach has 16 kilometres of pristine white sand beaches that stretches from the boundary with Mt Maunganui in the west to the Kaituna River in the east.  It offers locals and visitors ample space for recreation and relaxation.  

With the impact of all of this growth, there are now conservation and restorative programs in place to protect the sand dunes and the native animals on it.  

Since the 1970’s there has been significant erosion of the dunes and today there is a conservation effort to protect the dunes and prevent further erosion by planting native dune plants like spinifex and pingao.  These plants help stabilize the sand and build up the dunes, acting as a natural butter between the sea and land.  Additionally, there have also been efforts to restore the estuary to help filter nutrients and create breeding areas for birds and fish.

The beach has many native plants, including sand coprosma (Coprosma acerosa), sand sedge (carex pumila) and speckled sedge (carex testacea).  Native animals include copper skinks, shore skinks and moko skinks, primarily found in the dunes.  Seabirds like the grey-faced petrel (Oi) and the little blue penguin (Kororā) also inhabit the area.

The dunes are also home to the Tūturiwhatu NZ dotterel.  With only about 2500 birds remaining, the NZ dotterel is rarer than some breeds of the kiwi and under threat from extinction.  There are conservation efforts to build awareness of the plight of the dotterels and help protect them. Human activities, including dogs and vehicles can easily destroy their nests and harm the birds.

It is difficult to know exactly how many people use the beach each year, but it grows with the population growth. The beach isn’t as famous as Mt Maunganui although it has been voted as fourth best in New Zealand by one travel app.  In 2012, Pāpāmoa Beach was the location for a skinny dipping world record attempt but it failed as not everyone was in the water at the same time for the group photo.  

In summer I love body surfing when there are good waves as well as walking along the beach in the late afternoon collecting the odd shell.  I now have a greater respect for the beach knowing all of this, and I hope you have learned something too about our beautiful Pāpāmoa Beach and its sand dunes.