Urenui

Urenui is a small rural township of approximately 450 residents, located on State Highway 3 around 30km north of New Plymouth and 13km north of Waitara. Set alongside the Urenui River and close to the North Taranaki coastline, the township offers an appealing combination of farming, coastal and village living.

Despite its size, Urenui is well serviced with a Four Square, café, pub, takeaway, petrol station, mechanics and community and recreational facilities. Urenui School, established in 1876, is a co-educational primary school catering for Years 1-6 with approximately 100 students.

A major attraction is Urenui Beach, where the river meets the Tasman Sea. The distinctive black sand beach, popular beach camp and store draw hundreds of holidaymakers during the warmer months, with the local population swelling considerably over summer. The campground sits in a unique position between the river and Urenui Golf Club, and accommodates a mixture of permanent residents, baches and camping sites. The river and coastline are popular for swimming, fishing and boating, with many locals launching their boats from the beach area.

Urenui also has an important Māori history and strong connections to Ngāti Mutunga. Approximately 3km east of the township is Urenui Marae, an important cultural landmark for Ngāti Mutunga.

History: A few kilometres north-east is Okoki pa historic reserve, where the ashes of Te RangiHiroa (Sir Peter Buck) are interred under a stylised canoe-prow memorial. The township began as a Taranaki military settlement around the Urenui redoubt in 1865.