Horseback Riding at Pakiri Beach
Posted by Ruth Atherley on May 31, 2010 at 10:58 am
I had the privilege of spending time at Pakiri Beach Horse Rides before I left New Zealand. What an exceptional place Pakiri Beach is. It is so beautiful; there aren’t words to describe it.
Laly and Sharley Haddon own and run Pakiri Beach Horse Rides. They are a blended family of both Maori and European descent. Along with their daughter Olivia and son Ben, they are descendents of Te Kiri of Ngati Wai, an ancient Maori chief, and his daughter Rahui and from Scottish, Portuguese and English whalers and settlers.
Pakiri Beach Horse Rides is just 90 minutes from downtown Auckland city, less than two hours from Auckland International Airport and just minutes from Matakana Coast Wine Country. I had the pleasure of stopping into Matakana on the way to Pakiri Beach, what a lovely place. I could live there. It is so charming and friendly; it felt like home two seconds after I had set foot out of the rental car.
Back to Laly and Sharley – their tribe, Ngati Wai, were seafarers. They discovered the Pakiri Beach area after following the call of the whales across the Pacific. Their home is on land that has been handed down through many generations. Here they have gained a lifetime of experience with horses and farming and they love to share the history and legends of this special place with visitors.
Their family farm is known as Taurere; over the northeastern coastal hill country in lower Northland. A true working farm, Taurere carries 200 beef and breeding cattle, 200 Perendale sheep and 127 horses.
Sharley explained to me that they feel strongly about the area they live in and see it as their privilege to be caretakers to the unpopulated, pristine and private Pakiri Beach. It’s 15 km of white sand surf beach touching the majestic Pacific Ocean. Here you will see the rare and endangered New Zealand Dotterels and Fairy Terns, as well as other birds such as the blue heron, the variable oystercatcher and many others.
When you visit Laly and Sharley at Pakiri Beach, you can experience the freedom of this special place on horseback. Their rides cover everything from a relaxed one-hour outing to a full day or longer. It can be tranquil or exhilarating! Whatever suits you.
All of their rides travel along Pakiri Beach and continue through the dunes with breathtaking views of the coastal islands. I was fortunate enough to enjoy a ride with my lovely guide Fiona and my beautiful horse Flame. The beach is spectacular – it’s like a scene out of movie! We also went through groves of ancient Pohutukawa trees, which, Fiona explained, are ablaze with red flowers in the summer. We followed a track through native bush and Nikau palms. I only had a few hours here, but I understand that the longer rides take you through pine forests and over lush green farmland.
It was an exceptional experience and one I will never forget.
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