Pakiri is a locality in

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about ...

, in the former

Rodney District Rodney District was a local government area in the northernmost part of New Zealand's Auckland Region from 1989 to 2010. It included Kawau Island. It was created from the amalgamation of Helensville Borough and Rodney County in 1989. The seat ...

of New Zealand.

Leigh Leigh may refer to: Places In England Pronounced : * Leigh, Greater Manchester, Borough of Wigan ** Leigh (UK Parliament constituency) * Leigh-on-Sea, Essex Pronounced : * Leigh, Dorset * Leigh, Gloucestershire * Leigh, Kent * Leigh, Staf ...

is about to the south-east. The Pakiri River flows through the area and into the

Hauraki Gulf The Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana is a coastal feature of the North Island of New Zealand. It has an area of 4000 km2,Ngāti Wai Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori roughly means "people" or "nation", and is often translated as "tribe", or "a confederation of tribes". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, ...

chief, Te Kiri. The beach was originally known by the name Ngā One Haea o Pākiri ("The Gleaming White Sands of Pakiri"), Pākiri being the name of the Ngāti Wai pā found at the headlands of the Pakiri River.

Ngāti Manuhiri Ngāti Manuhiri is a Māori iwi of the Mahurangi Peninsula area of New Zealand. They have an interest in the region from the Okura River in the south to Mangawhai in the north, and extending out to Great Barrier Island. They are descended from ...

, an iwi descended from the early Ngāti Wai ancestors in the area, are the

mana whenua In New Zealand, tangata whenua () is a Māori term that literally means "people of the land". It can refer to either a specific group of people with historical claims to a district, or more broadly the Māori people as a whole. Etymology Accordi ...

for the Pakiri area. Pakiri Beach is a white sandy beach to the north. It is a tourist destination known for its natural environment. The Auckland Regional Council purchased two blocks of land in 2005, totalling , with of beach frontage, and is developed this into the

Pākiri Regional Park Pākiri Regional Park is a regional park located near Pakiri north of Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country an ...

. During the 1860s, Pakiri Beach was the location of a

kauri ''Agathis'', commonly known as kauri or dammara, is a genus of 22 species of evergreen tree. The genus is part of the ancient conifer family Araucariaceae, a group once widespread during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, but now largely res ...

sawmill at the mouth of the Pakiri River. Suction dredging has been used to mine sand from the sea floor off the coast since the 1950s. This had caused some controversy in 1994, when of sand was to be extracted to bolster the popular Mission Bay in Auckland, and was brought to the Planning Tribunal in the case ''Haddon v Auckland Regional Council'' for violation of the

Resource Management Act 1991 The Resource Management Act (RMA) passed in 1991 in New Zealand is a significant, and at times, controversial Act of Parliament. The RMA promotes the sustainable management of natural and physical resources such as land, air and water. New Zeal ...

, and its provisions for kaitiakitanga.

Education

Pakiri School is a coeducational full primary school (years 1-8) with a roll of students as of Most children are of Māori descent and are affiliated to Ngati Wai and Ngati Manuhiri. The school celebrated its 125th jubilee in 2002.

References

{{Rodney Local Board Area Rodney District Populated places in the Auckland Region