Last updated October 2026
Ōakura is a coastal township in the New Plymouth District, set on State Highway 45 where the village meets the North Taranaki Bight. South Road, better known as Surf Highway 45, is the main street, and most local shops and services sit around that village centre.
The Oakura River runs past the township to the sea, and the Kaitake Range rises inland as the northern edge of Egmont National Park.
Ngāti Tairi, of Ngā Mahanga a Tairi and the Taranaki iwi, hold mana whenua, and Ōakura Pā stands beside the river. It reads as a beach village rather than an inner suburb: a school, a library, a hall and a short walk to the sand, with New Plymouth a drive north-east along the coast.
Official Suburb Facts
- Population (2023 Census)
- About 1,620, up 15% since 2018
- Land area
- 1.43 km²
- Location
- 12.9 km south-west of central New Plymouth
- Council
- New Plymouth District Council
- Ward or local board
- Kaitake-Ngāmotu General Ward and Te Purutanga Mauri Pūmanawa Māori Ward; Kaitake Community Board
- Getting there
- State Highway 45 (Surf Highway 45), called South Road through the village. Wairau Road runs inland toward the Kaitake Range. Citylink school bus routes, including route 40, link Ōakura and Ōmata with New Plymouth; members of the public can use Citylink school services.
- Main shopping
- Village shops and services along South Road, with the commercial hub on the landward side of State Highway 45
- Schools
- Oakura School, a coeducational full primary for years 1 to 8, founded in 1866. Secondary students travel to schools in New Plymouth.
- Nearby landmarks
- Ōakura Beach, Ōakura Pā (Okorotua marae), Shearer Reserve, and the Kaitake Range
Who Lives in Ōakura
About 1,620 residents in 560 households. From the 2023 Census, with the New Zealand figure alongside for comparison.
About Ōakura
Ōakura sits on the coastal highway south-west of New Plymouth, between the sea and the lower slopes of the Kaitake Range. The New Plymouth District Council’s structure plan for the area describes a growing coastal community whose setting supports boating, fishing, hiking, camping, surfing and horse riding, with Egmont National Park close inland.
The village itself is compact. Houses, the school and the small commercial strip cluster around South Road, while Wairau Road and other local roads run back toward farmland and the ranges.
The name comes from the river. Council and historical accounts record that the Oakura River, and so the township, was named for the female ancestor Akura-matapū of the Kurahaupō waka. An earlier form of the river name, Ōakura-matapu, is understood to mean belonging to Akura-matapū.
People have lived in this coastal district for hundreds of years. Ngāti Tairi holds mana whenua and keeps ahi kā through Ōakura Pā, also known as Okorotua, on the southern side of the river. The meeting house is Moana Kaurai. Ngāti Tairi and Ngā Mahanga are represented together by Te Kotahitanga o Ngā Mahanga a Tairi.
The village still has the scale of a coastal settlement. Everyday needs are met on South Road, and the council’s planning for the centre has long aimed to keep small-scale shops and services in that hub, on the landward side of the highway, rather than spreading commercial activity along the beachfront.
The Kaitake Community Board, whose area runs from Ōkato to Ōmata and includes the Ōakura urban area, has argued for managed, staged growth so that the village character, the school and local recreation spaces are not overwhelmed.
For anyone thinking of living here, the practical picture is a separate local water supply and a reticulated sewerage scheme, alongside a primary school and a branch library. New Plymouth District Council lists Ōakura as one of four separate drinking-water supplies in the district, treated with ultraviolet light and filtration.
Wastewater from the sewerage scheme is pumped along State Highway 45 to the New Plymouth Wastewater Treatment Plant. Connection is an alternative to septic tanks, and not every property is automatically on the network.
History and Heritage
The coast and river terraces around Ōakura were occupied long before the highway. During the First Taranaki War, which began in 1860, Ngāti Tairi joined Ngā Mahanga and Taranaki iwi in fighting against British forces.
The Tapuae ridge, north of the township, was a repeated point of conflict. In March and April 1863, before the Second Taranaki War, Governor George Grey had redoubts built around Ōakura so troops could protect European settlers in New Plymouth and later move on Tataraimaka to the west.
On 4 May 1863 a party of about 40 Māori warriors ambushed a small military party on the coastal road west of the town, killing nine of the 10 soldiers. That attack reignited open fighting in the Second Taranaki War.
Oakura School opened in 1866 and remains the local full primary. Later local memory is also written into place names: Ruhira Matekai, also known as Lucy Stevens, a well-known Māori woman who lived here in the 19th century, is remembered in Matekai Park and in Lucy’s Gully in the Kaitake Range.
A short distance south-east of the township, Koru Pā is a historic reserve associated with Ngā Mahanga a Tairi and is listed by Heritage New Zealand. It is a separate visit from the living marae at Ōakura Pā. Any visit to the marae should be arranged with the marae, not treated as a casual stop.
Getting Around
The practical way in is by car or bike along State Highway 45. Through the village the highway is South Road, so the main street and the through-route are the same road. Take care where people cross between the shops and the beach side.
Wairau Road is the main inland link, running from the highway toward the rural edge and the Kaitake Range. Once you are in the village centre, the school, library, hall and shops are close enough to walk between.
Public transport is limited compared with central New Plymouth. Taranaki Regional Council’s Citylink school bus services run between New Plymouth and Ōmata and Ōakura, including route 40, and members of the public can use those school services. They are not an all-day city route, so most residents drive for work, secondary school and larger shopping trips.
Parking for village errands is around South Road and at community sites such as the library, which has free parking.
Community Facilities
Ōākura Library, part of the Puke Ariki network, is at 16 Donnelly Street. The building has ramp access, free parking, borrowing for adults and children, public computers and wifi.
Membership of the Puke Ariki libraries is free for Taranaki residents, and items can be requested from other branches. The community hall is on South Road, and Oakura School is the main local school campus. Together with the library, they are the everyday public rooms of the village.
Shearer Reserve is the neighbourhood reserve and playground space beside the village. The Kaitake Community Board has treated it as a place that should work for a range of ages, rather than only as a sports field.
Corbett Park and Matekai Park are the other named village parks. For a wider range of council services, sport and shopping, people use New Plymouth.
Near Ōakura
Just outside Ōakura, within 10 km of its centre, nearest first.
Places
Businesses
Where to Learn More
New Plymouth District Council: Ōākura Structure Plan: Council background on the coastal village, mana whenua, recreation and the commercial centre.
Ōakura on Wikipedia: Township overview, with citations for the ancestral name, hapū, marae and 19th-century history.
Puke Ariki: Ōākura Library: Address, access and services for the village library on Donnelly Street.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ōakura part of New Plymouth?
Yes. It is a coastal township in the New Plymouth District, on State Highway 45 south-west of the city centre. Local advocacy sits with the Kaitake Community Board.
How do I get to Ōakura?
Drive south-west from New Plymouth on State Highway 45, called Surf Highway 45 and South Road through the village. Citylink school buses also run between Ōakura, Ōmata and New Plymouth, and the public can use those services. They are not a frequent all-day city bus.
What does the name Ōakura mean?
The township takes its name from the river, which was named for the ancestor Akura-matapū of the Kurahaupō waka. The earlier river name Ōakura-matapu is understood to mean belonging to Akura-matapū.
Which hapū and iwi are connected with Ōakura?
Ngāti Tairi holds mana whenua. The hapū is part of Ngā Mahanga a Tairi, within the Taranaki iwi. The local marae is Ōakura Pā, also known as Okorotua, with the meeting house Moana Kaurai, beside the river.
Is there a school in Ōakura?
Oakura School is a coeducational full primary for years 1 to 8. It was founded in 1866. Students going on to intermediate or secondary school travel to schools in New Plymouth.
Where do people shop in Ōakura?
Most local businesses are on South Road, the village main street, with the commercial hub on the landward side of the highway. For supermarkets and a wider range of shops, people drive to New Plymouth.
Is the beach the same thing as the suburb?
No. Ōakura Beach is the coast on the seaward side of the village, and it is why many visitors know the name. This page is about the township as a place to live and visit. Check conditions before swimming or surfing, and treat the coast with care.
Does Ōakura have a library?
Yes. Ōākura Library is at 16 Donnelly Street and is part of the Puke Ariki library network. It has ramp access and free parking, and Taranaki residents can join the libraries free of charge.
Spotted something incorrect on this page? Let us know.
Explore New Plymouth only lists suburbs officially recognised by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), and Ōakura is one of them. Suburb boundary: LINZ, CC BY 4.0.