Pakiri Beach Horse Rides - About Us
We are your hosts at Pakiri, Laly and Sharley Haddon. We are a blended family of both Maori and European descent. Along with our daughter Olivia and son Ben, we are descended from Te Kiri of Ngati Wai, an ancient Maori chief, and his daughter Rahui and from Scottish, Portugese and English settlers and whalers.
Our Home
Pakiri Beach Horse Rides is just 90 minutes from downtown Auckland city, less than 2 hours from Auckland International Airport and just minutes from Matakana Coast Wine Country.
Our tribe, Ngati Wai, were seafarers. They discovered this place after following the call of the whales across the Pacific. Our home is on land that has been handed down through many generations. Here we have gained a lifetime of experience with horses and farming. We would love to share the history and the legends of this special place with you.
Our Farm
Our family farm is known as Taurere; over north eastern coastal hill country in lower Northland. A true working farm, Taurere carries 200 beef and breeding cattle, 200 Perendale sheep and 127 horses, 27 of which comprise the well-established Taurere Park Arabians horse stud.
Our Beach
It is our privilege to be caretakers to the unpopulated, pristine and private Pakiri Beach, 15 km white sand surf beach touching the majestic Pacific Ocean. We love sharing the splendid isolation and beauty of this place with our guests. Here you will see the rare and endangered NZ dotterels and fairy terns as well as other birds such as the blue heron, the variable oyster catcher and many others.
Our Rides
When you visit us at Pakiri Beach, you can experience the freedom of this special place on horseback. Our rides cover everything from a relaxed one hour outing to a full day or longer. It can be both tranquil or exhiliarating! What ever suits you.
All our rides travel along the pristine sands of Pakiri Beach and continue through the dunes with breath taking views to the coastal islands. We ride through groves of ancient Pohutukawa trees, which are ablaze with red flowers in summer. We follow a track through native bush and Nikau palms. Our longer rides take you through pine forests and over lush green farmland.