Papamoa

New Zealand, New Zealand

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Papamoa is a coastal suburb in New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty region and the largest residential area in the Tauranga metropolitan region, stretching along 16 kilometers of white-sand beach.

Once mostly paddocks and a few houses in the 1980s, it has grown into a thriving suburb with over 600% population increase since 1981, now home to fewer than 40,000 residents with a small-town feel while being just a 10-minute drive from Tauranga. The area has deep Māori history, with settlements dating back to around 1400 CE and fortified villages overlooking fertile coastal plains and fishing grounds, and today the Mangatawa Marae and Tamapahore Marae serve as important community gathering places for local iwi.

Papamoa offers commercial districts like Papamoa Plaza and Fashion Island for shopping and services, plus excellent outdoor activities including surfing, fishing, and access to the 135-hectare Papamoa Hills Regional Park with native bush and sweeping coastal views. The community is known for being welcoming and laid-back, with good schools, playgrounds, and walkable neighborhoods that make it one of New Zealand’s fastest-growing and most desirable places to live.