Come up to Live

36°7'33.581''S 174°34'31.712''E

Mangawhai Domain

A more balanced lifestyle awaits

Life in Kaipara is all about space, freedom, and community. You wake up to big skies, fresh air, and endless beaches like Ripiro in the west and Mangawhai in the east, right on your doorstep. Locals mix old-school friendliness with a can-do attitude — running businesses, farms, or creative side hustles. Mangawhai offers the buzz of growth and opportunity with its beach town vibe, food scene, and growing arts culture, while Dargaville and Maungatūroto keep it real with classic Kiwi hospitality. It’s a place where you can dream big, live simply, and still make it to Auckland when you need to. Come up and enjoy the perfect balance between life and work.

Sunset at the beach with a rocky formation in the water and a clear sky.

Mangawhai

Mangawhai offers a rare blend of coastal calm and creative energy. Just 90 minutes from Auckland, it’s perfect for a balanced, outdoor lifestyle. Daily beach adventures, a buzzing town scene, and a welcoming community make it ideal for families, remote workers, and anyone seeking fresh inspiration.

A serene lakeside view with houses and trees along the shore, calm water reflecting the sky, and distant mountains under a partly cloudy sky.

Dargaville

Living in Dargaville offers a peaceful rural lifestyle, rich in history and natural beauty. Set by the Northern Wairoa River, it’s a friendly, tight-knit town known for its thriving kumara industry, local markets, and relaxed pace. Nearby beaches and forests offer endless outdoor adventures in a stunning setting.

Aerial view of a river winding through green hills with residential houses and boats docked along the shoreline, under a partly cloudy sky.

Peaceful Townships

In the smaller towns of Kaipara - like Tinopai, Maungatūroto, and Paparoa - life feels personal and grounded. Kids roam freely, neighbours greet you by name, and weekends mean markets, BBQs, or fishing trips. Set in natural beauty, these communities offer a slower, richer way of living close to land and sea.

A scenic rural landscape at sunrise with a wooden fence in the foreground, rolling hills, trees, and mist in the distance under a partly cloudy sky.

Rural Living

Living rurally in Kaipara means embracing space, simplicity, and a slower rhythm. Wide landscapes, rolling hills, and quiet mornings create a deep sense of calm. Whether growing food, raising a family, or seeking privacy, life here is deeply connected to the beauty of everyday moments.

A woman walking a dog with a young girl nearby at a park on a sunny day, with trees and a grassy field in the background.
A woman with blonde hair wearing a black shirt and blue lanyard shopping for books in a library or bookstore, pushing a yellow cart and selecting a book from a high shelf.
Group of people working in a farm field, planting or harvesting root vegetables on a sunny day.
Girls playing netball during a game, with one girl holding the ball and others actively reaching for it on the court.
Children in traditional Croatian costumes performing a dance in a decorated hall with Croatian flags and a banner that reads 'DOBRO DOŠLI'.
Man riding all-terrain vehicle with a dog sitting on the back in a grassy field with rolling hills and scattered trees in the background.
A scenic view of a coastal camping area with tents and vehicles, near a beach with calm blue waters and boats, surrounded by hills and trees.
Group of children gathered around a large piece of paper on a table, drawing and writing with markers.
An elderly man wearing a blue beanie, blue sweater, light gray pants, and tall black boots is smiling while standing on a concrete dock beside a young brown and white puppy, with boats anchored in a harbor and a cloudy sky in the background.

Meet the locals

Kaipara is a beautiful place, but it’s the people that define it. From harbour dwellers and lifelong farmers to newcomers carving out fresh starts, read the stories of resilience, creativity, and connection that shape life in this special part of Aotearoa.

Two people, a woman and a man, are smiling and holding large sweet potatoes while standing in front of crates filled with sweet potatoes inside a warehouse.

Community stories

In Kaipara, community feels the way it used to — genuine, generous, and always ready to roll up its sleeves. From volunteer fire brigades and surf lifesaving clubs to school cake stalls and Lions Club raffles - our locals rally together just like they did back in the day. It’s old-school Kiwi spirit, and it’s alive and well in Kaipara.

A young boy with a topknot petting a golden-colored dog lying on grass, while a woman crouches nearby watching. They are outdoors on a sunny day with greenery in the background.

WELCOMING COMMUNITIES

Feels like home

Settling into Kaipara as a new family feels like exhaling after a long journey. The wide skies, friendly greetings from neighbours, and the laughter at local markets make you feel welcome from day one. Schools, medical centres, and sports clubs are close by, but it’s the spirit of the place - the genuine kindness, the slower pace, the space to breathe and grow - that truly makes it home. In Kaipara, you don’t just live, you belong.