Pauanui
The town of Pauanui (a Māori-language name meaning “big pāua (abalone)”) is on the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula in the North Island of New Zealand. It lies at the mouth of the Tairua River on its south bank, directly opposite the larger town of Tairua.
The two settlements are 30 kilometres east of Thames. Several islands lie off the mouth of the river, notably Slipper Island to the southeast and the Alderman Islands 20 kilometres to the East.
The area is a popular holiday destination, with an estimated summer holiday maker population of over 15,000. Pauanui is known as New Zealand’s holiday destination for the elite and wealthy. It is approximately a one-hour 50 minute drive from Auckland – New Zealand’s most populous city.
The settlement has an airstrip used by recreational light-aircraft pilots and is noted for game fishing, diving, surfing and its excellent beach.
