Well known for its lush fruit orchards, beautiful vineyards, sheep and beef farming, intensive horticulture, gannets, and rural lifestyle blocks, Kumeu is a picturesque, rural district that is only about 25 minutes from the Auckland CBD. It offers a huge collection of varied attractions and activities to local, national and international visitors.

Picturesque Kumeu is well known for its beautiful countryside and award winning wines.

A growing number of cafes and restaurants form an important part of the tour of the area. The stunning winery buildings and lovingly kept vineyards nestled in the gently undulating landscape are the main attraction for the discerning visitor.

In addition there are pine forests with access for public recreation, equestrian activities and other outdoor pursuits. There is also plenty to do for the adrenalin junkie, including surfing, mountain biking, trail riding on quad motorbikes or 4 wheel drive vehicles, and swinging through the trees on ropes in the Woodhill Forest.

Kumeu Coast & Country is a community based organisation that was established to provide an information service and to promote local businesses. KC&C organises festivals and fun activities besides funding the Kumeu Visitor Information Centre, which is conveniently located next to the library on the main highway in Huapai. Just behind the library is the Kumeu Arts Centre that holds weekly classes and weekend workshops besides being a venue for various Art Exhibitions, and encouraging a creative community.

Huapai is the commercial and business hub of the district with two shopping centres, building and hardware retailers, banks, professional services, bars and restaurants. It is the centre of the district in all respects.

Paul of the Stihl Shop feels there is a strong sense of community in the district. “The locals here support us well, and we also get a lot of drive-by customers,” he said. Dealing in sales and service of outdoor power equipment, the shop is on the main road and very well presented.

The owner of the Indian restaurant Sangam, in the neighbourhood, echoes the same sentiment. “It’s a small community, but we have some regular local customers,” Mike Singh commented.

In March each year the Kumeu Showgrounds holds one of the southern hemisphere’s biggest one-day shows. A variety of other cultural festivals and events take place in the grounds throughout the year, including the Food & Wine Festival and the Classic Car & Hot Rod Festival. The district is well known as a centre for breeding and training horses, as well as being a strong competitive equestrian district.

Kumeu Coast and Country fund the Kumeu Visitor Information Centre.

With opportunities for indulging in different outdoor activities including landscaping, the community has access to numerous support services. One such business Kiwiscape is family owned and operated, and located opposite the Showgrounds. Operating in Kumeu for about a year now, it provides a wide range of landscaping services to the people in the region.

Locals also have access to good quality imported and NZ confectionary at wholesale prices at the GDL Brands factory shop. “We have been operating in Kumeu for some years and feel there is very good infrastructure and a strong business community here,” director, Frank Geaney said.

Huapai is also a thriving industrial area. It’s businesses support and service many industries including forestry, construction, heavy transport, engineering, marine and viticulture to name but a few.

Kumeu Chainsaw and Lawn Mowing Services caters to all the outdoor and landscaping needs as well of the locals. It is located on the main highway, as is the Pinepac ITM Building centre, which deals in timber, hardware and building supplies.

The Kumeu district has a spectacular west coast beach – Muriwai – that is world renowned for its surf and black sand, and is over 30 kilometres long. It is popular with surfers, families, surfcasters, kite fishermen and blokart enthusiasts, and is also home to one of New Zealand’s few gannet colonies. It has everything to make this a great place to escape from the city any time of the year.

Muriwai also has its own 18-hole all weather golf club nestled between Woodhill forest and the beach. There is a great motor camp, surf life saving club as well as two shops and a small motel. Just a few minutes up the road, Goldie’s Bush offers a fascinating walk amongst real New Zealand native bush.

Waimauku is an attractive lifestyle village located at the junction of the main highway and Muriwai Road. With a primary school, play centre, day-care centre, medical centre, service station plus shops, it’s great country living. The Ray White office in Waimauku can help find a suitable rural lifestyle property for anyone looking to enjoy the pleasures of rural living in this beautiful location.

Muriwai Beach - 30kms of surf and sand.

Several road-side outlets also offer a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. There is also a promotional giftware company Smashing Gifts, which prides itself in an inspired, friendly service dealing in a range of corporate and eco gifts.

At the northern edge of the district is the large Woodhill radiata pine forest. The forest setting is renowned for a variety of recreational activities such as orienteering, moto-x, mountain biking and horse trekking. There is a traditional New Zealand rural environment away from the forest with horticulture, dairy, sheep and beef farms.

Riverhead township in the district is one of the oldest established communities in the west on the banks of the Rangitopuni River. It derives its name from the fact that it is at the upper limit of the Waitemata harbour that the early settlers were able to sail as they explored the river and its surrounding bushland. A museum also offers an insight to the history of its early European settlers.

Taupaki is another peaceful rural village in Kumeu with a strong sense of history in the area’s development. It is only a few minutes from the Waitakere Railway station where the city commuter line ends. It’s a community based around lifestyle blocks with a primary school and a retirement home to ensure all stages of life are catered for.

Kumeu is home to some of New Zealand’s longest established, award-winning, small and large, local and national wineries, with diverse and interesting wine styles from grapes grown both near and far.

Some wineries in the region produce wines from the unique vineyards of Kumeu, while many also produce wines from the other reputed grape growing regions such as Hawkes Bay, Marlborough, Gisborne and Wairarapa.

West Brook is a fine example of a boutique winery that combines traditional winemaking methods complimented by modern winemaking technology. Located on Ararimu Valley Road in Waimauku, its vineyard offers stunning natural surroundings. “We’re bit off the way, but we get visitors from Auckland and other parts of North Island, and even South Island,” director Susan Ivicevich told Rural Living.

The wineries of Kumeu date back to the 1940’s when wine families of Croatian origin made an important contribution to the establishment of winemaking in the area. There is also a significant international influence now through partnerships with overseas wine interests. This has also resulted in an increased diversity and worldwide interest in the wines coming from the wine producers of Kumeu.

With all the ingredients ranging from a magnificent landscape, beautiful countryside, distinctive and delicious wines, fine food, superior accommodation, galleries and a variety of interesting activity options for everyone, Kumeu is an outstanding, thoroughly enjoyable and memorable experience for visitors.