Franklin’s Top Spots

Maraetai Beach in Franklin Auckland

1. Maraetai Beach

My favourite beach in Franklin (not too far ahead of Karioitahi) where you can do everything from swim and relax to launching the boat.

2. Manukau Heads Lighthouse

Located at the tip of the ancient Āwhitu Peninsula, the lighthouse gives amazing views of the Manukau Harbour bar and Waitākere Ranges. The lighthouse itself is beautifully maintained by the volunteer trust and is steeped in history.

Manukau Heads Lighthouse Franklin
Pukekohe town centre

3. Pukekohe Town Centre

I spent a lot of time walking the streets of this not so little town. It has a ton of regeneration work planned over the next decade to welcome more exciting spaces, plenty of places to grab kai/drink, heaps of murals and huge potential to be the most popular town in Aotearoa New Zealand.

josh
Author: josh

Explore more Franklin Stories — people, places and experiences across the region

Featured Franklin stories...

Give Us This Day Our Daily Goods

Give Us This Day Our Daily Goods

Travellers into Pukekohe might be forgiven for making a few false assumptions about this relaxed street side café. Firstly, if they were after some kind of greasy fry up, they wouldn’t be disappointed. Not because they’d get it, but because they’d get something much...

read more
Cleared for Takeoff

Cleared for Takeoff

How Ardmore is Powering Economic Growth in Franklin. Historical landmark, aviation icon, and growing commercial development, Ardmore Airport is undergoing a moment of exciting transition, growth and evolution. That’s par for the course though—since its inception in...

read more
The Art of Community

The Art of Community

Catherine Tamihere (Ngāti Wairere, Ngāti Porou, Ngāpuhi) has gone from feeling like an ‘outsider’ to making a beautiful mark on her community. Catherine TamiherePukekohe High School Art Teacher Finding a Home in Franklin Catherine moved into Franklin in 2016. She was...

read more
Duder Regional Park

Duder Regional Park

On Franklin’s eastern edge, Duder Regional Park stretches out into the Hauraki Gulf, a peninsula surrounded by sea and sky. It’s the first part of the region to greet each sunrise, as the day breaks across the water and the land glows gold. For early walkers, it feels...

read more
Nourishing Communities

Nourishing Communities

Gautam NarayanOwner of Nourish Holistic Nutrition Among the dairy fields of Waiuku, Gautam Narayan has created a holistic health oasis. And it’s open to all. Just meeting Gautam is nourishing. From that first moment, it’s clear this is a man in service to those around...

read more
Waiuku Township

Waiuku Township

Where is Waiuku? Nestled between Manukau Harbour and Karioitahi Beach, Waiuku (meaning "brown water") is a quirky township with a rich history. The Kentish Hotel, Waiuku's social focal point, is New Zealand's longest-standing tavern, and its walls are decorated in its...

read more