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.

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

more Franklin stories...

In Search of the Perfect Mozzarella

In Search of the Perfect Mozzarella

New Zealand's only locally produced buffalo cheese is made right here in Franklin. Helen and Richard Dorresteyne, founders of the Clevedon Farmers Market, are not you every-day run of the mill kind of people. To achieve what they have with the farmers market, and then...

read more
Manukau Heads Lighthouse

Manukau Heads Lighthouse

Standing proudly on the tip of the Āwhitu Peninsula, the Manukau Heads Lighthouse has guided ships safely into the harbour since 1874. One of New Zealand’s few remaining timber lighthouses, it marks both a historic and emotional point on Franklin’s rugged west coast....

read more
Steel ‘n’ Wheels

Steel ‘n’ Wheels

Born in 2011 through the Waiuku Business & Development Association and local car clubs, Steel ’n’ Wheels quickly became a flagship celebration of Waiuku’s character. Rooted in the town’s connection to New Zealand Steel – an industry central to Waiuku’s growth and...

read more
Ben Bayly’s French Onion Soup

Ben Bayly’s French Onion Soup

From the kitchen of Origine, Ben Bayly's French onion soup recipe is a rich, flavourful broth that celebrates Franklin's world-famous longkeeper onion. Serves 4 Prep time 20 mins Cook time 1 hour 500 g oxtail 1 onion, sliced 1 carrot, grated 1/3 cup of celery, chopped...

read more
Tipene: St. Stephens School

Tipene: St. Stephens School

Nathan Durie and Yvette McCauseland-Durie have been described as a “power couple” in Māori Education. The husband and wife team founded Tū Toa school in Palmerston North in 2005 and later Manukura in 2013, and are now taking the plunge into reopening historic Tipene...

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