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The great Kiwi camping break returns to Ōnaero with the whitebait

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PUBLISHED: 4 SEPT 2026
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The great Taranaki weekend getaway is back at Ōnaero – fresh whitebait and watching the sun go down at one of New Zealand’s classic Kiwi campgrounds.​

Ōnaero Bay Holiday Park has reopened under new management just in time for the whitebait season, which runs from 1 September to 30 October this year.​

Penny, which runs a string of campgrounds around the country, has signed a five-year lease with NPDC to manage the north Taranaki campground on the banks of the Ōnaero River mouth.​

“What could be better than a day on the Ōnaero River followed by fresh whitebait fritters back at your tent or caravan?” said New Plymouth District Mayor Max Brough.​

“It’s also an awesome place for surfcasting or for just getting away and letting the kids run wild like generations of Kiwis have done before them. So grab your fishing kit, book a campsite on Penny and get out there.”​

Campsites at Ōnaero can be booked online: www.onaerobay.com.​

At a glance​

  • Ōnaero Bay Holiday Park has a range of powered and tent sites and is a short walk to the beach.​
  • NPDC also owns five other campgrounds: Belt Road and Fitzroy Beach in New Plymouth, and Ōākura, Waitara and Urenui.
  • The campgrounds are leased out and managed privately.​
  • For general enquiries about Onaero Bay Holiday Park, contact Penny, help@go-penny.com or 0800 140 047.​

Caption: Ōnaero Bay Holiday Park on the banks of the Ōnaero River.​

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Page last updated: 09:46am Fri 04 September 2026

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