A quiet, seaside community nestled between Waikanae and Te Horo on the beautiful Kāpiti Coast
Peka Peka is a small seaside locality on the Kāpiti Coast of New Zealand's North Island, located just off State Highway 1 between Waikanae and Te Horo. With a population of around 730 residents, it's a community that has grown organically from a scattering of holiday baches and weekend retreats into a neighbourhood in its own right — cherished for its peaceful, semi-rural character and direct access to one of the coast's finest beaches.
What Peka Peka lacks in central amenities it more than makes up for in community spirit, natural beauty, and the easy rhythms of coastal living — with Kāpiti Island sitting on the horizon like a sentinel.
Peka peka is te reo Māori for the native New Zealand short-tailed bat (Mystacina tuberculata), one of the country's only two endemic land mammals. The bats would have been common throughout the Kāpiti area before European settlement. Today, the bat lives on in the community name — and as this site's icon.
Like many Kāpiti Coast settlements, Peka Peka began as a collection of simple holiday baches used by Wellington families seeking sea air. Over the decades, holiday homes became permanent residences, and what was once a seasonal escape quietly became a real community — albeit one that still values its unhurried pace and open spaces.
In June 2011, Peka Peka briefly captured the world's attention when a juvenile emperor penguin, later nicknamed Happy Feet, hauled out on Peka Peka Beach. Having apparently swum from Antarctica, the young penguin was severely ill after eating sand. Treated at Wellington Zoo and followed by global media, Happy Feet was successfully rehabilitated and released back to the Southern Ocean in August 2011.
Peka Peka Beach is a long, open surf beach with the dark volcanic sand characteristic of the Kāpiti Coast. It is a popular spot for swimming, surfing, and walking. The Swim Guide monitors water quality — check before you swim, particularly after heavy rain. Strong rip currents can form — always swim with care.
The iconic silhouette of Kāpiti Island dominates the western horizon from Peka Peka Beach. The island is a nationally significant wildlife sanctuary — predator-free since 1998 — and home to species including kākāpō, little spotted kiwi, tūī, kākā, and kōkako. Access is by permit only through DOC; guided trips depart from Paraparaumu Beach.
The Kāpiti Coast hosts a rich variety of native birdlife benefiting from predator-control work and proximity to Kāpiti Island. Tūī, kererū (wood pigeon), kākā, and fantails are regular garden visitors. The coastal wetlands support wading birds, and the beach sees occasional visits from New Zealand fur seals and little blue penguins. Whitebait fish the streams in spring.
Beach access at the end of Peka Peka Road. Limited parking — please be considerate of residents.
Check Swim Guide before swimming, especially after heavy rain when runoff can affect water quality.
This is an open surf beach with rip currents. Check the MetService surf forecast before heading out.