Paraparaumu

Paraparaumu
Paraparaumu
Population:	25,263 (urban area) ( 2006 Census )
Territorial Authority
Kapiti Coast District

Paraparaumu (Māori: [ˈpaɾapaˈɾaɔmʉ]) is a town in the south-western North Island of New Zealand. It lies on the Kapiti Coast, 55 kilometres north of the nation's capital city, Wellington.

Like other towns in the area, it has a partner settlement at the coast called Paraparaumu Beach, which lies directly opposite Kapiti Island. The two towns form part of the Kapiti Coast District. Together with the nearby Raumati and Raumati South they are among the fastest-growing urban areas in New Zealand, and are major dormitory towns with workers commuting to the cities that make up the Wellington urban area. The four towns between them have a 2012 population of over 49,000 people. Inland behind Paraparaumu is the Maungakotukutuku area.

Paraparaumu means "scraps from an earth oven" in Māori: "parapara" means "dirt" or "scraps" and "umu" means "oven". It is commonly abbreviated to "Para-Param", particularly by longer-term residents of European ethnicity, and simply "Pram" by local youth.

Paraparaumu is home to secondary school Paraparaumu College, with Kapiti College at nearby Raumati Beach and Otaki College in Otaki.

Kapiti Coast Airport is a popular recreational airfield and hosts the Kapiti Aero Club. Air New Zealand has daily flights between the airport to Auckland, Sounds Air operate to Blenheim and Nelson. Locally based Air2there operate to Blenheim and Nelson also.

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