Waitarere Beach, one of the best-kept secrets of the North Island's west coast is regarded as the place to go when you want to get away from it all. Within easy commuting distance from Wellington (New Zealand's Capital City), and from nearby Palmerston North, Waitarere Beach is an ideal spot for either a weekend getaway or as a permanent residence. The Waitarere Beach community includes a well-stocked Four Square Store, takeaways, café and restaurant. Levin, the nearest town, is 10 minute's easy drive should you need something more. Waitarere Beach is wide and sandy, allowing plenty of room for all your favourite beach activities including land yachts, four-wheel motor bikes, surfing and fishing. The beach slowly drops off into deep water so there's plenty of safe paddling space for the youngsters, and during the summer months the surf club set up patrol. Waitarere Beach is also a popular fishing spot where Kahawai, Snapper, Groper, Gurnard, Flounder and Sole are the most common catches.

Shannon is a small rural township servicing a farming community. It’s located on State Highway 57 just 1.5 hours from both Wellington and Wanganui, and 30 minutes from Palmerston North. In the foothills east of the township is the historic Mangahao Power Station, and the site of the largest flax mill in New Zealand is just to the north. Visit Owlcatraz Tourist and Educational Park, the historic Railway Station, or browse through the shops and relax over coffee.

Foxton Beach is a small settlement in the Horowhenua District of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located on the South Taranaki Bight at the mouth of the Manawatu River, 35 kilometres southwest of Palmerston North, and six kilometres west of Foxton. Foxton Beach has a permanent population of around 2000 people. The town is a popular holiday destination due mainly to its beach and the bird sanctuary in the Manawatu River estuary.

Levin is a town in the Manawatu-Wanganui region of New Zealand, and is the largest town in the Horowhenua district. It is on State Highway 1 and the North Island Main Trunk railway, 90km north of Wellington, 50km south of Palmerston North, and two kilometres to the east of Lake Horowhenua. The town was named after William Hort Levin, a director of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company. The name is a variation of the Jewish clan Levi. It is a shibboleth - unlike the usual pronunciation of the surname, stress is placed on the second syllable of the word. The name thus rhymes with the word 'begin'. The town's Maori name is Taitoko. Levin is a service centre for the surrounding rural area, and a centre of light manufacturing. According to the 2006 census, the resident population was 19,137, an increase of 0.5% from 2001. Over 20% of inhabitants were listed as over the age of 65, a considerably higher percentage than the national average. The town celebrated its centenary in 2006.

Foxton is a town in the Horowhenua region of New Zealand. The 2001 census population was 4617. It is located on the lower west cost of the North Island. The town is in the Horowhenua district, 30 kilometres southwest of Palmerston North and 15 kilometres north of Levin. The town is located close to the banks of the Manawatu River. The small coastal settlement of Foxton Beach is located six kilometres to the west, close to the river's mouth.

Otaki is a town in the Kapiti Coast District of the North Island of New Zealand, situated half way between the capital city Wellington, 70 kilometres to the southwest, and Palmerston North, 70 kilometres to the northeast. It marks the northernmost point of the Wellington Region. The town's population is 5600 (2001 Census). It is located on State Highway 1 and the North Island Main Trunk railway on their routes between Te Horo and Levin. The town is sited close to the banks of the Otaki River, some three kilometres from its outflow into the Tasman Sea. It is divided into three main parts, Otaki Beach which is a mainly residential area, the larger and more inland Otaki township which contains shops and residential areas and along State Highway 1 near the railway station, the part known as Otaki Railway. The surrounding district is largely agricultural, with market gardens, and the economy of the town is largely based around service industries for the farming community. In the early 19th century, the area was inhabited by Māori of the Ngati Raukawa iwi who had migrated from the Kāwhia area from about 1819, under the leadership of Te Rauparaha. They had supplanted the Rangitāne and Muaupoko people. The nearby Raukawa marae is one of the points of interest of the area, along with one of the country's oldest churches, Rangiatea, which dates from 1846. Inland from the township is a racecourse where the annual Otaki Maori Races are held.

Te Horo and Te Horo Beach are two localities on the Kapiti Coast of New Zealand's North Island. Te Horo Beach is the larger of the two settlements and, as its name implies, is located on the Tasman Sea coast. Te Horo is located to the east, a short distance inland. They are situated between Peka Peka and Waikanae to the south and Otaki to the north. "Te Horo" in the Māori language means "the landslide".

Waikanae (pronounced Why-kah-nye) is a small town on New Zealand's Nature Coast. The name is a Māori word meaning "The waters of the yellow eyed mullet". Another settlement called Waikanae Beach exists near Gisborne on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The town is about 60 kilometres north of Wellington, New Zealand's capital city, and is between the towns of Paraparaumu, eight kilometres to the southwest, and Otaki, 15 kilometres to the northeast.

Paraparaumu (typically pronounced "Para-para-oo-moo", although the correct pronunciation is "Para-pa-raow-moo") is a town in the south-western North Island of New Zealand. It lies in the Kapiti Coast, 50 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 Beach 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 population of over 25,000 people. Inland behind Paraparaumu is the Maungakotukutuku area. Paraparaumu is home to the Kapiti Coast's largest secondary school, Paraparaumu College, with Kapiti College residing in nearby Raumati Beach and Otaki College in Otaki. Paraparaumu means "scraps from an earth oven" in Māori. It is commonly abbreviated to "Para-Param", particularly by longer-term residents of European ethnicity, and simply "Pram" by local youth. Paraparaumu is a popular shopping centre with the quaint village atmosphere by the beach complementing the vast range of products on offer at Coastlands Shopping town. It has a wonderful beach with a real carnival atmosphere and is the venue for many events throughout the year. Kapiti Island and Paraparaumu Beach Golf Links: two very different attractions but both world renowned. The famous island landmark is home to some of the most endangered native birds, yet it is one of the few relatively accessible island nature reserves in New Zealand. The Paraparaumu Beach Links Golf Course is the only New Zealand course in the world top 100.

Raumati is the name of two neighbouring places on the Kapiti Coast of New Zealand's North Island. They are located 50-60 km north-east of Wellington, and immediately to the south-west of the larger town of Paraparaumu. The Maungakotukutuku area is located immediately behind Raumati. Raumati Beach is the northern of the two, both of which are popular seaside settlements on the coast of Cook Strait, within sight of the Tasman Sea. It has a population of 4,100. The town's main landmark is Kapiti College, in which Peter Jackson (New Zealand Filmmaker) and Christian Cullen (Rugby Union Footballer) received their education. The main primary education provider is Raumati Beach Primary School. The Wharemauku Stream meets the sea in Raumati Beach on the northern side of Raumati Marine Gardens. This park is a popular recreation location: it features a ridable miniature railway and indoor, heated swimming pools that serve as the primary public pools for the surrounding area. The local soccer club, Kapiti Coast United, plays at Weka Park in Raumati Beach. Two kilometres further south is Raumati South, which has a population of 3,200. To the south of this town, between it and the town of Paekakariki, is the Queen Elizabeth Park, a 12 km² regional park used during the filming of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, where it represented Pelennor Fields. Raumati South is known for its alternative lifestyle, and is very arty. The main primary education provider is Raumati South Primary School. There is also a Steiner school called 'Te Ra' located on Poplar Avenue.

Paekakariki is a town in the Kapiti Coast District in the south-western North Island of New Zealand. It is 22 km north of Porirua and 45 km north-east of Wellington, the nation's capital city. Paekakariki's population at the 2001 New Zealand census was 1731. The town's name in Māori means "perching place of the kakariki (green parrot)". Paekakariki lies on a narrowing of the thin coastal plain between the Tasman Sea and the Akatarawa Ranges (a spur of the Tararua Ranges) and was an important transportation node. To the south, State Highway 1 climbs towards Porirua; to the north the plains extend inland from the Kapiti Coast; at Paekakariki the highway and North Island Main Trunk Railway run close together between the coast and hills