Matakana Country Park: Complete Guide to Food, Activities, Markets & Things to Do
Last checked: August 2026
One of the easiest mistakes to make in Matakana is assuming every attraction is one thing.
A winery is a winery.
A beach is a beach.
A restaurant is a restaurant.
Matakana Country Park doesn't really work like that.
Spread across a privately owned 50-acre estate on Leigh Road, the Country Park brings together food, drinks, art, shopping, family activities, horses, markets, events and entertainment in one rural Matakana setting.
You can come for lunch.
Bring the children for an activity.
Browse the shops.
Look at art.
Ride the miniature train.
Have a drink at Smiths.
Come for a market.
Attend a concert.
Or simply use the park as a relaxed stop between Matakana Village and the coast.
And unlike many Matakana attractions:
Entry to Matakana Country Park itself is free.
The park is currently open seven days from 6am–9pm, although every individual business and attraction operates its own timetable and may charge separately.
That makes Country Park one of the most flexible stops in the wider Matakana region.
It's also the middle stop on our Vintage Views Matakana Wine Country Discovery, where guests enjoy lunch and a drink at Smiths before having free time to explore.
Matakana Country Park at a Glance
Where: 1151 Leigh Road, Matakana
What: 50-acre multi-attraction country park
Entry to park: Free
Current park hours: 6am–9pm, seven days
Individual business hours: Vary
Food & drinks: Yes
Restaurant/bar: Smiths Matakana
Family activities: Yes
Art & shopping: Yes
Markets & events: Yes
Equestrian facilities: Yes
Campervan parking: Yes, by booking
Parking: Plentiful on-site parking
Best for: Families, groups, lunch stops, events and relaxed Matakana exploring
Official website: Matakana Country Park
The park's official information confirms that entry is free, no general park booking is required and the businesses within the estate operate independently.
What Exactly Is Matakana Country Park?
Think of it less like a conventional park and more like a small rural precinct.
The property contains multiple independent operators spread through the grounds.
The current official directory includes businesses and activities across categories such as:
Food and drink
Art
Craft
Jewellery
Children's activities
Adventure attractions
Pony rides
Train rides
Equestrian facilities
Markets
Events
Health and wellness
Professional services
That means two people can visit Matakana Country Park and have completely different experiences.
A family might spend most of the visit around the playground and children's attractions.
A couple might have lunch and browse the gallery.
A corporate group might use one of the entertainment facilities.
And someone else might simply stop at Smiths for a drink.
That flexibility is the point.
Is Matakana Country Park Free?
Yes — entry to the wider park is currently free.
You don't need to buy a general Country Park admission ticket, and no booking is required simply to enter the property.
However:
Individual attractions can charge.
For example:
Action Ninja World
Pony rides
Train rides
Food and drink
Events
Specialist activities
all operate separately.
So think of the Country Park like a precinct rather than a ticketed theme park.
You enter for free and choose what you want to do.
Smiths Matakana
The main food-and-drink anchor
One of the best-known businesses inside Matakana Country Park is Smiths.
Smiths is a casual restaurant, bar and entertainment venue offering food, Matakana wine, beer, cocktails, live entertainment and sport.
It is also our lunch stop on the Matakana Wine Country Discovery.
We deliberately chose Smiths because it gives the middle of the day a different atmosphere from a structured wine tasting or attraction visit.
You can sit down.
Eat.
Have a drink.
Then wander.
For opening hours, food, entertainment, groups and our detailed visitor advice:
Read our Complete Smiths Matakana Guide →
Smiths' current operating information is maintained separately from the Country Park itself, which is important because park opening hours do not mean Smiths is open at the same time.
Family Activities at Matakana Country Park
This is one of the Country Park's biggest strengths.
Matakana is famous for wine and food, but those are not necessarily the interests of every eight-year-old.
Country Park gives families a substantial collection of alternatives.
Current official listings include:
Adventure playground
Action Ninja World
Pony rides
Miniature train rides
E-Volt Racing
among its recreational offering.
Individual activities have their own seasonal schedules, pricing and weather restrictions.
Always check the specific operator before promising something to children.
They have excellent memories for these things.
The Adventure Playground
The Country Park currently lists an Adventure Playground as one of its family facilities.
This is particularly useful if adults want:
Coffee.
Lunch.
Shopping.
Or simply ten minutes in which nobody asks:
“What are we doing next?”
The park's official activity page currently lists the playground as operating daily, although individual facility availability can still change.
Action Ninja World
The high-energy option
For considerably more activity, Matakana Country Park is home to Action Ninja World.
The attraction includes a substantial collection of challenges such as:
Ninja Warrior courses
Flying trapeze
High wire
Tarzan swings
Climbing wall
Trampolines
Inflatable activities
Other obstacle-course experiences
This is not merely a toddler playground.
Action Ninja World is designed around physical challenges for a broad range of ages and ability levels.
Important seasonal information
As checked in August 2026:
Action Ninja World is currently closed for winter.
Its published season runs September through May, with opening on weekends, school holidays and public holidays from 10am–5pm.
It also offers private weekday sessions for organised groups of 30 or more.
Because this is a seasonal attraction, check directly before travelling specifically for it.
Official Action Ninja World information →
Pony Rides
Horses remain an important part of Matakana Country Park's identity.
The official park information currently lists pony rides on weekends and during school holidays, with pre-arranged operating periods.
They're an obvious option for younger visitors and also fit naturally with the Country Park's wider equestrian character.
Because pony rides depend on staffing, weather and operating schedules:
Check before telling the children.
Miniature Train
Another Country Park classic is the miniature ride-on train.
The park's current contact information says the mini train operates on weekends and school holidays, with operation dependent on weather.
There are slightly different operating times shown across parts of the Country Park's own website, so we would not build your itinerary around a precise train time without checking first.
That's exactly why we're maintaining these pages as current visitor guides rather than blindly copying old listings.
If the train matters to your visit:
Check the official Matakana Country Park website before setting off.
E-Volt Racing
The Country Park currently lists E-Volt Racing Matakana among its active recreational businesses.
This gives older children, teenagers and adults another entertainment option beyond the more traditional Country Park activities.
Because operators within the park run independently, check E-Volt directly for current opening days, age requirements, pricing and bookings.
Art Matakana
Matakana has developed a surprisingly strong art identity.
Sculptureum and Brick Bay may get most of the attention, but art appears throughout the wider region.
At Country Park, Art Matakana forms part of the current shopping and gallery mix. The park's directory presently lists it as operating Thursday–Monday, although individual hours can change.
That makes it an easy addition while wandering after lunch.
And that's exactly the sort of experience we like Country Park for:
You don't necessarily need to schedule it.
You find it.
Craft & Jewellery
The current park directory also lists several specialist shopping businesses including:
Craft Shop
John Crockett Goldsmith
Michael John Jewellery
alongside Art Matakana and other operators.
Again, Matakana Country Park isn't a shopping mall.
That's the appeal.
The businesses are smaller and more individual, and the experience is much more about browsing around the property than trying to complete a shopping list.
Matakana Country Markets
Markets and events are another important part of Country Park.
The venue currently promotes both country markets and Friday-night market-style events, with food, local products and entertainment appearing on selected dates.
Dates change throughout the year.
So rather than telling you:
“The market is every second Sunday forever”
and allowing that sentence to become wrong six months later, we recommend checking:
What's On at Matakana Country Park →
The Country Park's live events page is the best place for current market dates.
Major Events & Concerts
Country Park isn't only used for small weekend activities.
The property has hosted large outdoor concerts, festivals and entertainment events, with its event history including major New Zealand and international acts.
That gives the park a completely different role during event weekends.
If a major concert is operating:
Expect:
More visitors
More traffic
Different parking arrangements
Changed business conditions
Accommodation pressure
The park invites event organisers to enquire about hosting events on the property.
For current events:
Check the official What's On page →
Equestrian Matakana
The horse facilities aren't simply decorative.
Matakana Country Park currently maintains equestrian infrastructure including:
Dressage arena
Oval
Tracks
Yards
Grazing
Pony rides
with booking arrangements available through the park.
For most casual tourists this will be background rather than the primary reason for visiting.
But for equestrian visitors or people attending horse events?
Country Park can be a destination in its own right.
Can You Stay Overnight at Matakana Country Park?
In a motorhome or campervan, yes.
The park currently offers 11 motor-campervan sites overlooking a Matakana vineyard.
Facilities currently advertised include:
Power
Water
Toilets
Showers
Café and restaurant access
and bookings are required through the park's campervan service.
Current published rates as checked in August 2026 start from:
One adult: $35 per night
or:
Two or more adults: $25 per person per night,
with separate child rates and higher pricing applying during major events.
See current campervan information →
This makes Country Park potentially useful as a base for visitors touring the Matakana Coast by motorhome.
Parking at Matakana Country Park
One of its practical strengths.
The official Country Park site actively promotes plenty of parking across the property.
That's a notable advantage over busy Saturday mornings in Matakana Village.
If you're travelling with:
Children
A larger vehicle
A group
Event equipment
the relative space of the Country Park can make life considerably easier.
Of course:
If you're visiting Smiths and drinking, plentiful parking doesn't mean you should drive afterwards.
Sort the transport first.
Where Is Matakana Country Park?
Matakana Country Park is at:
RD5 / 1151 Leigh Road
Matakana 0985
New Zealand
The address is confirmed on the park's current official contact and location pages.
It sits a short drive beyond Matakana Village on the route towards Leigh.
That makes its location extremely useful.
You're already pointing towards several of the wider Matakana Coast's major attractions.
How Far Is Country Park From Matakana Village?
It's only a short drive.
That means you don't really need to choose:
Matakana Village or Country Park?
You can very easily experience both.
They also offer different things.
Matakana Village
Best for:
Farmers’ Market
Cafés
Boutique shopping
Cinema
Riverside atmosphere
Matakana Country Park
Best for:
Smiths
Family activities
Open space
Art and craft
Entertainment
Group-friendly activities
They complement each other.
Read our Matakana Village Guide →
What Should You Do Before Country Park?
There are several obvious combinations.
Matakana Village
Coffee and shopping before heading further north.
Matakana Village Guide →
Farmers’ Market
On Saturday morning:
Market first.
Country Park later.
Farmers’ Market Guide →
Heron’s Flight
Wine before lunch works particularly well.
Heron’s Flight Guide →
This is also the sequence we use on our own Matakana tour.
What Should You Do After Country Park?
Now the location becomes very useful.
Sculptureum
One of our favourite combinations.
Lunch at Smiths.
Free time at Country Park.
Then art.
Read our Sculptureum Guide →
Sawmill Brewery
Continue along Leigh Road for another major Matakana food-and-drink destination.
A dedicated Sawmill guide is coming next in this hub.
Omaha Beach
Head towards the coast for a beach finish.
Leigh
Continue north-east to explore the coastal settlement.
Goat Island
One of the wider Matakana Coast's biggest natural attractions.
This is why Country Park works particularly well in the middle of the day.
It isn't a dead end.
It's a junction.
Country Park + Sculptureum
Probably the easiest pairing.
The two experiences are very different.
Country Park gives you:
food + activities + free time
Sculptureum gives you:
a concentrated art attraction
That variety makes the day feel much better than doing two similar experiences back-to-back.
It's exactly why both feature on our own tour itinerary.
Country Park + Sawmill Brewery
Another natural pairing.
Both sit along the route towards Leigh.
Use Country Park for lunch, activities or Smiths.
Then continue towards Sawmill.
Or reverse them.
If everyone is drinking:
Arrange transport.
Matakana country roads are not the place for creative interpretations of “designated driver”.
Country Park + Goat Island
This can work particularly well for families.
Morning
Goat Island and Leigh.
Lunch
Country Park.
Afternoon
Family activity, art or shopping.
Or reverse it and use the coast as your afternoon destination.
The practical advantage is that Country Park provides food, toilets, activities and space after a more nature-focused experience.
Matakana Country Park With Kids
One of the strongest reasons to visit.
The combination of:
Playground
Pony rides
Train
Action Ninja World
E-Volt Racing
Open space
Food
makes Country Park a particularly useful family destination.
But remember:
Not everything operates every day.
Action Ninja World is seasonal.
Pony rides run specific days.
The train is weather dependent.
Independent operators set their own schedules.
Our advice:
Pick the one activity your child actually cares about, verify that, then treat everything else as a bonus.
Matakana Country Park in Winter
Still useful.
But the mix changes.
As of August 2026, Action Ninja World is closed for winter and returns for its September–May season.
So in winter we'd focus more on:
Smiths
Art
Craft shopping
Events
Country atmosphere
Nearby wineries
Sculptureum
rather than planning the day around outdoor children's attractions.
That's another reason Matakana works year-round:
You can rebuild the itinerary around the season.
Country Park in the Rain
Again:
Depends what you've planned.
Smiths?
Fine.
Shopping?
Fine.
Gallery?
Fine.
Outdoor playground?
Less compelling.
Pony ride?
Potentially weather affected.
Train?
Specifically weather dependent.
On a genuinely wet Matakana day we'd combine Country Park with more weather-resistant destinations such as:
Sculptureum
Matakana Village
Matakana Cinemas
Winery tastings
rather than expecting every outdoor activity to operate normally.
How Long Should You Spend at Matakana Country Park?
This varies more than almost any other Matakana attraction.
Quick stop
30–45 minutes
Browse and have a drink.
Lunch
1–1½ hours
Smiths and perhaps a short wander.
Lunch + exploring
2 hours
A much better pace.
Family activity
2–4 hours
depending on what you've booked.
Event day
Potentially the entire day.
The Country Park isn't somewhere we'd necessarily say:
“You need exactly 87 minutes.”
The whole point is flexibility.
Is Matakana Country Park Worth Visiting if You Don't Have Children?
Absolutely.
Don't confuse family-friendly with children-only.
Adults can use Country Park for:
Smiths
Art
Shopping
Events
Markets
Drinks
Group functions
Equestrian activity
Simply taking a break during a Matakana day
Children make some of the attractions more relevant.
They don't define the entire property.
Is Country Park Better Than Matakana Village?
No.
Because they aren't trying to be the same thing.
Choose Matakana Village for:
Market.
Cafés.
Boutique shopping.
Cinema.
Village atmosphere.
Choose Country Park for:
Activities.
Smiths.
Open space.
Art.
Groups.
Events.
Have enough time?
Do both.
They are only a short drive apart.
Matakana Country Park for Groups
Country Park becomes particularly interesting once you're organising more than a few people.
The mix of:
Food
Activities
Event spaces
Open areas
Parking
Entertainment
gives organisers much more flexibility than a single restaurant or winery.
Action Ninja World, for example, currently offers private weekday sessions for organised groups of 30 or more.
The wider property also hosts major events and accepts enquiries from organisers wanting to stage functions or events.
Potential uses include:
Corporate days
Staff outings
School groups
Social clubs
Birthdays
Family gatherings
Team-building
Private Matakana days
And because Vintage Views provides private group transport into Matakana, we can build the transport around the day rather than requiring everybody to bring separate cars.
Country Park for Corporate Groups
This deserves special attention.
A corporate Matakana day could combine:
Activity
Action Ninja World or another group experience.
Lunch
Smiths.
Free time
Art, drinks or wandering.
Afternoon
Sculptureum, winery or Sawmill.
That gives you:
team activity + food + social time
without needing to spend the entire day in one room with a projector.
Corporate Matakana transport is also something Vintage Views can arrange privately from Auckland.
Matakana Country Park Weddings & Events
The Country Park has historically been strongly associated with weddings and events and continues to maintain dedicated event infrastructure.
However, specific venues and event offerings evolve, so we recommend checking the park's current wedding and events information directly rather than relying on old Matakana wedding blogs.
Our own wedding resource is kept separately:
Ultimate Matakana Wedding Guide →
That page tracks current venue options and planning advice throughout the wider region.
Visit Matakana Country Park With Vintage Views
Country Park is the relaxed middle chapter of our Matakana Wine Country Discovery.
The day begins in Auckland aboard:
Dorothy.
Our genuine 1960s London Routemaster.
We leave the city and head north via the Ōrewa coast before arriving in Matakana.
Stop One — Heron’s Flight
Hosted wine tasting.
Stop Two — Matakana Country Park
This is where the pace changes.
Guests enjoy:
Light lunch at Smiths
An included drink
and then:
Free time.
Explore.
Browse.
Have another drink.
Look at the art.
Take in the countryside.
Or sit down and do absolutely nothing for a while.
Stop Three — Sculptureum
We finish with a curated art experience, drink and gourmet sample before returning to Auckland aboard Dorothy.
The whole day is deliberately designed around:
Wine. Food. Art. Coast.
Explore the Matakana Wine Country Discovery →
Why Give Tour Guests Free Time Here?
Because not everybody travels the same way.
One guest may want to browse the gallery.
Another wants another drink.
Someone else wants photographs.
Someone wants to sit outside.
And occasionally somebody just wants twenty minutes where nobody tells them what to look at.
Country Park is ideal for that.
There is enough around the property to explore without making the free-time section feel empty.
And there isn't a requirement for everybody to make exactly the same choice.
Is the Vintage Views Tour the Best Way to Visit Country Park?
Not necessarily.
Again:
We're quite happy saying that.
If you want to bring the children specifically for Action Ninja World and spend four hours there:
Drive independently and do exactly that.
Our scheduled tour uses Country Park differently.
It's one chapter in a wider Matakana experience.
Lunch.
Drink.
Free time.
Then onward.
Both are valid ways to visit.
Frequently Asked Questions About Matakana Country Park
Where is Matakana Country Park?
At 1151 Leigh Road, Matakana 0985.
Is Matakana Country Park free?
Entry to the wider park is currently free, and no general booking is required. Individual businesses and activities may charge separately.
What are Matakana Country Park's opening hours?
The park itself is currently open seven days from 6am–9pm. Individual businesses set their own hours.
Is Smiths at Matakana Country Park?
Yes.
Smiths is one of the park's main hospitality venues.
Read our Smiths Guide →
Is The Stables the same as Smiths?
No.
They are separate venues within the wider Country Park property.
What can children do at Matakana Country Park?
Current activities include the adventure playground, Action Ninja World, pony rides, miniature train and E-Volt Racing. Availability varies by day and season.
Is Action Ninja World open?
As of August 2026 it is closed for winter. Its published operating season is September–May, weekends, public holidays and school holidays.
Are there pony rides?
Yes. The park currently lists pony rides on weekends and during school holidays.
Is there a miniature train?
Yes. It currently operates on weekends and school holidays subject to weather.
Are there shops?
Yes. The park currently lists art, craft and jewellery businesses among its shopping mix.
Are there markets?
Yes. Selected country-market and night-market events operate throughout the year. Check the official What's On page for current dates.
Is there parking?
Yes. The Country Park promotes plentiful on-site parking.
Can campervans stay overnight?
Yes. The park currently operates 11 motor-campervan sites with power, water, toilet and shower facilities.
Is Matakana Country Park good when it rains?
Parts of it are.
Smiths, shops and galleries remain useful wet-weather options, but outdoor activities such as the train and pony rides can be weather dependent.
Is Matakana Country Park suitable for groups?
Yes. Several businesses cater for groups, and the property is also used for events and organised activities.
Is Country Park on the Vintage Views Matakana tour?
Yes.
Our Matakana Wine Country Discovery includes lunch and a drink at Smiths followed by free time at Matakana Country Park.
See the complete tour →
Our Verdict
Is Matakana Country Park worth visiting?
Yes — particularly if you're travelling with a group where everybody doesn't want the same thing.
That's where Country Park shines.
One person wants lunch.
One wants art.
Children want to do something.
Someone else wants a beer.
And nobody particularly wants to spend another 45 minutes in the car.
Country Park gives you choices in one location.
It isn't Matakana's single biggest attraction.
It doesn't need to be.
It is something arguably more useful:
A place that fits naturally into almost any Matakana day.
Continue Exploring Matakana
Complete Matakana & Matakana Coast Guide
Start with the entire region.
Smiths Matakana Guide
Food, drinks, live music and our lunch stop at Country Park.
Matakana Village Guide
Shopping, cafés, cinema and the heart of Matakana.
Matakana Farmers’ Market Guide
Everything you need for Saturday morning.
Best Matakana Wineries
Compare the region's cellar doors.
Heron’s Flight Guide
The first major stop on our scheduled tour.
Sculptureum Guide
Art, galleries, gardens and one of Matakana's major attractions.
Brick Bay Guide
Outdoor sculpture, wine and dining.
Matakana Wine Country Discovery
Heron’s Flight, Smiths, Country Park and Sculptureum from Auckland aboard Dorothy.
Official Matakana Country Park Information
For current activity opening times, market dates, event information and individual businesses, visit the official Matakana Country Park website.
For current Smiths information, use Smiths Matakana directly.
Vintage Views independently maintains this page as part of our growing Matakana visitor resource. Individual businesses inside Country Park operate independently and their hours, pricing and availability can change even when the wider park itself is open.