Parapara Beach

Parapara, Tasman

Please note: Water quality is no longer being sampled at this site.

Parapara's sweeping sandy beach is perfect for swimming, kayaking and walking along Golden Bay. The native namesake parapara tree is becoming endangered, which pleases most bird watchers. The trees seed heads turn black in the spring and become coated in a sticky, glue like substance. Birds often become stuck to the tree or loose their ability to fly after their feathers get gummed up.

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Water Quality

No data available
Current Status
This status is based on the latest sample. The Swim Guide - New Zealand updates the status of this beach as soon as test results become available.

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Monitoring Frequency

Source Information

Tasman Regional Council monitors water quality at popular swimming beaches throughout the Tasman region.

Water quality data on Swim Guide is sourced from the LAWA Can I Swim Here? website. www.lawa.org.nz/swim

At this site, water is regularly tested for levels of Enterococci during the summer months. This faecal indicator bacteria is used to indicate the level of harmful pathogens in the water.

See information on recreational water quality monitoring in New Zealand in this LAWA factsheet: https://www.lawa.org.nz/learn/factsheets/coastal-and-freshwater-recreation-monitoring/

Beach sites are shown as a GREEN swim icon if the latest Enterococci test result was in the range of 0 - 280 Enterococci / 100 mL.

Beach sites are shown as a RED swim icon if the latest test result exceeded 280 Enterococci / 100 mL or frequently exceeds the standard or there is a temporary water quality issue outside the routine testing programme (e.g. sewage overflow).

See information on the standards for recreational water quality monitoring in New Zealand in the 'What do the swim icons mean?' LAWA factsheet.

LAWA recommends for all sites, to avoid swimming for 2 - 3 days after significant rain, even for sites that normally have good water quality.

A good rule of thumb is to check that you can see your toes in knee deep water.

See www.lawa.org.nz/swim for up to date information on current warnings and alerts, weather conditions, tides, real-time water temperatures, what facilities are available, the monitoring history at this site and helpful factsheets.

Water Quality Graph