The People of Piha.
He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.
{What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people.}
Piha is the place it is because of the people who live here. The lifeguards, the chefs, the volunteers, the families raising kids, the long-timers and the recent arrivals all still working out how the village fits together. We ask five questions, they answer in their own words, and what comes back is the closest thing to actually meeting them.
From all walks of life…
We’d love to add as many locals as possible to this page - please get in contact should you wish to nominate, introduce or submit yourself!
Leanne moved to Piha in 2007 with her family. Personal trainer of 20 years, mother of three, and the woman running the community fitness classes at the Domain.
Vanessa runs the Piha Yoga Studio — teaching online, private sessions, day retreats, and classes at the Schoolhouse Hall. 25 years teaching yoga, ten years in Piha.
Maureen Thompson manages the team of volunteers at Piha Library — the Best Little Library in the West. Retired teacher. Ten years in Piha and counting.
Rob has lived in Piha for 27 years, teaching drums, guitar and bass to hundreds of local kids. On a good day he's catching snapper for friends - and cooking it.
Lucas Parkinson owns and runs Aryeh, the destination restaurant at Piha North. Former Ode (Wānaka) chef. Zero-waste menu, NZ ingredients, foraged wild kai.
Came to Piha at two, left at sixteen, came back at twenty-four. Owns the two Cones on the Beach trailers — and reckons there's no place quite like home.
Five and a half years after leaving the city work cycle behind, Scottie reflects on quad bikes, sheep, cactus-growing, and the surprisingly soft community spirit that defines life in Piha.
Founder, writer, and photographer Jenene Crossan reflects on finding stillness, creativity, and community in Piha — and how life on Auckland’s wild west coast quietly changed the way she sees the world.
After moving to Piha in 2021, Jon and his growing family built a life centred around the village, the ocean, and the slower rhythm of the west coast.