 The nearest stores were in Pahi, to the south.The steamer "Minnie Casey" connected Paparoa with Helensville on the south side of the Kaipara with a weekly service from 1882, and the S.S. "Ethel" took over from 1891–95, after which services went only to Matakohe and Pahi.The network of roads in the area were improved in the 1880s and 1890s.