Bay of Islands and Northland, New Zealand

The Bay of Islands and Northland

Paerengarenga Harbour entrance.

"history, sea, forests . . . all merged into a natural playground"

The most popular attraction in Northland is the Bay of Islands. Pity really . . . there's so much more to this region which is the cradle of the country's European history and has been a stronghold of the Maori for centuries.

There are two main routes through the region - State Highway 1 from Auckland To Paihia and on to Kaitaia; or the western route through Dargaville and the Waipoua Kauri Forest.

Getting There

Auckland To Paihia

Bay Of Islands

Cape Reinga and Ninety Mile Beach

Waipoua Kauri Forest / Dargaville

State Highway 16 - the back road into Auckland

Getting There

You can sprint up to Paihia from Auckland in about 3 hours, do the highlights and be back in Auckland the following day. But to do it properly allow at least four, preferably six days.

Auckland To Paihia

The direct way:

Take SH1 to Kawkawa then follow the signs to Paihia. 247km, trip time 3 3/4 to 4 1/2 hours.

Orewa. 37km north of Auckland, a superb stretch of sandy beach. Not bad as an away- from-it-all (or most of it) operations base for visiting the Auckland region.

Waiwera. Take time to soak in the hot thermal water or catch the fun of riding the Choobs - a four storey water slide - at Waiwera Thermal Resort. Lotsa fun.

Wenderholm Regional Park. Great beach picnic spot 47km from Auckland. Only a coupla hundred metres from the main road. If nothing else make it a quickie lunch location. But for a lunch with a difference try . . .

Puhoi. A settlement of Bohemians dating from mid last century. On your way up to the village, take a look at the little church on the roadside - a classic country churchyard. There's an old Kauri millers' pub in the middle of the village that hasn't changed since the last miller packed his axe and shipped out. This is a dinkum Kiwi country pub with no concessions to tourists or townies. Just along the road is a tea-and-hot-scones stop that is a less "liquid-lunch" option.

Even further along is Puhoi Valley Cheese Company - which regularly win prizes for their products. Good cafe - Art of Cheese - on site.

A more leisurely way of seeing the area is with Puhoi River Canoes which will allow you to paddle you own canoe from the village to Wenderholm Regional Park. Ph 09-422-0891.

Warkworth. Pleasant village about 50km north of Auckland. If you're not going to get time to come back through the Waipoua Kauri Forest on the west coast, go to the Parry Kauri Park on the south side of the township - watch for the signs as you come into town.

You might like to take a steam boat ride up the local Mahurangui River aboad the S.S.Kapuni, a lovingling restored 1929 coal-fired river boat. Ph 021 783 268

At this point, if you want to take a more leisurely ramble through Northland, you can opt for the "Coastal Route" from Warkworth through Leigh, Pakiri, Tomorata, Mangawhai, Langs Beach and Waipu Cove and back to SH1 at Waipu township.

A rapidly growing feature of the area is the vineyards around Matakana, several of which have cafes on site. The area isn't easy for grape growing and to that extent the wine will rarely rise to the heights of "best of breed" in the country, but the whole package - the cafe, the vineyard outlook, the wine, the ambience - can make for a hell of a stopover.

Along this route you could take a launch cruise to Kawau Island and Mansion House, home of an early colonial governor Sir George Grey. George was a tough son-of-a-bitch who decided that the troublesome Maoris needed sorting out - which he did. With cannons and rifles. Matata Cruises (ph 0800-225-292) run a launch cruise from the Sandspit. Leaves every day at 10am and 2pm. To get to the Sandspit, turn right following the signs at the north end of Warkworth's main street.

At Goat Island Marine Reserve, about 20km from Warkworth on the coast, you can see teeming schools of brightly coloured fish. Take a snorkel, mask and flippers and just mooch around in the water and rocks for a spectacular display of marine abundance . . . what it was like before transglobal fishing giants stripped the seas. Unfortunately you can no longer feed the fish. Humans as usual went to excess and the amount of food being proffered became so gross that water quality suffered and fish began to look for easy handouts instead of behaving naturally. As is typical of the eco-Nazis at DoC they totally banned feeding - instead of allowing it in controllable amounts. Thus there aren't as many fish to be seen as in earlier years, but it's still a great experience. Seafriends Marine Centre can provide you with all the underwater gear, and if you wish, take you on guided dives. Click here for a very full description of the area. They also operate a cafe there. Or take a 45min glass bottom boat trip with Habitat Exploration. Ph 09-422-6334. Another option is to dive or kayak with Goat Island Dive.

Pakiri Beach is one of those stunningly lonely strips of pure white sand. Even at the height of summer there's still hardly anyone here. It's a place I just love to escape to with my family to decompress from the madness of city life.

One of the attractions is Pakiri Beach Horse Riding. Sharley & Laly Haddon (and their dogs Oscar and Bas) will take you on a trot along the sand. Options range from 1hour to overnight or weekend safaris.

If you're into surfing take a diversion to Waipu Cove - some of the best breaks in the country. Nearby are Waipu Caves- stalactites, stalagmites and other limestone formations as well as glow-worms.

Otherwise, if you elect to stay of State Highway 1, you might look in on Sheepworld, a farm show that will get you up close and persoanl with sheep, sheep-dogs and even duck-herding! About 4km north of Warkworth.

Whangarei.

If you've got the time, take a drive around Whangarei Heads. Wild coastline, great views, secluded beaches. Pick up a guide leaflet from Whangarei Visitors' Bureau. You'll see it on the left as you approach the city from the south - Tarewa Park, 92 Otaika Rd. Ph 438-1079.

Key to a visit to Whangarei is the Town Basin. This was originally just a wharf where yachts tied up. Gradually it became known as a meeting point for sea wanderers around the world, especially in the tropical cyclone season. The last time I was there I spotted flags from Norway, Switzerland, Germany, and Canada among the many other boats moored.

Now, there's a very attractive retail development built on the site. You can eat at Rewa's, a restaurant that has become synonymous with the Town Basin and its maritime history. Claphams Clocks is the largest collection of its kind in the southern hemisphere. I was very impressed the the quality of the craft work on display at Burning Issues Gallery, which specialises in ceramics and glass, and McClelland Galleries.

If you happen to get on to State Highway 14, the road between Whangarei and Dargaville - and especially if there are small persons aboard - then make a stop at the Fudge Farm . . . home-made fudge in seven flavours as well as preserves, conserves, crafts. If you aren't going that way, no prob - they also have a shop at the Town Basin.

Other Whangarei attractions: An interesting enterprise is The Papermill - using recycled materials and traditional paper-making techniques, manned by intellectually handicapped persons, they produce a great range of hand-made papers. And you can make your own papers too. A specialty is making your own wedding invitations! South of the city on SH1. 9.30 - 2.30 M-F

The Quarry - a co-operative of five artists at work. The Kauri Clock Factory with 2500 clocks made from kauri wood.

Moving on out of the city - Whangarei Falls are worth a diversion for happy-snaps. Surrounded by totara, matai and kauri they make a fine spot for a picnic lunch. Ngunguru Rd, Tikipunga.

The Tutukaka Coast is world famous for its year-round big game fishing. It's also an extremely beautiful stretch of coastline for walking, swimming and lazing in the sun. Not easy to get to, but worth the effort. Hang a right from SH1 on to Kensington Ave in Whangarei and follow the signs. For big game or fun fishing contact the Whangarei Deep Sea Anglers Club. Ph 09-434-3818

If you prefer scuba diving the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve is an absolute must where fish life teems and the visibility is often over 30m. It's off the Tutukaka coast - dive or just cruise it with Dive!Tutukaka. Ph 09-434-3867. They'll also take you wreck diving if you prefer - to either the ex-Navy HMNZS Tui in 30m of water or the much larger HMNZS Waikato in 28m.

Another local operator is Knight Diver Tours, Gate B7, Tutukaka Marina. In addition to their full-on dive trips, they'll also take out complete novices - indeed even if you don't want to dive you can snorkel or just simply enjoy a trip on the ocean. Ph 0800-766-756.

If you'd like to try sea kayaking contact Ocean Kayaks, Ph 09-434-3830.

For Paihia and the Bay of Islands you'll leave SH1 just on the southern border of a township called Kawakawa and take the road to Paihia and the Opua Ferry. Just before Kawakawa is Kawiti Glow Worm Caves - glow-worms and limestone formations. Takes about 30-40mins. If you can't get to Waitomo, then see them here. You'll see them signposted on the east side of the road. Your guide will be one of the family owners, descendants of the fearsome warrior chief Kawiti, after whom the caves are named.

Take a quick diversion into Kawakawa, especially if it's time to find a comfort stop. The dunny (trans: toilet, loo, little boy's room, or that quaint American euphemism the "bathroom") was designed by Austrian-born artist, the late Freidrich Hundertwasser who made his home here. It really is worth the side trip . . . believe me you ain't never seen a toilet block like this.

The Bay of Islands.

Paihia is the capital of the area but Russell, across the other side of the bay, also makes an interesting - if quieter - ops base.

The Waitangi National Reserve is a central focus of NZ history. It was here that the country had its birth as a western nation with the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi between the British Crown and an assembly of Maori leaders on 6 Feb 1840.

The Treaty House may be visited. There's also a beautiful Maori meeting house on the grounds and a superb example of a Maori waka, a war canoe - both were built to celebrate the centenary of the treaty in 1940.

Nearby is the Waitangi Visitor Centre where static displays and an audio-visual provide an introduction not only to the area, but indeed to an understanding of the complex relationship between Maori and pakeha in NZ today. They also have a fine example of the work of noted 19th c painter C.F.Goldie.

The grounds are worth exploring. There's a 6km walking track from the Treaty grounds to Haruru Falls. Suitable for families and takes about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

If you have a car, take a drive past the Treaty Grounds to the summit of Mt Bledisloe for a broad panorama of the area.

Take a harbour cruise with Fullers Northland. or Kings cruises. You can do this the liesurely way on something akin to the traditional launches - or you can howl across the water in one of the giant speedboats that are now very popular. Excitor or Mack Attack operated by Kings.

Swimming with dolphins is a very Bay of Islands activity and Dolphin Discoveries were the first operators in this field. They also encounter a variety of whale species on their trips.

On the Fullers' cruise you can stop off at Otehei Bay and explore the underwater world of the Bay aboard the Nautilus, an "underwater viewing vessel".

Fancy a taste of life sailing before the mast on a square-rigged tops'l schooner? The smell of Stockholm tar, the billowing topsails . . . all the romance of sail as our forefathers knew last century (but without the hardships). It's all been recreated aboard the "R. Tucker Thompson", a faithful copy of a 19th century trading schooner.

If you'd rather sail your own boat there are a number of bareboat charter operators. Have a look at our section on sailing. You can hire a yacht from as little as $120 a day from Great Escape Yacht Charters.

On the other hand if you'd rather paddle your own canoe, this area is just about perfect . . . lots of nooks and crannies to explore. Coastal Kayakers can help.

Fishing is one of the biggies about a trip to the BOI - big game or light tackle. For more on this see our section on fishing.

If you have higher aspirations, why not try parasailing with Flying Kiwi Parasail. Soar up to 1200ft above the bay with awesome views in all directions. Ph 09-402-6078.

Higher? Bail out in a tandem skydive with NZ Skydiving Bay of Islands. Ph 09-402-6744.

Back on safe-n-sound solid ground, take a stroll around Russell across the bay from Paihia - ferries run regularly. Places of interest are the Captain Cook Museum, Christs Church (with authentic bullet holes supplied by courtesy of Maori warrior chiefs a century and a half ago) and Pompalier House, home of the first Catholic bishop of New Zealand. Have a drink or meal at the Duke of Marlborough Hotel, holder of Liquor Licence No 1 in New Zealand - the first hotel licence issued.

Kerikeri

Kerikeri is a must-visit. You'll find NZ's oldest house there, down by the wharf. So is the Old Stone Store, the oldest stone building in NZ. The north's sub-tropical climate is perfect for citrus fruit and that oh-so-Kiwi fruit, kiwifruit. All the local orchards sell at the gate. Shop around. Lot's of crafts people at work around here too and their work is widely on sale at various road-side craft shops. One of the more unusual is the country's only kaleidoscope maker - which might make a great take-home gift for one of the smaller members of the family.

And then there are the taste-treats like chocolates at Makana Confections where you can watch these decadent confections being made. Or "Olivado" avocado oil - a true gourmet's cooking oil pressed from locally grown avocados. Or you can be seduced by the luxury of liqueurs blended at Bishop's Wood Estate. Mahoe Farmhouse Cheese, just south of Puketona Junction Ph 09-405-9681 make the beginnings of a great picnic lunch if nought else.

Whangaroa and Doubtless Bay

Along the coast between Paihia and Kaitaia there are some beautiful spots to be discovered by those who have the time to leave the beaten track. Whangaroa Harbour is one of the most beautiful in the north, but it's hard to get at . . . the best bits can only be seen by launch. A launch trip operates from the local wharf and you can also hire outboard runabouts from off the beach.

The loop road from Whangaroa township over to Wainui and Matauri Bay takes you to some splendid views and and fine ocean beaches. A great day trip/picnic from your Bay Of Islands operations base.

Doubtless Bay is regarded by many as the ultimate Northland desitination - Mangonui, at the southern end of the bay, is not a bad option as an exploration base for the Far North.

Go fishing with Hihi Charters or take a coach trip to Cape Reinga with Paradise Connexions.

Cape Reinga and Ninety Mile Beach.

Reinga, the northernmost point in the country, is a place of great spiritual importance to the Maori. It is from here - the northern tip of the country - that the spirits of the dead took a last rest before beginning the long journey back to their ancestral homeland, Hawaiki.

The Pacific ocean and the tempestuous Tasman Sea meet here in a boiling, turbulent battle of the waters. Strong currents surge up both coasts, clashing together just off the cape . . . quite a sight, especially since it's neatly set off by a picture-book light-house.

Maori spirits may have flown up to the cape, but these days its a fair old slog to get to it in a car. My advice is take a coach tour, either from Paihia or Kaitaia.

The big attraction up here is, of course Ninety Mile Beach and the first thing that has to be said is that you are not permitted to drive a rental car on this beach.

It is classed as a legal road and legally you can drive along it, but you'll also see lots of signs warning you against doing just that. And again I repeat, if you are in a rental car, take heed of those warnings.

What's the fuss about? Thing is, that if you stop and go for a paddle or a wander among the sand dunes there's a fair chance that when you get back to your car it'll be down to the floor pan stuck fast in the sand. The local cockies (farmers) are an obliging lot, but they years ago got pissed off by idiots expecting to be rescued that they, quite rightly, started charging for this service. Last I heard it cost about $150 to get pulled free.

If the tide comes in and gets into your car it's totalled. Kaput. It'll never go properly again. The other thing is that the only way you can get on to the beach at the northern end, up by the cape, is to drive down a stream bed. Your chances of doing that without local knowledge are zilch. You'll get stuck - I promise you.

Best solution is to leave the car in Kaitaia and take one of the coach trips that regularly go up to Cape Reinga and back down Ninety Mile Beach. Harrisons Cape Runner is particularly good. Awesome Adventures, which leaves from Paihia, on the way to or from the cape will take you dune riding and includes a one-hour surfing lesson. Sand Safaris

But there are other ways of enjoying the west coast scenery. Tua Tua Tours will take you on a quad bike to visit the historic gumfields followed by a rock 'n roll ride over the sand hills. Or you can explore the coastline and the gumfields on a hired quad bike from Ahipara Adventure Centre. They also offer bloKarts (micro land yachts), horse treks, mountain bikes, and sea kayaks

You could take Harrison's Reef Runner a half-day 4x4 tour in a Mercedes Unimog over Ahipara kauri gumfields high above the southern end of 90 Mile Beach. Spectacular views of the West coast, expansive sand dunes, rocky coastline, sandy bays. They'll also take you tobogganning on what they claim to be the steepest, fastest sanddune in the North.

The West Coast and Waipoua Kauri Forest

On the return journey from Paihia to Auckland take the extra time to travel the western route through the Waipoua Kauri Forest. The Kauris here are among the largest living things on earth - exceeded only by the sequoias of California.

But first you'll skirt the Hokianga Harbour and travel through the seaside resort of Opononi which had its 15mins of fame in the 50s when "Opo", a dolphin, made the beach its home. For several weeks it amused and delighted visitors with its antics. If you want to know what happened to it, go to Opononi.

While you're there catch a hitch on the Hokianga Express Ph 09-405-8872- a ferry that'll take you to those giant sand dunes on the other side of the harbour. You can then just explore, or grab a boogie board and go sand surfng. "Cool" was the verdict of my kids. And I concur in that eminent judgement.

Another way to explore the Hokianga Harbour is by kayak. Contact Hokianga Blue.

Track south about 4km into the forest you'll see a sign which with breath-taking understatement says "Big Kauri Tree". A five minute walk into the bush brings you to the foot of a living cliff-face. Tane Mahuta means "God Of The Forest". And indeed it is.

About 1.5km further along the road and a somewhat longer walk in the forest, is Te Matua Ngahere (Father of the Forest) which is even bigger. Shorter, but bigger in the girth. There are also several other outsanding trees on the same track.

A few kms further on and you'll see the Waipoua Forest Headquarters signposted to the right. They're about 1km off the main road . . . lovely drive alongside the river to a picnic spot. The headquarters building has a lot of information about the forest, the trees and their history.

Between the forest and Dargaville, out towards the coast, are the kai Iwi Lakes. great picnicing, swimming or camping spot. Crystal clear and white sand beaches surrounded by forest.

The Kaipara Harbour and Helensville

South of the Waipoua forest you'll skirt the huge Kaipara Harbour on your return to Auckland. This deeply indented harbour nearly bisects the Northland peninsular.

On the Wairoa River which forms the northern arm of the harbour is Dargaville, which claims to be the kumara capital of the world. Nobody else would want to contest the claim is my guess.

Have a look, if you are into things maritime, at the Dargaville Maritime Museum. Last century the harbour was the busiest in NZ and its bar was one of the most dangerous. As a result there were 110 shipwrecks from which the museum is able to draw upon for display. Get out on to the harbour itself with Kaipara Cruises aboard the historic launch Kewpie Too. It's original task was the famous Cream Run on the Bay of Islands - back in the days when they really did collect cream from the sea-girt farms. They run cruises ranging from three hours to three days.

Something a little different: See how they make paper at Zizania Paper Products. You can tour the factory to see handcrafted paper made from, believe it or not, Manchurian Wild Rice (Zizania latifolia - hence the company name). 90 River Road open 9-5 M-F, Sat 11-1. Tours Ads $6.50 / Chd 3.50

Between Dargaville and the junction with SH1 is the Matakohe Kauri Museum - one of the best small museums in the country. A brilliant evocation of the days when hard men felled the forest giants or probed the swamps for their fossilised gum.

From Wellsford, it takes precious little longer to follow the the western route through Helensville and Auckland's western suburbs. The big attraction is the hot thermal pools at Parakai, about 3km south of Helensville. A great stop if you are travelling with kids.

Another 8km up the road from Parakai is McNut Farm macadamia nut orchard. This is a crop that is becoming more popular in NZ and McNut Farm is one of the most developed. Cafe, shop - all the usual stuff. Open 10-4 daily.

State Highway 16 : The back road to Auckland

Instead of taking State Highway 1 back to (or out of) Auckland your other option is SH16 from Wellsford through Hellensville and the west of Auckland.

Just south of Helensville is Parakai, a thermal area which is hopme to Aquatic Park, a hot pool complex. Further south is Woodhill Forest where you can go mountain biking on a maze of trails, or swing through the trees Tarzan-style at Tree Adventures. Actually, it's a tree-top adventure circuit with varying degrees of challenge - everything for kids upwards. Great break, especially if you have small fry on board.

As you get nearer to Auckland you'll enter one of the country's oldest wine-making areas. IThe area that runs through Kumeu, Huapai and on towards Henderson is headqarters to some of the best known vintners in NZ. Several have excellent vineyard cafes and restaurants. Not a bad place to stop overnight on your way to or from the north.

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Home Page

All you need to know about a visit to the place where God set the contrast and colour and man hasn't fiddled with the dials.

Introduction

What, hopefully, you'll get out of this mish-mash of peripatetic ramblings.

General Information

Background bumpf on the country.

Getting In

Visas, customs, immigration, duty free shopping, and getting away from the airport. Bloody important if you don't want to be arrested on arrival.

Getting Around

Moving on . . . by road or rail, by air or by sea.

Accommodation

"nuff said.

The Regions

What to see, what to do, why to go there.

Special Interests

Diving, fishing, golf, rafting, sailing, skiing - and more.

Special Interests

Links

Contact