THE BOMBING OF THE RAINBOW WARRIOR
On the morning of 10 July 1985, New Zealanders awoke to news reporting that a terrorist attack had killed a man in Auckland Harbour. The Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior had been sunk at its anchorage at Marsden Wharf, where it was preparing to sail to Moruroa Atoll near Tahiti to protest against French nuclear testing.
A tip-off from a Neighbourhood Watch group eventually led to the arrest of two French foreign intelligence service (DGSE) agents, posing as tourists. The agents had detonated two mines on the boat in staggered explosions – the first designed to cause the crew to evacuate and the second to sink her. However, after the initial evacuation, some of the crew returned to the vessel to investigate and document the attack. Greenpeace photographer Fernando Pereira was drowned below decks following the second explosion.
The arrested agents pleaded guilty to manslaughter and were sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment. In response, the French government threatened to embargo NZ goods from entering the European Economic Community – which would have crippled NZ’s economy. A deal was struck whereby France paid $13 million to NZ and apologised, in return for the agents being delivered into French custody on a South Pacific atoll for three years. France eventually paid over $8 million to Greenpeace in reparation – and the bombers were quietly freed before their sentence was served.
Initially French President François Mitterrand denied any government involvement in the attack, but following an inquiry he eventually sacked his defence minister and the head of the DGSE, Admiral Pierre Lacoste. On the 20th anniversary of the attack, Le Monde newspaper published a report from Lacoste dating from 1986, declaring that the president had personally authorised the operation.
The bombing left a lasting impact on NZ, and French nuclear testing at Moruroa ceased for good in 1996. The wreck of the Rainbow Warrior was resunk near Northland’s Cavalli Islands, where, today, it can be explored by divers. The masts were bought by the Dargaville Museum and overlook the town. The memory of Fernando Pereira endures in a peaceful bird hide in Thames, while a memorial to the boat sits atop a Maori pa (fortified village) site at Matauri Bay, north of the Bay of Islands.
Matauri & Tauranga Bays
It’s a short detour from SH10, but the exceptionally scenic loop route leading inland to these awesome beaches is a world away from the glitzy face presented for tourists in the Bay of Islands.
Matauri Bay is a long, sandy surf beach, 18km
off SH10, with the 17 Cavalli Islands scattered offshore. Matauri Bay Holiday Park ( 
09-405 0525; www.matauribayholidaypark.co.nz; sites
from $20, units $130-140) takes up the north end of the
beach and has a shop selling groceries, booze and petrol. On top of
the headland above the park is a monument to the Rainbow
Warrior; the Greenpeace ship’s underwater resting place among
the Cavalli Islands is a popular dive site.
DOC maintains a 12-person hut (
09-407 0300; www.doc.govt.nz; adult/child
$15/10) on Motukawanui Island, but you’ll need a boat or
kayak to reach it and you’ll need to book ahead. Only water,
mattresses and a composting toilet are provided; bring everything
else.
Back on the main road, the route heads west,
passing through pleasant Te Ngaere village and a succession of
little bays before the turn-off to Tauranga Bay, a smaller beach
where the sand is a peachy pink colour. Tauranga Bay Holiday Park ( 09-405 0436; www.taurangabay.co.nz; sites from $20,
cabins $97-170; 
) has campsites and log cabins on the
beachfront, but it lacks trees and bears the brunt of the weather.
A minimum $59 charge per night for campsites and a seven-night
minimum stay applies in January.
Down a private road leading from Tauranga Bay,
Northland Sea Kayaking ( 09-405 0381; www.northlandseakayaking.co.nz;
half-/full-day tours $75/95) leads kayak explorations of
this magical coastline of coves, sea caves and islands.
Accommodation is available in conjunction with tours for $25 extra
per person.
There’s no public transport to these parts or to neighbouring Whangaroa.
Whangaroa Harbour
Just around the headland from Tauranga Bay is the narrow entrance to Whangaroa Harbour. The small fishing village of Whangaroa is 6km from SH10 and calls itself the ‘Marlin Capital of NZ’.
There are plenty of charter boats for game-fishing (December to April); prices start at around $1200 a day. If you’re planning to hook a monster, insist on it being released once caught – striped marlin and swordfish are among NZ’s least-sustainable fishing options.
An excellent 20-minute hike starts from the car park at the end of Old Hospital Rd and goes up St Paul’s Rock (213m), which dominates the village. At the top you have to use a wire cable to pull yourself up, but the views make it worth the effort.
The Wairakau Stream
Track, heading north to Pekapeka Bay, begins near the church
hall on Campbell Rd in Totara North on the other side of the bay.
It’s an extremely beautiful, undeveloped stretch and you can cool
off in swimming holes along the way. The two-hour hike passes
through forest, an abandoned farm and around a steep-walled estuary
before arriving at DOC’s Lane
Cove Hut (
09-407 0300; www.doc.govt.nz; sole occupancy
$164) , which has 16 beds, plus composting toilets. Bring
everything else and reserve well ahead; it’s usually booked out by
Kiwi families over summer.
Duke’s Nose Track (1¼
hours return) starts behind the cottage and leads up Kairara Rocks;
look for the Duke of Wellington’s aquiline profile in the rock
face. You’ll need to haul yourself up a chain for the last 10m but
the views are worth it. If you don’t fancy walking back – or if you
don’t fancy walking at all – Bushmansfriend (
09-405 1844; www.bushmansfriend.co.nz)
arranges water taxis from Lane Cove ($20) and one-hour boat tours
($45).
On the other side of the harbour’s north head is Taupo Bay, a surf beach that attracts a loyal Kiwi contingent in summer. On easterly swells, there are quality righthanders to surf at the southern end of the bay, by the rivermouth. It’s reached by an 11km sealed road signposted from SH10.
Sleeping & Eating
Kahoe Farms Hostel
(
09-405 1804; www.kahoefarms.co.nz; dm $30, r
$76-96) On SH10, 10km north of the turn-off to Whangaroa,
this hostel has a deservedly great reputation – for its comfortable
accommodation, for its bucolic setting, for its home-cooked Italian
food, but mostly for its welcoming owners. The backpackers cottage
is great, but slightly up the hill there’s an even more impressive
villa with excellent-value en suite rooms.
(
09-405 0496; www.sunseekerlodge.co.nz; Old Hospital
Rd; dm/s/d/tr $25/50/66/90, units $120-150; ) Up the hill in
Whangaroa, this friendly lodge has a spa with a jaw-dropping view,
hires out kayaks and motor boats, and will pick you up from Kaeo on
SH10.
(Whangaroa Rd;
mains $15-20; 
lunch & dinner) A friendly local pub
with good honest tucker served from the attached cafe.
Information
Boyd Gallery ( 09-405 0230; Whangaroa Rd;
8am-7pm) General store and
tourist information office.
Doubtless Bay
Pop 6030
The bay gets its unusual name from an entry in Cook’s logbook, where he wrote that the body of water was ‘doubtless a bay’. No kidding, Cap’n. It’s a bloody big bay at that, with a string of pretty swimming beaches heading towards the Karikari Peninsula.
The main centre, Mangonui (meaning ‘Big Shark’), retains a fishing-port feel, despite cafes and gift shops now infesting its well-labelled line of historical waterfront buildings. They were constructed in the days when Mangonui was a centre of the whaling industry (1792–1850) and exported flax, kauri wood and gum.
The popular holiday settlements of Coopers Beach, Cable Bay and Taipa are restful pockets of beachside gentrification.
Sights & Activities
Grab the free Heritage Trail brochure from the information centre for a 3km self-guided walk that takes in 22 historic sites. Other walks lead to attractive Mill Bay, west of Mangonui, and Rangikapiti Pa Historic Reserve, which has ancient Maori terracing and a spectacular view of Doubtless Bay – particularly at sunrise and sunset. A walkway runs from Mill Bay to the pa, but you can also drive nearly to the top.
Butler Point Whaling Museum MUSEUM
(www.butlerpoint.co.nz; Marant Rd, Hihi;
adult/child $12/2; by
appointment) At Hihi, 15km northeast of Mangonui, this small
private museum and Victorian homestead (1843) is set in lovely
gardens. Its first owner, Captain Butler, left Dorset when he was
14 and at 24 was captain of a whaling ship. He settled here in
1839, had 13 children and became a trader, farmer, magistrate and
Member of Parliament.
Sleeping
There’s plenty of accommodation, but most is overpriced in summer. Outside the peak months things settle down considerably.
(
09-406 0369; www.puketitilodge.co.nz; 10 Puketiti Dr;
dm/s/d $40/100/150; ) If this is what they mean by
flashpacking, bring it on. For $40 you get a comfy bunk in a
spacious six-person dorm that opens on to a large deck with awesome
views, a locker big enough for the burliest backpack and, perhaps
most surprisingly, breakfast. Turn inland at Midgley Rd, 6km south
of Mangonui village, just after the Hihi turn-off.
(
09-406 1250; www.theoldoak.co.nz; 66 Waterfront Dr,
Mangonui; d $175-275, ste $295-325; ) This atmospheric 1861 kauri inn is now an
elegant boutique hotel with contemporary design and top-notch
furnishings. It oozes character, not least because the building is
reputedly haunted.
Mangonui
Waterfront
Apartments Motel APARTMENTS $$
(
09-406 0347; www.mangonuiwaterfront.co.nz; 88
Waterfront Dr, Mangonui; apt $120-225; ) Sleeping two to
eight people, these historic apartments on the Mangonui waterfront
have loads of character, each one different but all with balconies,
a sense of space and their own barbecue. Try to book 100-year-old
Tahi.
Eating
There are also cafes, takeaways and stores around the other beaches.
Mangonui Fish Shop FISH & CHIPS $
(137 Waterfront
Dr, Mangonui; fish & chips $10; 10am-8pm; ) Eat outdoors over the water at this
chippie, which also sells smoked fish and seafood salads. Grab a
crayfish salad and a beer and you’ll be sorted. The other
fish-and-chip shop across the road is also good.
(Waterfront Dr,
Mangonui; brunch $11-18, dinner $14-29;
8.30am-late) Waterfront has
water views and old-world charm. A pizza menu kicks in at lunch and
extends into dinner, when it supplements bistro dishes.
(
09-406 1220; www.thaichef.co.nz; 80 Waterfront Dr,
Mangonui; mains $18-26; 5-11pm Tue-Sun) Northland’s best Thai
restaurant serves piquant dishes with intriguing names like The 3
Alcoholics, Spice Girls and Bangkok Showtime.
Shopping
(www.flaxbush.co.nz; 50 Waterfront Dr,
Mangonui; 10am-5pm) Seashells, Pasifika and Maori
crafts.
(Old Courthouse
, Waterfront Dr; 10am-4.30pm) This co-op gallery showcases
Far North artists.
Information
Doubtless Bay Visitor
Information Centre (
09-406 2046; www.doubtlessbay.co.nz; 118 Waterfront
Dr, Mangonui; 10am-4pm Mon-Sat)
Getting There & Away
InterCity buses depart near the
Watefront Cafe in Mangonui, outside the wholesalers in Coopers
Beach, opposite the shop in Cable Bay and outside the Shell station
in Taipa.
Busabout Kaitaia ( 09-408 1092; www.cbec.co.nz) has services to
Kaitaia ($5, one hour).
Karikari Peninsula
The oddly shaped Karikari Peninsula bends into a near-perfect right angle. The result is beaches facing north, south, east and west in close proximity, so if the wind’s annoying you or you want to catch some surf, a sunrise or a sunset, just swap beaches. Despite its natural assets, the sun-baked peninsula is blissfully undeveloped, with farmers well outnumbering tourist operators. There’s no public transport and you won’t find a lot of shops or eateries either.
Sights & Activities
Tokerau Beach is the long, sandy stretch forming the western edge of Doubtless Bay. Neighbouring Whatuwhiwhi is smaller and more built-up, facing back across the bay. Maitai Bay, with its tiny twin coves, is the loveliest of them all, at the lonely end of the peninsula down an unsealed road. It’s a great spot for swimming – the waters sheltered enough for the kids but with enough swell to body surf.
Rangiputa faces west at the elbow of the peninsula; the pure white sand and crystal-clear sheltered waters come straight from a Pacific Island daydream. A turn-off on the road to Rangiputa takes you to remote Puheke Beach, a long, windswept stretch of snow-white sand dunes forming Karikari’s northern edge.
Various local watersports operators can be
contacted under the umbrella of Watersports Paradise ( 050 872 7234; www.watersportsparadise.co.nz)
.
(www.karikariestate.co.nz; Maitai Bay Rd;
tastings $12; 11am-4pm Nov-Apr) A sign of creeping
gentrification is this luxury golf club and winery on the way to
Maitai Bay. Impressive Karikari Estate produces acclaimed red wines
and has a cafe attached – and while the wine tastings are
shamelessly overpriced, at least the sublime views are free.
Airzone Kitesurfing School KITESURFING
(
021 202 7949; www.kitesurfnz.com; 1-/2-/3-day course
$195/350/485) The unique set-up of Karikari Peninsula makes
it one of the world’s premium spots for kitesurfing. Learners get
to hone their skills on flat water before heading to the surf,
while the more experienced can chase the wind around the
peninsula.
(
09-408 3336; www.atozdiving.co.nz; 13-15 Whatuwhiwhi
Rd; 2 dives incl equipment $160-230) Offers PADI courses and
dive trips in Doubtless Bay and to the Rainbow Warrior
.
Sleeping
Whatuwhiwhi
Top
10 Holiday Park HOLIDAY PARK $
(
09-408 7202; www.whatuwhiwhitop10.co.nz; 17
Whatuwhiwhi Rd; sites from $62, units $82-385) 
Sheltered by hills and
overlooking the beach, this friendly complex has a great location,
good facilities, free barbecues and kayaks for hire. It also offers
dive fills and PADI diving instruction.
Maitai Bay DOC Campsite CAMPSITE $
(www.doc.govt.nz; Maitai Bay Rd; sites
per adult/child $10/5) A large first-in,
first-served (no bookings) camping ground at the peninsula’s most
beautiful beach, with chemical toilets, drinking water and cold
showers.
Pepper’s Carrington Resort RESORT $$$
(
09-408 7222; www.peppers.co.nz; r from $245;
) There’s something very
Australian-looking about this hilltop lodge with its wide verandahs
and gum trees, tempered by Maori and Pacific design in the spacious
rooms and villas. The view over the golf course to the dazzling
white beach is exquisite.
SEED FOR THE FUTURE
The local Ngati Kuri,
guardians of the sacred spaces around the Cape, have come up with a
unique way of funding reforestation. For $20 you can assuage your
carbon guilt by planting a native tree or bush of your choice – or,
if you don’t want to break a nail, letting the staff plant it for
you; contact
Natives ( 09-409 8482; www.natives.co.nz).
Cape Reinga & Ninety Mile Beach
Maori consider Cape Reinga (Te Rerenga-Wairua) the jumping-off point for souls as they depart on the journey to their spiritual homeland. That makes the Aupouri Peninsula a giant diving board, and it even resembles one – long and thin, it reaches 108km to form NZ’s northern extremity. On its west coast Ninety Mile Beach (Ninety Kilometre Beach would be more accurate) is a continuous stretch lined with high sand dunes, flanked by the Aupouri Forest.
Sights & Activities
Standing at windswept Cape Reinga Lighthouse (a rolling 1km walk from the car park) and looking out over the ocean engenders a real end-of-the-world feeling. This is where the waters of the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean meet, breaking together into waves up to 10m high in stormy weather. Little tufts of cloud often cling to the ridges, giving sudden spooky chills even on hot days.
Visible on a promontory slightly to the east is a spiritually significant 800-year-old pohutukawa tree; souls are believed to slide down its roots. Out of respect to the most sacred site in Maoridom, don’t go near the tree and refrain from eating or drinking anywhere in the area.
Cape Reinga Coastal Walkway TRAMPING
Contrary to expectation, Cape Reinga isn’t actually the northernmost point of the country; that honour belongs to Surville Cliffs further to the east. A walk along Te Werahi Beach to Cape Maria van Diemen (a five-hour loop) takes you to the westernmost point of the north island. This is one of many sections of the three- to four-day, 53km Cape Reinga Coastal Walkway (from Kapowairua to Te Paki Stream) that can be tackled individually. Beautiful Tapotupotu Bay is a two-hour walk east of Cape Reinga, via Sandy Bay and the cliffs. From Tapotupotu Bay it’s an eight-hour walk to Spirits Bay, one of NZ’s most beautiful beaches. Both bays are also accessible by road.
Te Paki Recreation Reserve NATURE RESERVE
A large chunk of the land around Cape Reinga is part of the Te Paki Recreation Reserve managed by DOC. It’s public land with free access; leave the gates as you found them and don’t disturb the animals. There are 7 sq km of giant sand dunes on either side of the mouth of Te Paki Stream. Clamber up to take flying leaps off the dunes or to toboggan down them. During summer, Ahikaa Adventures (Click here) are on hand to rent sandboards ($15).
On the east coast, Great Exhibition Bay has dazzling snow-white silica dunes. There’s no public road access, but some tours pay a koha (donation) to cross Maori farmland or approach the sand by kayak from Parengarenga Harbour.
Nga-Tapuwae-o-te-Mangai TEMPLE
(6576 Far North Rd) With its two domed towers (Arepa and Omeka, alpha and omega) and the Ratana emblem of the star and crescent moon, you could be forgiven for mistaking this temple for a mosque. Ratana is a Maori Christian sect with more than 50,000 adherents, formed in 1925 by Tahupotiki Wiremu Ratana, who was known as ‘the mouthpiece of God’. The temple is built on land where Ratana once stood, and the name translates as ‘the sacred steps of the mouthpiece’. You’ll pass it at Te Kao, 46km south of Cape Reinga.
(www.gumdiggerspark.co.nz; 171 Heath Rd,
Waiharara; adult/child $14/7; 9am-5pm) Kauri forests covered this area
for 100,000 years, leaving ancient logs and the much-prized gum
(used for making varnish and linoleum) buried beneath. Digging it
out was the region’s main industry from the 1870s to the 1920s. In
1900 around 7000 gumdiggers were digging holes all over Northland,
including at this site. Start with the 15-minute video, and then
walk on the bush tracks, leading past gumdiggers’ huts, ancient
kauri stumps, huge preserved logs, and holes left by the
diggers.
Ancient Kauri Kingdom WOODTURNERS
(www.ancientkauri.co.nz; 229 Far North
Rd, Awanui; 8.30am-5pm; ) Here, 50,000-year-old kauri stumps
dragged out of swamps are fashioned into furniture, woodcraft
products and a fair bit of tourist tat. The large complex includes
a cafe, gift shop and workshop. A huge kauri log has been
transformed into an impressive spiral staircase.
Tours
Bus tours go to Cape Reinga from Kaitaia, Ahipara, Doubtless Bay and the Bay of Islands, but there’s no scheduled public transport up here.
Cape Reinga Adventures 4WD TOURS
(
09-409 8445; www.capereingaadventures.co.nz;
half-/full-day 4WD trips $75/135) Runs 4WD tours (including
sunset visits to the cape after the crowds have gone), plus
fishing, kayaking and sandboarding as day activities or as part of
overnight camping trips.
Far North Outback Adventures 4WD TOURS
(
09-408 0927; www.farnorthtours.co.nz; price on
application) Flexible, day-long tours from Kaitaia/Ahipara,
including morning tea and lunch. Options include visits to remote
areas such as Great Exhibition Bay.
Harrisons Cape Runner ADVENTURE TOUR
(
0800 227 373; www.harrisonscapereingatours.co.nz;
adult/child $50/25) Day trips from Kaitaia along Ninety Mile
Beach that include sandboarding and a picnic lunch.
(
09-408 1778, 0800 869 090;
www.sandsafaris.co.nz; adult/child
$50/30) Coach trips from Ahipara and Kaitaia including
sandboarding and a picnic lunch.
Ahikaa Adventures CULTURAL TOUR
(
09-409 8228; www.ahikaa-adventures.co.nz; tours
$70-190) Maori culture permeates these tours, which can
include sand-surfing, kayaking, fishing and pigging out on
traditional kai (food).
Sleeping & Eating
Unless you’re a happy camper you won’t find much decent accommodation up here. Pukenui – literally ‘Big Stomach’ – is the best place to fill yours; there’s a cafe, takeaways and grocery store. Another option is the friendly fishing club at Houhora.
North Wind Lodge Backpackers HOSTEL $
(
09-409 8515; www.northwind.co.nz; 88 Otaipango Rd,
Henderson Bay; dm/s/tw/d $30/60/80/80) Six kilometres down
an unsealed road on the Aupouri peninsula’s east side, this unusual
turreted house offers a homely environment and plenty of quiet
spots on the lawn to sit with a beer and a book.
(www.doc.govt.nz; sites per adult/child $10/5) There are spectacularly positioned sites at Kapowairua, Tapotupotu Bay and Rarawa Beach. Only water, composting toilets and cold showers are provided. Bring a cooker, as fires are not allowed, and plenty of repellent to ward off mosquitoes and sandflies. ‘Freedom/Leave No Trace’ camping is allowed along the Cape Reinga Coastal Walkway.
Getting There & Around
Apart from numerous tours, there’s no
public transport past Pukenui, which is linked to Kaitaia ($5, 45
minutes) by
Busabout Kaitaia ( 09-408 1092; www.cbec.co.nz) .
As well as Far North Rd (SH1), rugged vehicles can travel along Ninety Mile Beach itself. However, cars have been known to hit soft sand and be swallowed by the tides – look out for unfortunate vehicles poking through the sands. Check tide times before setting out; avoid it 2½ hours either side of high tide. Watch out for ‘quicksand’ at Te Paki Stream – keep moving. Many car-rental companies prohibit driving on the sands; if you get stuck, your insurance won’t cover you.
Fill up with petrol before hitting the Aupouri Peninsula.
NGATI TARARA
As you’re travelling around the north you might notice the preponderance of road names ending in ‘-ich’. The sign leading into Kaitaia proclaims, ‘ haere mai, dobro došli and welcome’, denoting one of the more peculiar ethnic conjunctions in the country.
From the end of the 19th century, men from the Dalmatian coast of what is now Croatia started arriving in NZ looking for work. Many ended up in Northland’s gum fields. Pakeha (white) society wasn’t particularly welcoming to the new immigrants, particularly during WWI, as they were on Austrian passports. Not so the small Maori communities of the north. Here the immigrants found an echo of Dalmatian village life, with its emphasis on extended family and hospitality, not to mention a shared history of injustice at the hands of colonial powers.
The Maori jokingly named them Tarara, as their rapid conversation in their native tongue sounded like ‘ta-ra-ra-ra-ra’ to Maori ears. Many Croatian men married local wahine (women), founding clans that have left several of today’s famous Maori with Croatian surnames, like singer Margaret Urlich and former All Black Frano Botica. You’ll find large Tarara communities in the Far North, Dargaville and West Auckland.
Kaitaia
Pop 4900
Nobody comes to the Far North to hang out in this provincial town, but it’s a handy stop if you’re after a supermarket, a post office or an ATM. It’s also a jumping-off point for tours to Cape Reinga and Ninety Mile Beach.
Sights
(www.teahu.org.nz; Matthews Ave;
) This civic and
community centre features a cinema, the eclectic local-history
Te Ahu Heritage (www.teahuheritage.co.nz;
10am-4pm Mon-Fri, to 2pm
Sat) 
exhibits of the Far North Regional
Museum, and the local i-SITE information centre. There’s also a
cafe and free wi-fi at the library.
(www.okahuestate.co.nz; 520 Okahu
Rd; noon-5pm Thu-Sat, also open holiday
weekends) Just south of town, off the road to Ahipara,
Kaitaia’s only winery offers free tastings and sells local produce,
including the famous Kaitaia Fire chilli sauce. Enquire about tours
($5).
Sleeping & Eating
(
09-408 1275; www.mainstreetlodge.co.nz; 235 Commerce
St; dm $27-30, s $55-70, d & tw $64-78; ) Maori carvings
abound at this groovy old cottage, which has a modern purpose-built
wing facing the rear courtyard. The friendly owners know the area
inside-out.
(
09-408 3200; www.loredomotel.co.nz; 25 North Rd;
units $130-160; ) Opting for a breezy Spanish style, this
tidy motel has well-kept units set among palm trees and lawns, with
a swimming pool.
(www.beachcomber.net.nz; 222 Commerce St;
lunch $19-33, dinner $24-36; 11am-3pm Mon-Fri, 5pm-late Mon-Sat) Easily
the best place to eat in town, with a wide range of seafood and
meaty fare and a well-stocked salad bar.
Information
Far North i-SITE
( 03-408 9450; www.northlandnz.com; Te Ahu Centre, cnr
Matthews Ave & South Rd; 8.30am-5pm)
Getting There & Away
Kaitaia Airport (www.bayofislandsairport.co.nz; Quarry
Rd) is 6km north of town. Busabout Kaitaia ( 09-408 1092; www.cbec.co.nz) has services to
Doubtless Bay ($5, one hour), Pukenui ($5, 45 minutes) and Ahipara
($3.50, 15 minutes). Both Air New Zealand (Click
here) and InterCity (Click
here) operate services to Kaitaia.
Ahipara
Pop 1130
All good things must come to an end, and Ninety Mile Beach does at this spunky beach town. A few holiday mansions have snuck in, but mostly it’s just the locals keeping it real, rubbing shoulders with visiting surfers.
The area is known for its huge sand dunes and massive gum field, where 2000 people once worked. Sandboarding and quad-bike rides are popular activities on the dunes above Ahipara and further around the Tauroa Peninsula.
Sights
(Wreck Bay Rd) The best surfing is at this small cove at Ahipara’s western edge, so named for shipwrecks still visible at low tide.
(Gumfields Rd) This lookout on the bluff behind Ahipara is reached by an extremely rough road leading off the unsealed Gumfields Rd, which starts at the western end of Foreshore Dr.
Activities
Ahipara Adventure Centre ADVENTURE SPORTS
(
09-409 2055; www.ahiparaadventure.co.nz; 15 Takahe
St) Hires sand toboggans ($10 per half day), surfboards ($30
per half day), mountain bikes ($50 per day), kayaks ($25 per hour),
blokarts for sand yachting ($65 per hour) and quad bikes ($95 per
hour).
(
0800 494 288; www.ahipara.co.nz/tuatuatours; 250
Ahipara Rd; s/d rides from $100/110) Reef- and dune-rider
tours, plus the Gumfields Safari (per one/two people $175/185),
three hours that includes sand tobogganing.
(
09-945 7276; www.nzsurfbros.com; 27 Kaka St; surf
lessons $60, paddle boarding $60-100) Based in a cool house
with amazing views of the surf, NZ Surf Bros offer surfing and
paddle-boarding lessons, plus day excursions and multiday trips
that take in beaches on both the west and east coasts of
Northland.
(
09-409 4122; www.ahiparahorsetreks.moonfruit.com;
1/2/3 hours $50/70/110) Offers beach canters, including some
farm and ocean riding (when the surf permits).
Sleeping
(
09-409 4181; www.endlesssummer.co.nz; 245 Foreshore
Rd; dm $30, d $70-85; ) Across from the beach, this superb kauri
villa (1880) has been beautifully restored and converted into an
exceptional hostel. There’s no TV, which encourages bonding around
the long table and wood-fired pizza oven on the vine-covered back
terrace. Body boards and sandboards can be borrowed and surfboards
can be hired.
90 Mile Beach
Ahipara Holiday Park HOLIDAY PARK
$
(
0800 888 988; www.ahiparaholidaypark.co.nz; 168 Takahe
St; sites from $40, dm/r $28/95, units $75-125; ) There’s a large
range of accommodation on offer at this holiday park, including
cabins, motel units and a worn but perfectly presentable
YHA-affiliated backpackers’ lodge. The communal hall has an open
fire and colourful murals.
(
09-409 4007; www.beachfront.net.nz; 14 Kotare St; apt
$175-310; ) Who cares if it’s a bit bourgeois for
Ahipara? These two upmarket, self-contained apartments have watery
views and there’s direct access to the beach.
Eating
(Takahe St;
meals $6-12; 9am-8pm; ) Fresh fish for sale, and the best fish,
chips and burgers in town (plus free wi-fi with purchase). There’s
also a small grocery store attached.
(3 Ahipara Rd;
mains $6-26; 7am-2pm & 5-10pm) Good coffee and huge
portions are the hallmarks of this friendly little cafe, serving
cooked breakfasts, nachos, burgers and huge platters. Dinners are
on offer from 5pm most nights.
Getting There & Around
Busabout Kaitaia ( 09-408 1092; www.cbec.co.nz) runs services
from Kaitaia ($3.50, 15 minutes).
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
HOKIANGA
I love the north of the north island, the beaten, bloody and beautiful landscape and wairua. The small towns up north, where I grew up, reach out all along the moody west coast. As kids, my brother and I would sneak in to Ngawha Springs and have our mud baths in the morning – smelling of rotten eggs for the rest of the day. In Opononi we’d go crab hunting on the rocks with Uncle Rata, then take the car ferry from Rawene home. At Pawarenga – a dusty old Maori town – we’d go horse riding with the cuzzies, learn Maori with my Grandpa, eat karahu and oysters, and, as we grew up, drink with the aunties and uncles. We’d drive to Kaitaia to buy all our food for the next week, and hang at the local pubs. Then further north for the Mangonui fish ’n’ chip shop, the best kai in Aotearoa. When we were tired, we’d drive to Ahipara and sleep on the beach.
Anika Moa, singer/songwriter
Hokianga
The Hokianga Harbour stretches out its skinny tentacles to become the fourth-biggest in the country. Its ruggedly beautiful landscape is painted in every shade of green and brown. The water itself is rendered the colour of ginger ale by the bush streams that feed it.
Of all the remote parts of Northland, this is the pocket that feels the most removed from the mainstream. Pretension has no place here. Isolated, predominantly Maori communities nestle around the harbour’s many inlets, as they have done for centuries. Discovered by legendary explorer Kupe, it’s been settled by Ngapuhi since the 14th century. Hippies arrived in the late 1960s and their legacy is a thriving little artistic scene.
Many of the roads remain unsealed, and, while tourism dollars are channelled eastward to the Bay of Islands, this truly fascinating corner of the country remains remarkably undeveloped, just how many of the locals like it.
See www.hokiangatourism.org.nz.
Mitimiti
The tiny community at Mitimiti, which consists of only 30 families and not even a shop, has the unspoilt 20km stretch of coast between the Hokianga and Whangape Harbours all to itself. The 40km drive from Kohukohu via Panguru (14km of it unsealed) is quite an experience: prepare to dodge cows, sheep, potholes and kids.
Sandtrails Hokianga ( 09-409 5035; www.sandtrailshokianga.co.nz; 32
Paparangi Dr) offers an inside perspective on Mitimiti’s
tight-knit Maori community, with two-hour Sandscapes dune-buggy
tours, which head 12km along the beach to the giant dunes that form
the harbour’s north head ($155), or personally tailored tours on
which you can stay overnight in the guide’s house ($640 for two
people).
Motuti
It’s worth taking a short detour from the road to Mitimiti to visit St Mary’s Church (Hata Maria; www.hokiangapompallier.org.nz; Motuti Rd) , where NZ’s first Catholic bishop is buried beneath the altar. Jean Baptiste Pompallier arrived in the Hokianga in 1838, celebrating NZ’s first Mass at Totara Point. He was interred here in 2002 after an emotional 14-week pilgrimage full of Maori ceremony brought his remains back from France.
The nearby Motuti Marae (
09-409 5545; www.motuti.co.nz; 318 Motuti Rd; tours
90min/day $36/60, stay $214) offers marae tours and
stays, including a traditional Maori welcome and, on the longer
tours, the opportunity to take part in flax-weaving, carving and
stick games.
Kohukohu
Pop 190
Quick, someone slap a
preservation order on Kohukohu before it’s too late. There can be
few places in NZ where a Victorian village full of interesting
kauri buildings has been so completely preserved with hardly a
modern monstrosity to be seen. During the height of the kauri
industry it was a busy town with a sawmill, shipyard, two
newspapers and banks. These days it’s a very quiet backwater on the
north side of Hokianga Harbour, 4km from the Rawene car ferry
(Click
here). There’s good eating at the local pub and on the cosy
deck of the
KB Cafaway (cnr Beach Rd & Kohukohu Rd; mains
$12-14; noon-8pm Wed-Sun) . Village Arts (www.villagearts.co.nz; 1376 Kohukohu
Rd; 10am-4pm, to 3pm winter) is an excellent
little art gallery.
Tree
House (
09-405 5855; www.treehouse.co.nz; 168 West Coast Rd;
sites/dm $19/32, s $60-70, tw & d $86;
) is the best place to stay in
the Hokianga, with helpful hosts and brightly painted little
cottages set among exotic fruit and nut trees. This quiet retreat
is 2km from the ferry terminus (turn sharp left as you come off the
ferry).
Horeke & Around
Tiny Horeke was NZ’s
second European settlement after Russell. A Wesleyan mission
operated here from 1828 to 1855, while, in 1840, 3000 Ngapuhi
gathered here for what was the single biggest signing of the Treaty
of Waitangi. The rustic Horeke Tavern (www.horeketavern.co.nz; 2118 Horeke
Rd; 1pm-late Wed-Sun, bistro Thu-Sun 5.30-8pm)
is reputedly New Zealand’s oldest pub – the first cold one was
poured back in 1826 – and the garden bar rocks with live music on
occasional weekends during summer.
Horeke is also the western end point of the Pou Herenga Tai Twin Coast Cycle Trail (Click here).
Sights & Activities
Mangungu Mission House HISTORIC BUILDING
(www.historic.org.nz; Motukiore Rd;
adult/child $10/free; noon-4pm Sat & Sun) Completed in 1839,
this sweet wooden cottage contains relics of the missionaries who
once inhabited it, and of Horeke’s shipbuilding past. In the
grounds there’s a large stone cross and a simple wooden church.
Mangungu is 1km down the unsealed road leading along the harbour
from Horeke village.
Wairere Boulders Nature Park NATURE PARK
(www.wairereboulders.co.nz; McDonnell Rd;
adult/child/family $15/5/35; to 5pm/7pm winter/summer) At Wairere, massive basalt
rock formations have been eroded into odd fluted shapes by the
acidity of ancient kauri forests. Allow an hour for the main loop
track, but wear sensible shoes and expect a few dips and climbs. An
additional track leads through rainforest to a platform at the end
of the boulder valley (allow 1½ hours). The park is signposted from
SH1 and Horeke; the last 3km are unsealed.
Without your own transport, get here on a Discover Hokianga tour by Fullers (Click here), which departs from Paihia.
Wairere Adventure Park QUAD BIKES, KAYAKING
(
09-401 9544; www.wairereadventurepark.co.nz; 34
McDonnell Rd; quad-bike tours $65-135, kayak hire $15)
Offers quad-bike tours with harbour, bush and boulders scenery, and
kayak hire to explore a scenic tidal estuary. Booking ahead for
kayaks is recommended to catch the best tidal conditions.
Rawene
Pop 440
Founded shortly after Horeke, Rawene was NZ’s third European settlement. A surprising number of historic buildings (including six churches!) remain from a time when the harbour was considerably busier than it is now. Information boards outline a heritage trail of the main sights.
There’s an ATM in the Four Square grocery store, and you can get petrol here.
Sights
Clendon House HISTORIC BUILDING
(www.historic.org.nz; Clendon Esplanade;
adult/child $10/free; 10am-4pm Sat & Sun Nov-Apr, Sun
May-Oct) Clendon House was built in the bustling 1860s by
James Clendon, a trader, shipowner and magistrate. After his death,
his 34-year-old half-Maori widow Jane was left with a brood of kids
and a whopping £5000 debt. She managed to clear the debt and her
descendants remained in the house until 1972, when it passed to the
Historic Places Trust.
Sleeping & Eating
Rawene Holiday Park HOLIDAY PARK $
(
09-405 7720; www.raweneholidaypark.co.nz; 1 Marmon
St; dm $20, sites/units from $32/65; ) Tent sites shelter in the bush at this
nicely managed park. The cabins are simple, with one converted into
a bunkroom for backpackers (linen costs extra).
(
09-405 7728; 8 Clendon
Esplanade; mains $10-20; 8.30am-4pm) Eat overlooking the water at
this cafe, a cute place with excellent food and a gift shop that
sells local art and crafts. The cafe sometimes opens for dinner at
the weekend.
Getting There & Away
There are no regular bus services to
Rawene. A
car ferry ( 09-405 2602; car/campervan/motorcycle $20/40/5,
passenger $2; 7.30am-8pm) heads to the northern side of
the Hokianga, docking 4km south of Kohukohu at least hourly. You
can buy your ticket for this 15-minute ride on board. It usually
leaves Rawene on the half-hour and the north Kohukohu side on the
hour.
Opononi & Omapere
Pop 480
These tranquil settlements near the south head of Hokianga Harbour run into one another. The water’s much clearer here and good for swimming, and views are dominated by the mountainous sand dunes across the water at North Head. If you’re approaching Omapere from the south, the view of the harbour is nothing short of spectacular.
Activities
(
021 405 872; www.hokiangaexpress.webs.com;
adult/child $25/15; from 10am) A boat departs from Opononi
Jetty and takes you across the harbour to the large golden sand
dunes, where you can sandboard down a 30m slope and skim over the
water. Boats leave on the hour. Bookings essential.
Jim
Taranaki’s
Bone Carving Studio BONE CARVING
(
09-405 8061;
hokiangabonecarvingstudio@gmail.com; 15 Akiha St, Omapere;
$60) Create your own Maori-inspired bone carving in a studio
with ocean views.
Arai te Uru Heritage Walk WALKING
Starting at the car park at the end of Signal Station Rd, this short walk (30 minutes return) follows the cliffs and passes through a tall stand of manuka before opening out to the grassy southern headland of the Hokianga and the remains of an old signal station. Built to assist ships making the treacherous passage through the harbour mouth, the station was closed in 1951 due to the decline in shipping in the harbour.
The Six Foot Track at the end of Mountain Rd gives access to many Waima Forest walks.
Tours
Footprints Waipoua CULTURAL TOUR
(
09-405 8207; www.footprintswaipoua.co.nz; adult/child
$95/35) Led by
Maori guides, this four-hour twilight tour into Waipoua Forest is a
fantastic introduction to both the culture and the forest giants.
Tribal history and stories are shared, and mesmerising
karakia (prayer, incantation) recited before the
gargantuan trees.
Sandtrails Hokianga DUNE BUGGY
(
09-409 5035; www.sandtrailshokianga.co.nz)
Jump off the Hokianga Express (Click
here) boat and into a dune buggy for a sandy ride to Mitimiti
($185, three hours), or a 70-minute Sandsecrets tour ($95).
Sleeping & Eating
Each of these neighbouring villages has its own grocery store and takeaway, and there is a good bistro and bar at the Opononi Hotel.
(
09-405 8183; www.globetrekkerslodge.com; SH12,
Omapere; dm/s/d $29/53/67; ) Unwind in casual style at this home-style
hostel with harbour views and bright dorms. Private rooms have
plenty of thoughtful touches, such as writing desks, mirrors, art
and fluffy towels. There’s a stereo but no TV, encouraging plenty
of schmoozing in the grapevine-draped BBQ area.
(
09-405 8285; www.hokiangahaven.co.nz; 226 SH12,
Omapere; r $140-200) This modern house with original Kiwi
art on the walls offers spacious accommodation on the harbour’s
edge and glorious views of the sand dunes. Alternative healing
therapies can be arranged.
Copthorne Hotel & Resort HOTEL $$
(
09-405 8737; www.milleniumhotels.co.nz; 336 SH12,
Omapere; r $140-200; ) Despite the original grand
Victorian villa having been violated by aluminium joinery, this
waterside complex remains an attractive spot for a summer’s drink
or bistro meal ($19 to $36). The more expensive rooms in the newer
accommodation block have terraces and water views.
(
09-405 8858; www.opononihotel.com; 19 SH12; r
$110-130) The rooms at the old Opononi pub aren’t huge but
the white-paint and blond-wood makeover has left them quietly
stylish. Try to grab one of the front two – they’re a bit bigger
and have the best views. Otherwise aim for those facing away from
the pub for a quieter stay.
(
021 779 927; www.kokohuialodge.co.nz; d incl
breakfast $295; ) Luxury and sustainable and
ecofriendly practices combine at this new B&B, nestled in
regenerating native bush high above the silvery dune-fringed
expanse of the Hokianga harbour. Solar energy and organic and
free-range produce all feature, but there’s no trade-off for luxury
in the modern and stylish accommodation.
Information
Opononi i-SITE
( 09-405 8869; 29 SH12;
8.30am-5pm) Includes the
Hokianga Art Gallery.
Getting There & Away
There’s no regular public transport to these parts, so you’ll need to rent a car from Kerikeri or Paihia for independent exploration. Another option is a Discover Hokianga day trip (adult/child $112/56) from Paihia with Fullers (Click here), taking in Opononi, Omapere and the Waiere Boulders.
Waiotemarama & Waimamaku
These neighbouring villages, nestled between the Hokianga Harbour and the Waipoua Forest, are the first of many tiny rural communities scattered along this underpopulated stretch of SH12.
Activities
(www.nzanity.co.nz; 647 Waiotemarama
Gorge Rd; maze $4; 9am-5pm) Crack the code in the outdoor maze
by collecting letters to form a word. The puzzle museum and lots of
retro board games are also interesting. Nearby walks lead to a
waterfall and magnificent kauri trees.
Eating
(7235 SH12,
Waimamaku; mains $10-24; 9am-4pm) This cafe and craft shop occupies
a former cheese factory. It’s the last good eatery before Baylys
Beach, so drop in for coffee or an eggy breakfast.
Kauri Coast
Apart from the odd bluff and river, this coast is basically unbroken and undeveloped for the 110km between the Hokianga and Kaipara Harbours. The main reason for coming here is to marvel at the kauri forests, one of the great natural highlights of NZ. You’d need 8m arms to get them around some of the big boys here.
There are few stores or eateries and no ATMs north of Dargaville, so stock up beforehand. Trampers should check DOC’s website for walks in the area (www.doc.govt.nz).
For visitor information see www.kauricoast.com.
Waipoua Forest
The highlight of Northland’s west coast, this superb forest sanctuary – proclaimed in 1952 after much public pressure – is the largest remnant of the once-extensive kauri forests of northern NZ. The forest road (SH12) stretches for 18km and passes some huge trees – a kauri can reach 60m in height and have a trunk more than 5m in diameter.
Control of the forest has been returned to Te
Roroa, the local iwi (tribe), as part of a settlement for
Crown breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi. Te Roroa runs the Waipoua Forest visitor centre ( 09-439 6445; www.waipouakauriforest.co.nz; 1 Waipoua
River Rd; 9am-6.30pm summer, to 4pm winter) , near
the south end of the park.
Another option to visit the forest is on a twilight tour, departing from Omapere with Footprints Waipoua (Click here).
Sights & Activities
Near the north end of the park, not far from the road, stands mighty Tane Mahuta, named for the Maori forest god. At 51.5m, with a 13.8m girth and wood mass of 244.5 cu metres, he’s the largest kauri alive, and has been holding court here for somewhere between 1200 and 2000 years.
Te Matua
Ngahere,
Four Sisters & Yakas TREE
From the Kauri Walks car park, a 20-minute (each way) walk leads past the Four Sisters, a graceful stand of four tall trees fused together at the base, to Te Matua Ngahere (the Father of the Forest). At 30m, he’s shorter than Tane Mahuta, but still has a significant presence. Reinforced by a substantial girth – he’s the fattest living kauri (16.4m) – the tree presides over a clearing surrounded by mature trees resembling mere matchsticks in comparison.
A 30-minute (one way) path leads from near the Four Sisters to Yakas, the seventh-largest kauri.
For a bird’s-eye view over the canopy, head to the forest lookout, near the very south end of the park. You can either drive to it (the road is well signposted but not suitable for campervans) or take the 2.5km Lookout Track from the visitor centre.
Waipoua Visitor Centre ARTS & CRAFTS
(www.waipouakauriforest.co.nz; 1 Waipoua
River Rd; 9am-6.30pm summer, to 4pm winter)
Interesting exhibition on the kauri forests, guided tours ($25),
flax-weaving lessons ($5) and a good cafe. You can also plant your
own kauri tree – complete with GPS coordinates – for $180.
Sleeping & Eating
Waipoua Forest Campground CAMPSITE $
(
09-439 6445; www.waipouakauriforest.co.nz; 1 Waipoua
River Rd; site/unit/house from $15/20/175) Situated next to
the Waipoua River and the visitor centre, this peaceful camping
ground offers hot showers, flush toilets and a kitchen. The cabins
are extremely spartan, with unmade squab beds (bring your own linen
or hire it). There are also whole houses for rent, sleeping 10.
(
09-439 0422; www.waipoualodge.co.nz; SH12; r
$585) This fine old villa at the southern edge of the forest
has four luxurious, spacious suites, which were originally the
stables, the woolshed and the calf-rearing pen. Decadent dinners
($75) are available.
Trounson Kauri Park
The 450-hectare Trounson Kauri Park has an easy half-hour loop walk that leads from the picnic area by the road. It passes through beautiful forest with streams, some fine kauri stands, a couple of fallen trees and another Four Sisters – two pairs of trees with conjoined trunks. DOC operates a campsite (www.doc.govt.nz; sites per adult/child $10/5) at the edge of the park with a communal kitchen and hot showers.
Just 2km from SH12, Kauri
Coast Top 10 Holiday Park ( 09-439 0621; www.kauricoasttop10.co.nz; Trounson Park
Rd; site/unit from $42/95; ) is an attractive riverside
camping ground with good facilities and a small shop. It also
organises night-time nature walks
(adult/child $25/15) , which
explain the flora and nocturnal wildlife that thrives here. This is
a rare chance to see a kiwi in the wild. Trounson has a
predator-eradication program and has become a mainland refuge for
threatened native bird species, so you should at least hear a
morepork (a native owl) or a brown kiwi.
If you’re approaching from the north, it’s easier to take the second turn-off to the park, near Kaihu, which avoids a rough unsealed road.
Kai Iwi Lakes
These three trout-filled freshwater lakes nestle together near the coast, 12km off SH12. The largest, Taharoa, has blue water fringed with sandy patches. Lake Waikere is popular with water-skiers, while Lake Kai Iwi is relatively untouched. A half-hour walk leads from the lakes to the coast and it’s another two hours to reach the base of volcanic Maunganui Bluff (460m); the hike up and down it takes five hours.
Camping (
09-439 0986;
lakes@kaipara.govt.nz; adult/child $10/5) is permitted at
the side of Lake Taharoa; cold showers, drinking water and flush
toilets are provided.
Baylys Beach
A village of brightly
coloured baches and a few new holiday mansions, Baylys Beach is
12km from Dargaville, off SH12. It lies on 100km-long Ripiro Ocean
Beach, a surf-pounded stretch of coast that has been the site of
many shipwrecks. The beach is a gazetted highway: you can drive
along its hard sand at low tide, although it is primarily for 4WDs.
Despite being NZ’s longest drivable beach, it’s less well known and
hence less travelled than Ninety Mile Beach. Ask locals about
conditions and check your hire-car agreement before venturing onto
the sand. Quad bikes (single/double $75/95) can be hired at the
holiday park. Ask there also about an equine outing with Baylys Beach Horse Treks ( 0800 229 597; www.baylysbeachhorsetreks.webs.com; 24
Seaview Rd; 1/2/3 hours $50/70/90; late Oct-Easter) .
Sleeping
Baylys Beach Holiday Park HOLIDAY PARK $
(
09-439 6349; www.baylysbeach.co.nz; 24 Seaview Rd;
site/unit from $16/65;
) Circled by pohutukawa trees,
this midsized camping ground has tidy facilities and attractive
cream and green units, some with funky Kiwiana decor. Options range
from basic cabins to a cottage sleeping six.
(
09-439 4342; www.sunsetviewlodge.co.nz; 7 Alcemene
Lane; r $175-190; ) If gin-in-hand sunset-gazing is your
thing, this large, modern B&B fits the bill. The upstairs rooms
have terrific sea views and there’s a self-service bar with an
honesty box in the guest lounge.
Eating
(
09-439 8883; www.thefunkyfish.co.nz; 34 Seaview Rd;
lunch $14-22, dinner $22-32; 11am-late Tue-Sun, reduced hours in winter)
Brightly decorated with murals and mosaics, this highly popular
cafe, restaurant and bar has a wonderful back garden and a
wide-ranging menu, including lots of seafood. Bookings are
advisable in summer. Check its Facebook page for occasional live
music.
Dargaville
Pop 4500
When a town proclaims itself the ‘kumara capital of NZ’ (it produces two-thirds of the country’s sweet potatoes), you should know not to expect too much. Founded in 1872 by timber merchant Joseph Dargaville, this once-important river port thrived on the export of kauri timber and gum. As the forests were decimated, it declined, and today is a quiet backwater servicing the agricultural Northern Wairoa area.
Sights & Activities
(www.dargavillemuseum.co.nz; adult/child
$15/2; 9am-4pm) The hilltop Dargaville Museum is
more interesting than most regional museums. There’s a large
gumdigging display, plus maritime, Maori and musical-instrument
sections and a neat model railway. Outside, the masts of the
Rainbow Warrior are mounted at a lookout near a
pa site, and there’s a re-creation of a gumdiggers’
camp.
(
09-439 7018; www.kumarabox.co.nz; 503 Pouto Rd; tours
$20) To learn all about kumara, book ahead for Kumara
Ernie’s show. It’s surprisingly entertaining, usually involving a
journey by home-built tractor-train through the fields to ‘NZ’s
smallest church’.
Sleeping & Eating
Campervans can stay at the Dargaville Museum car park for $15 per night.
Greenhouse Backpackers HOSTEL $
(
09-439 6342;
greenhousebackpackers@ihug.co.nz; 15 Gordon St; dm/s/d
$28/45/70; ) This converted 1921 schoolhouse has
classrooms partitioned into a large dorm and a communal lounge,
both painted with colourful murals. Better still are the cosy units
in the back garden.
(
09-439 4264; www.facebook.com/thehangihut; 1 Murdoch
St; hangi $12; 11am-6pm Tue-Sat) Opposite the information
centre, The Hangi Hut does heaped plates of meat and vegies –
including, of course, local kumara. Choose from lamb, pork or
chicken, all served with delicious stuffing, and steamed slowly on
hot volcanic rocks. Raw fish and coconut ($5) and traditional Maori
paraoa parae (fried bread, 50c) are also available.
Riverside Produce Market MARKET $
(Kapia
St; 2.30-5.30pm Thu) Local produce and
crafts.
Blah, Blah, Blah… CAFE, BAR $$
(101 Victoria
St; breakfast $12-25, lunch $13-18, dinner $22-34;
9am-late Tue-Sat, to 4pm
Sun-Mon) The number-one eatery in Dargaville has a garden
area, hip music, deli-style snacks, a global menu including
dukkah , pizza and steak, and beer, wine and
cocktails.
Information
DOC Kauri Coast Area
Office (
09-439 3450; www.doc.govt.nz; 150 Colville Rd;
8am-4.30pm
Mon-Fri)
Visitor Information
Centre (
09-439 4975; www.kauriinfocentre.co.nz; 4 Murdoch
St; 9am-5.30pm; ) Operates out of the Woodturners Kauri
Gallery & Studio. Books accommodation and tours.
Getting There & Away
Weekday shuttle buses run by West Coaster (Click here) link Dargaville with Whangarei.
Pouto Point
A narrow spit descends south of Dargaville, bordered by the Tasman Sea and Wairoa River, and comes to an abrupt halt at the entrance of NZ’s biggest harbour, the Kaipara. It’s an incredibly remote headland, punctuated by dozens of petite dune lakes and the lonely Kaipara Lighthouse (built from kauri in 1884). Less than 10km separates Kaipara Harbour’s north and south heads, but if you were to drive between the two you’d cover 267km.
A 4WD can be put to its proper use on the ocean-hugging 71km stretch of beach from Dargaville. DOC’s Pouto Hidden Treasures is a helpful guide for motorists, with tips for protecting both your car and the fragile ecosystem. It can be downloaded at www.doc.govt.nz.
To explore the huge expanse of sand dunes on
an organised tour, contact Jock at Poutu
Sand Safaris (
09-439 6678; www.poutu.co.nz; per person from
$35) .
Matakohe
Pop 400
Apart from the rural
charms of this village, the key reason for visiting is the superb
Kauri Museum (www.kaurimuseum.com; 5 Church Rd;
adult/child $25/8; 9am-5pm) . The giant cross sections of
trees are astounding, but the entire industry is brought to life
through video kiosks, artefacts, fabulous furniture and marquetry,
and reproductions of a pioneer sawmill, boarding house, gumdigger’s
hut and Victorian home. The Gum Room holds a weird and wonderful
collection of kauri gum, the amber substance that can be carved,
sculpted and polished to a jewel-like quality. The museum shop
stocks mementoes crafted from kauri wood and gum.
Facing the museum is the tiny kauri-built Matakohe Pioneer Church (1867), which served both Methodists and Anglicans, and acted as the community’s hall and school. Nearby, you can wander through a historic school house (1878) and post office/telephone exchange (1909).
Sleeping & Eating
Matakohe Holiday Park HOLIDAY PARK $
(
09-431 6431; www.matakoheholidaypark.co.nz; 66 Church
Rd; site/unit from $38/65; ) This little park
has modern amenities, plenty of space and good views of Kaipara
Harbour.
(
09-431 7552; www.petiteprovence.co.nz; 703c Tinopai
Rd; s/d $120/160) This
attractive, French-influenced B&B is a popular weekender for
Aucklanders, so it pays to book ahead. Excellent dinners can be
arranged for $45 per person.
(
09-431 7091; www.matakohehouse.co.nz; 24 Church Rd; d
$160; ) This B&B occupies a pretty villa with
a cafe attached. The simply furnished rooms open out onto a
verandah and offer winning touches like complimentary port and
chocolates.
Getting There & Away
No scheduled buses run to Matakohe, but return day trips from Auckland to the Kauri Museum are $149. See www.kauri-museum.com for tour bookings.