TOP TIP: Come rain or shine, the Matakana Farmers’ Market springs up every Saturday from 8am-1pm, year-round. Sample heavenly produce from over 50 local purveyors.
Matakana, North Auckland
MAKE THE MOST OF MATAKANA
M
atakana is just one hours’ drive north of Auckland and for those fond of a jolly good browse, there is no better place. This small, old-world village boast a pocketful of shops. Discover artware and boutique chocolatiers, one-of-a-kind clothing and a carefully curated selection of Māori design objects from Unity Collection. Don’t miss independent art store Pigment Art for its beautiful presentation of materials, then follow your nose to Ringawera Bakery for buttery croissants and artisan bread. Sip coffee from riverside eatery, Matakana Market Kitchen and bite into Aotearoa’s best bacon butty at the Matakana Bacon Company located up on the knoll and next door to Matakana Coffee Roasters. TOP TIP: Amble down Warkworth’s Mahurangi River aboard restored scow, the Jane Gifford.
TOP TIP: Leigh Sawmill has great pizza, live gigs, a beer garden, relics from the former mill and a rustic courtyard peppered with seesaws and beanbags.
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Oyster spread with Leigh Sawmill beer © Mahurangi Oysters
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