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Ahipara & Kaitāia Must-Do's
Ahipara Beach Town - It’s a salty air, sea-licked hair kind of place, where sunsets go nicely with frosted beers and the surf offers some of the best left-hand breaks in the country.
Kaitāia Golf Club - Running parallel to the southern brinks of Ninety Mile Beach, the club welcomes both members and Green Fee players.
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Ahipara Gumfields Historic Reserve - Admire relics from the area’s prosperous gum-digging past alongside the final hurrah of once thriving ancient kauri forests.
Ahipara Sand Dunes - Great swathes of towering sand dunes are fun to climb and canter down. If you’re a speed demon with a boogie board, push off the edge and go like the wind.
The Tuatua Twist Ahipara is flush with shellfish. Master the ‘Tuatua Twist’ by paddling the shallows at low tide and twisting your feet until the tell-tale edges of tuatua tickle your toes.
Te Whare Whiri Toi Gallery - Take a look at traditional flax-wovenart at this gallery, located inside Roma Marae. Open summer, Wednesday to Sunday; every now and then they run workshops, too.
Surf at Shipwreck Bay - Drive seven minutes out of Ahipara for legendary left-hand breaks lauded by surfers across New Zealand. Surfboard hire is available in Ahipara.
Ahipara beach © Adobe Stock
Kaitāia Must-Do's
Te Ahu - Home to the i-SITE visitor centre, library, cinema, café, auditorium and the Museum @ Te Ahu, learn all about the Far North’s varied history at this modern and interactive space.
Gumdiggers Park - Experience a day in the life of a gum digger at a former Kauri Gumfield. Beneath your feet lies a vast buried forest, complete with a partly exposed 100,000-year-old kauri tree.
The Kaitāia Walkway - A full 90 minutes return. Weave through kauri grovesand podocarp forest, tracing an old roadway and stream bridges. Once on the saddle, drink up the views of Diggers Valley.
