TRIP 4 NORTHLAND
TRIP 4
a journey down the
Kauri Coast
Kaitāia to Ahipara via Kaitāia-Awaroa Rd near Herekino Forest and then on to Ahipara Rd to Ahipara 12min, 13.4km Ahipara to Ōpononi via Ahipara Rd, KaitāiaAwaroa Rd, Awaroa Rd, Broadwood Rd Kohukohu Rd and across Hokianga Harbour on a ferry to Rāwene on SH 12, then on to Ōpononi 1hr 57min,102km
SIDE TRIP
Ōpononi to Kaihū via SH 12 through Ōmāpere and the Waipōua Forest 58min, 55.7km Kaihū to Kai Iwi Lakes Via SH 12 off SH 12 onto Omamari Rd and then onto Kai Iwi Lakes Rd 14min, 15.5km Kaihū to Matakohe via SH 12 through Dargaville 56min, 74.4km
T
his part of your adventure will change all preconceptions of Northland. This road trip reveals an untamed wilderness in intriguing glimpses of secretive valleys, bush-clad hills, dusty roads and, at Kohukohu, the surprising west coast. Hokianga Harbour is like no other. It’s deep and dangerous, with an infamous bar at its mouth, and great sand dunes on the northern edge creating an other-worldly backdrop. There is a lot of history in this region and it’s worth slowing down for. Then it’s down the coast, south, to Dargaville with a few delights along the way including the magnificent Waipōua Forest, the utterly surprising Kai Iwi lakes and the arrival in Matakohe for a dose of kauri gum story-telling.
ABOVE: Tāne Mahuta © David Kirkland
42 |
M U S T D O ’ S • N O RTH LA N D
