ROAD TRIP - Kaitāia to Matakohe

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, Kaitāia- Awaroa 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

Ōpononi to Kaihū via SH 12 through Ōmāpere and the Waipōua Forest 58min, 55.7km

Kaihū to Matakohe via SH 12 through Dargaville 56min, 74.4km

SIDE TRIP - Kaihū to Kai Iwi Lakes Via SH 12 off SH 12 onto Omamari Rd and then onto Kai Iwi Lakes Rd

This 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.

HIGHLIGHTS

AHIPARA is a rugged little beach town at the southern end of Ninety Mile Beach.

NINETY MILE BEACH Famous for its towering sand dunes, spectacular sunsets and one of the world’s best left-hand surf breaks.

HOKIANGA HARBOUR Catch the ferry here from Kohukohu or Rāwene and get a real feel for the strong tide and marine drama of this wild harbour.

Hokianga Estuary

© Adobe Stock

ŌPONONI & ŌMĀPERE Where seaside meets sand dunes. Find the statue of Opo the legendary dolphin and swim in rock pools at the end of the Waimamaku Beach Road, a 10-minute drive from Ōmāpere.

HŌREKE the second oldest town in the country and the first to debut New Zealand’s premier pub and post office.

RANGI POINT Straddling the northern part of the Hokianga Harbour mouth and home to huge sand dunes, perfect for dune surfing.

RĀWENE On the southern edge of the harbour and the landing for the car ferry from Kohukohu. Rāwene is blessed with charm and intrigue. Visit Clendon House, meander the streets and heritage gardens, check out the local art gallery and take in the harbour views over lunch.

KAIHŪ Add this to your agenda if you’re interested in the region’s kauri history. Kaihū played an important part in Northland’s kauri logging boom and the local gallery celebrates all of it.

DARGAVILLE is proud of its kumara-rich soil, kauri felling and gumdigging history. Dargaville Museum is easily one of the country’s best small museums, featuring a waka, replica gumdiggers camp and shipwreck relics.

KAIPARA HARBOUR Famed for great fishing off the wharf. Enjoy nearby bush reserves and cafés.

Both PAHI and BAYLYS BEACH offer fabulous beaches. The latter is also New Zealand’s longest drivable beach.

HOKIANGA’S COAST

> Rāwene

> Waipōua Forest

> Sand dunes

> Ōpononi’s historic jetty

> Kohukohu

Hokianga beach

© Northland Tourism

T Ā NE MAHUTA

Your journey down the west coast takes you through Waipōua Forest, an impressive swathe of protected native forest that is home to New Zealand’s largest living kauri tree – TĀNE MAHUTA, ‘LORD OF THE FOREST’.

This imposing giant has a 13.77m girth, a trunk height of 17.68m and a total height of 51.5m. Tāne Mahuta’s nearest challenger is TE MATUA NGĀHERE, ‘FATHER OF THE FOREST’.

Tāne Mahuta, Waipōua Kauri Forest

© NorthlandNZ.com

Due to the threat of kauri dieback disease, keep to the tracks, stay away from kauri tree roots and clean your gear before and after visiting. To check the track is open beforehand, go to www.doc.govt.nz

Protect our kauri, Northland

© Northland Inc.

HISTORIC PLACES - VISIONS OF THE PAST

> Clendon House

> Kohukohu ferry

> Methodist church

> Motukaraka Catholic Church

> Rāwene Courthouse

MĀNGUNGU This house on the shores of the Hokianga Harbour, 3km from Hōreke, was built in 1838-1839 for the Reverend Nathaniel Turner. The largest signing of the Treaty of Waitangi took place here and that event is remembered each year on February 12. Visitors can tour the house and grounds all year round.

MANEA FOOTPRINTS OF KUPE CULTURAL CENTRE A knockout experience detailing the story of Kupe’s arrival in New Zealand via 75 minutes of multisensory splendour. Enjoy live performance and narration, 4D films, art, taonga and digital wizardry.

KOUTU BOULDERS The North Island’s answer to Otago’s Moeraki Boulders, these giant, round behemoths are equally mesmerising and at 3m – even bigger! Three minutes from Ōpononi, they were pushed up and out of the ocean between 20-25 million years ago.

CLENDON HOUSE This charming home in Rāwene was built for Captain James Clendon and is now owned by Heritage New Zealand. Visitors are granted a fascinating insight into early colonial history.

ARAI TE URU RESERVE At the south head of the Hokianga Harbour with expansive views of the coast and across to the famous sand dunes is this hugely significant historic site. It marks the first landing of Kupe, Māori settlement of the area and European influence. Remnants of the signal station which guided ships across the harbour can still be seen.

Arai Te Uru Recreation Reserve in Ōmāpere

© Adobe Stock

MATAKOHE A settlement built on the banks of the Matakohe River where their Kauri Museum relays stories of the pioneering settlers through their high-quality displays with elements of surprise, creating a funexperience for all ages.

Matakohe Kauri Museum – kauri heart

© AATP

KAIPARA HARBOUR This shallow harbour is, surprisingly, one of the largest in the world, with over 400 square kilometres exposed as mudflats and sandflats at low tide. Idyllic for kayaking, fishing charters, bird watching and cruises between Dargaville and Helensville.

AHIPARA GUMFIELDS HISTORIC RESERVE Admire relics from the area’s prosperous gumdigging past alongside the last remains of ancient kauri forests.

SIDE TRIP - KAI IWI LAKES

FROM DARGAVILLE 35KM, 30MIN It’s a detour of 11km from SH 12 between Hokianga and Dargaville to see Kai Iwi Lakes and it’s a detour well worth taking.SPEND A DAY OR TWO These dune lakes are like nothing else. They’re very deep but rimmed with warm, shallow water making them ideal for swimming. Their white-sand beaches are perfect for sunbathing. The three lakes are within the green expanse of the 538ha Taharoa Domain, where you can camp or just visit for the day.

ON WATER Bring your kayaks, paddleboards, boats and water skis, even your fishing and diving gear. As well as rainbow trout, there are kōura, crabs and freshwater mussels in the lakes.

ON LAND Options include cycling or hiking around the lake perimeters; there is an extensive walking track system within Taharoa Domain. The lakes are 2.5km from the Tasman Sea and you can walk to the coast on a walkway that accesses an adjoining farm property. Once you have completed your adventure, it’s back to the lakes for a dip.