5 Ways To Make the Most Out of Northland

Don't stop until you've squeezed out every last drop of Northland's best bits!

1. HOW HISTORY SHAPED THE FUTURE

To understand the critical decisions which would forever shape New Zealand, return to 1840. The Waitangi Treaty Grounds illustrates New Zealand’s most defining moments in history via a museum, treaty house and traditional Māori meeting house. Poignantly, there is a flagstaff erected in the very place the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, and an impressive ceremonial war canoe displayed in the waka house. The Treaty Grounds are a mere five minutes from Paihia, but will take you 180 years back in time.

2. NORTHLAND’S BEST-KEPT SECRET

Kai Iwi Lakes are rapidly being paraded across Instagram for their droolworthy waters and angelwhite sand. Walk the perimeter of an aquamarine Lake Taharoa and you’ll no doubt stop countless times. As each new sliver of empty champagne sand appears, you’ll be compelled to run down and dive in. Two campsites fringe the main lake, with various secluded spots to relax.

Lake Kaiiwi

Destination Northland

3. HEDGE YOUR BETS ON SPOTTING A KIWI

Nocturnal, timid and notoriously elusive, kiwi are not fond of the limelight. But Kiwi North, a museum and heritage park features a kiwi house that can turn day into night. Patience is rewarded with kiwi sightings, especially around feeding time at 11am, 1 and 3pm. Geckos are the jokers of the enclosure, camouflaging into their surroundings with great panache. They’re such a tease and always seem to be smiling – or laughing at visitors unable to see them, perhaps? The resident tuatara are less disguised but resilient. Found only in New Zealand, their ancestors once roamed Earth with dinosaurs.

4. SURF GIGANTIC SAND DUNES

You’ll be pulling sand out of your ears for weeks afterwards, but sand surfing is worth every persistent grain. The Te Paki sand dunes are nothing like those at an average beach. These beasts appear on the horizon mere inches below the skyline, and on a gorgeous bluebird day, the smooth, soft sand makes an irresistible slide. Once in the car park, you can rent a boogie board and venture out into what can only be described as a Sahara landscape. At first glance, the nearvertical descents are terrifying, but the moment you hurtle down one, you’ll be hungry for another. Raise your feet to go faster, or drag them in the sand to brake.

Te Paki Sand Dunes

David Kirkland

5. DIVE INTO PARADISE

Dulux should have a paint titled ‘Poor Knights Islands’ such is the brilliance of the water here. Located 23km off Tutukākā Coast, several emerald islands litter a dazzling blue sea. While the above-surface colours of this protected marine reserve entice day trippers into the water, its the below-surface residents that tempt them to stay. A city of marine life exists between reefs, drop-offs and archways. It’s little wonder divers and snorkellers take seconds to jump in, but forever to climb out.