PUHOI + MAHURANGI WEST

The charming village of Puhoi is the gateway to the regions. It provides the first taste of what delights await you further beyond. Puhoi was initially settled in 1863 by immigrants from Bohemia, an area that is now the Czech Republic and has retained much of its Bohemian atmosphere and culture. Puhoi is positioned between rolling farmland, native bush and the Puhoi River. The village’s pioneering history is well documented, and the iconic Puhoi Pub and the local museum have a fascinating selection of artefacts and photographs dating back nearly 150 years. Mahurangi West is a stone’s throw away further north and provides a backdrop to three beautiful pohutukawa fringed bays – Sullivans Bay, Mita Bay and Te Muri Bay. All three sheltered bays are perfect for kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, or simply cooling off. This combined with open pastures and historical sites provide the ultimate Kiwi experience.

Photo: Puhoi Village - by Andrew Tunnicliffe

The Puhoi Heritage Trail allows you to immerse yourself in 20 historical sites at your own pace. It is a good idea to check which sites are open when you plan to visit as some areas have different hours for summer and winter.

If you feel like getting into nature, there is the Puhoi Track, a small part of the great Te Araroa Trail that runs the country’s length. This portion is 5km (one way) and leads you through native bush and into the ridgeline, where you can catch glimpses of Puhoi Valley. For off-road mountain bikers, an 85km loop starts from Puhoi Villiage; this mainly gravel track will take you through rural farmland and natural bush and over 1000m of elevation as you travel out to the West Coast. If you are out Mahurangi West way, other than walking to a secluded beach, there are three more fantastic walks ranging from two to three hours each. All provide incredible views across the Hauraki Gulf and out to the Coromandel; you can join the three together for a super long track. If you are in the mood for a wow factor in a short time frame, the Tungutu Loop Track will provide all you need in no more than 30 minutes return.

Sullivans Bay provides the only car parking in the area and is located around 10mins from State Highway 1. It is a calm bay with views out to Lagoon Bay at Mahurangi East. There is a simple campground that allows tents and self-contained vehicles but be warned; it gets booked out incredibly quickly during the summer months. If you are going for the day, ensure you bring all you need, as the closest supermarket is Warkworth. If you time it right with the tide, you can wander out to tiny Pudding Island, between Sullivans Bay and Cudlip Point. The other two beaches are only accessible by foot or boat but are fantastic if you want to avoid the crowds. Te Muri Bay is located at the southern end and has a basic beachfront campground. Make sure you have everything with you as it is a 1.3km trip back to the car if you forget anything! The other is Mita Bay which is a 1.8km walk north from the car park to a secluded white sand cove framed with native bush. While this track is more challenging, you may be rewarded by being the only tent at the basic campsite.

In this neck of the woods there are only a few places to purchase what you need, Puhoi has a well-stocked general store, but for most essentials you will need to get these from from Warkworth. The Puhoi Village Market Day runs on the last Sunday of the month during the warmer months, where you can purchase local arts and crafts as well as artisan food and local produce.

The calm and lazy Puhoi River provides the perfect chance to safely drift down the 8km towards Wenderholm Regional Park in kayaks. The beauty of this river is that for most of it, you cruise with the tide, so the paddling is infrequent until you get closer to Wenderholm. You can hire the Kayaks from Puhoi Village. They have single, double, or a Canadian canoe (which holds two adults and two children!). Part of the package is that they will pick you up and return you to Puhoi.

Photo: Puhoi River