Summer in Northland

The Whangārei Heads areais rich in historywith stunneryscenery and enchanting placestoexplore.

It hasa variety ofdifferentextinct andweathered volcanoes that erupted over a period of aboutfour millionyears to approximately 20millionyears agoand, asa result,formationswereformed below.

LittleMunro Bay has some goodexamples ofthese formationsand anotherfascinating formation is the natural wharfatTaurikura Bay. Mythsandlegends abound inthisarea, withonebeing that thenaturalvolcanicrock causeway disappearing into thesea is an unfinished work for the greatchief Manaiawhose wāhine wasacrossthe harbour. Before it was finished, he had tired of her andthe bridgewas nevercompleted.

Two greatmaungas loom adjacentatWhangārei Heads and are part of theremains of the ancient chain ofvolcanos. Scattered withvolcanicrocks –both small and large, Majestic Mt Manaia hasa lotofsteepstairs that seemto goon and on but the view at thetop is worth it - andyou definitelyfeel like you’veconquered something. Themore inconspicuous Mt Aubrey is easier-going with flat sections in between inclines and look-outs along theway.

Whicheveryou chose, there areamplenearby stunningbeachesto choose from for eithera quiet diptocool down, or afrolic in thesurf,an ice cream shop andevena watering holenearby.

The BayofIslands

The BayofIslands is often thoughtofas a water playground– butyou canalso fillyour dayson the land with great adventures;walking,cycling, cultureand history!

There area huge variety ofwalkstochoose from, that caterfor all abilities.

Cycling isa well-knownkiwipastimeand theBay ofIslands has created acyclingmecca suitedtoeveryone. Themountain bike hub hasbike hire,a café and the most superb pump track– greatfor kids and anyone wanting to trya trick.

The award-winningWaitangiTreaty Grounds which isNew Zealand’smost importanthistoric site, iseasytospend a day or two at immersingyourself in the culture and history. Thegrounds are incredible, there aretwo interactive museums, cultural performances,tours and more.

Russell is another beautiful and historic place. Russell holds an important place in NewZealand's history, being thecountry's firstseaport, itsfirstEuropean settlement. There is a decent hike up throughmagnificent KororarekaPoint ReservetoTeMaiki Hill where aparty ledbythefamed Māori chief Hone Hekefelledthe flagstafffor the final time in 1845 sparking the Battle of Kororareka, the firstof the NorthernWars. Takein New Zealand'soldest surviving church,ChristChurch built 1836, where bulletholes from musketfire of the Northern Warscan still be seeninits walls, andNew Zealand's oldest factory- the1841 Printery, Tannery and Bindery at Pompallier Mission.

Ofcourse,you have all therestaurants and cafes to enjoy there as well– many of them partofthe history.

DramaticWhangārei Falls

Atthe edge of Whangārei, isa parkcontaining thedramatic Otuihau Whangārei Falls.You can view the picturesque 26.3m highfalls from abovevia viewing platforms ora walk loops around thewaterfall, downtothe bottom, crossesa footbridge andback up the other side.

Thewalk is the uppermost section of thecompleteHateaRiverwalk and accesses AHReed MemorialPark. Youcan walk all theway to the Whangārei Town Basin via MairPark or Mt Parahakifor amore challenging bushwalktaking several hours.

TāneMahuta –Lord of theForest

Tāne Mahuta– the ‘Lord of theForest’,is a giant kauri treein theWaipoua Forest.Its age is estimated to be over 2,000 yearsand,at around 52 metres tall, is the largestkauri known tostandtoday.

Other giantkauri are foundnearby,notablyTe Matua Ngahere –the‘FatheroftheForest’ and, with a trunkoverfive metres in diameter, believed to be thewidest girthofanykauri tree inNew Zealand.

The Tāne Mahuta is much higher thanTeMatua Ngahere- butdoesn’t have the same impressive bulk. It wasdiscoveredand identified inearly January 1924 whencontractorssurveyed the presentState Highway 12route through the forest.

Whale Bayand Matapouri

Whale andMatapouri Bayshave been recognised by theLonely Planet guide as being among the best beaches in NewZealand.

While Matapourican be accessedbyroad, Whale Bay can only be accessedbyfoot. Parkat thetop of the hillatthecar park on Matapouri Rdandwalk down thewell-maintained but steepattimes, track. Thiswill lead through groves of ancient native trees with spectacular views alongthe way, to idyllicwhitesanded beach,greatfor picnics, snorkelling and swimming.

Whale Baywas an ideal locationfor Māorito launch theirearly whaling missions and gives it

Doubtless Bay

With its varied andplentifulenticing beaches, DoubtlessBayisa popular summer holidaydestination.

It has several small settlements stretching ina horseshoe from CoopersBeach and incorporatingCable Bay, Taipa, andaround the long sweeping KarikariPeninsulaexpanse of Tokerau to Whatuwhiwhi.

In amongst thesestunningbeaches is Coca Cola Lake. Despite its red/brown colour, dueto thenatural peatandtanninsstaining thewater, Coca Cola Lake, officiallyknown asRotopokaka, is usually safe to swim, though not always recommended duetoalgae.

Althoughverysteep, Puheke hill isworth a climbfor the sweeping views from thetop. Rangiputa is a fabulous place fora picnic lunch ata table overlooking the Fiji-like white sands and clearwater which is just tootempting not toswim.

Mangonui wharf is usually lined with fishers and has quite the successrate, nottomention ambience. Why not take your fresh fishtothe nearby Mangonui Fish Shop and have it cooked upfor dinner along with beerbattered chips? It can be enjoyed onsite from the closed in jetty overlooking thebay or on the apricot-hued sands of nearby Cable Bay.

the name popularlyused today.

The track shouldtakearound 30-minutes return or, if you are feeling like alonger and scenicwalk, parkatMatapouri andwalk across. Matapouri boastsa vast,circularstretch of pristine sand, withrock poolsfor the kids toexplore. What’s more, fishn chipsand ice creams are sold nearby.