After slumming it in a hostel in Auckland for our first week in the country, we then headed up North to the paradise that is Paihia in the heart of the Bay of Islands in the Northland region. Luckily for us, Hannah has an uncle living there who was kind enough to offer us his self-contained apartment for as long as we needed! We definitely fell on our feet there.
Our plan was to stay in Paihia whilst I finished writing my book, which is more or less how things worked out. We stayed for exactly 6 weeks in the end, most of which were filled with glorious sunshine!
We didn’t get to do as much as we would have liked as things were pretty intense with my book due to rapidly approaching deadlines. We still managed to see much of what the Northland region has to offer though… just read on for the highlights!
Cape Reinga and the Ninety Mile Beach
First on the list has to be Cape Reinga, the North most point of the country and probably Northland’s biggest draw. It is a very beautiful spot, surrounded by stunning views and beaches. It also provides a clear view of the very distinctive line where the Tasman Sea meets the Pacific Ocean and is minutes away from the Ninety Mile Beach!
To make the most of the area, we went on the full day tour offered by Explore NZ in their unique Dune Rider vehicle; a modified coach/truck hybrid to allow for more space, better views and a better off-road experience. The latter is needed as you’ll travel across the vast Ninety Mile Beach for a good part of your journey! (The beach is actually an official highway!)
A few benefits of this tour are a stop at Gumdigger’s Park (where you can witness an unearthed, 100,000 year old Kauri tree), a visit to the ‘world famous’ Mangonui Fish Shop for fish & chips, and another stop at the Ancient Kauri Kingdom.
Here’s a few of the things you can enjoy if you take the trip to Cape Reinga and the Ninety Mile Beach:
- Stunning views as you walk down to the Cape Reinga lighthouse
- The meeting point of the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean
- A drive along the Ninety Mile Beach
- Sandboarding down the sand dunes at the Ninety Mile Beach
This was undoubtedly the best day we had in Northland and you should make sure you make the trip if you find yourself anywhere north of Auckland. Feel free to take a look at all of our photos from the day.
Waterfalls – Haruru Falls and Rainbow Falls
Once thing that I’ve realised since being in New Zealand is that I love waterfalls!
Being based in Paihia, we had two within a few miles of us.
Haruru Falls, near Paihia
Just a few kilometers away from Paihia along State Highway 11 is Haruru Falls. It’s pretty small as far as waterfalls go, but it’s also very accessible as you can get right on top of it.
Rainbow Falls, Kerikeri
Kerikeri is the biggest town in the Bay of Islands and just out of the town centre is a really nice spot where you will find Rainbow Falls and the pool that sits below it.
Ngawha Springs
Ngawha Springs & Hot Pools is probably not everybody’s cup of tea, but it’s definitely worth the measly $4.50 you will pay to get in! The reason it’s so cheap is because it’s not great on the eye and isn’t all that well kept – but at the same time, that’s partly because it’s not been ‘commercialised’.
If you can see past the initial appearance (which I’m sure you can), it’s a nice place to relax for a couple of hours in their vast number of pools – all of varying temperatures. Some are ice cold, some the ‘perfect’ temperature and others that feel like they’ll take a layer of skin off if you can actually get all the way in!
You can also layer up in mud if that’s your thing, which is ‘cleansing’ apparently… although you will go home with a very ‘unique’ smell from the pools, so make sure you grab a shower before planning on doing anything after!
Bay of Islands Boat Tour
The Bay of Islands in Northland really is a stunning part of the North Island and is named as such due to the 144 islands that inhabit the area. The best way to experience them is… well, probably helicopter! But that’s damn expensive. A boat tour is much easier on the wallet and lets you get right up close at ground level.
There are a couple of companies offering these tours, but they’re pretty much identical. The best way to get a good deal is to double it up with one of their other trips; for example, we got the boat tour coupled with the Cape Reinga tour, so got a much better end price.
The tour guarantees dolphin sightings and will offer another free trip if you don’t encounter any! By the way, a hindsight tip of mine if you’re wanting to get photos of the dolphins is to record a video of them and then take some screen grabs later. They’re quick little fuckers!
You will also get to stop on one of the few islands that has anything on it, where you can grab something to eat and find the nearest vantage point so you can take in the views.
Finally, one of the main draws of the tour is that it takes you right up to the ‘famous’ Hole in the Rock and in most cases, will even take you through it.
More photos from the Bay of Islands boat tour.
The Tane Mahuta, Waipoua Forest
The Tane Mahuta (The Lord of the Forest) is a 2000 year old kauri tree and the biggest in New Zealand. It’s in the middle of Waipoua Forest right over on the West Coast of Northland. There’s not much else there, but if you like big and old trees… then you’ll like this!
It’s also a pretty nice drive along State Highway 12, with some pretty amazing sights as you reach the West coast, such as the view over the Tasman Sea and sand dunes at Arai te Uru.
Jimmy Jacks Rib Shack!
If you find yourself in Paihia, make sure you go to Jimmy Jack’s Rib Shack. Does this really deserve it’s own section? I’m just going to leave this picture here and let you decide…
However, if you decide to eat outside like we did, be warned that you may be surrounded by Chinese tourists who will point at your food with wowed faces, get their cameras out and create general awkwardness! But you can trust the staff to usher them away for you and subsequently apologise on their behalf!
Just Drive
If you’ve got your own vehicle to travel around in, I would definitely recommend just going for random drives during your time in Northland. Some of the best places are found by accident! On one of our random ventures we found a sign for ‘Tourist Drive’, a few miles north of Kerikeri, so decided to see what it had to offer.
We soon came across some pretty stunning views over the east coast and over a very picturesque beach called Matauri Bay. We found our way down to the bay and it was deserted – it’s hard to believe that you can have these things to yourself, but that’s the beauty of Northland – and New Zealand in general!
You can see more photos from our time in Northland here.