To truly experience this area you have to be prepared to get wet. Beach after clear- watered beach offers munificent opportunities for swimming, surfing or just splashing about. Consequently the hot spots heave with Kiwi holidaymakers at peak times, but even then it’s possible to find isolated stretches of sand where your footprints are the only ones.
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On the pretty-to-ugly continuum Whangarei sits somewhere in the middle. But beauty is never far away and there are plenty of attractive natural and artistic things to keep you distracted in Northland’s gateway. You may be pleasantly surprised by the interesting choice of eateries and the general ‘going off’-ness of the bars on a Saturday night. The city centre has an inordinate number of hairdressers and parking lots – although the standard of coiffure or car isn’t noticeably different from the Kiwi average.
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Generations of Kiwi kids have giggled over the name ‘Waipu’; the makers of Imodium missed a golden opportunity by failing to adopt it as their product’s brand name for the NZ market. Be that as it may, Waipu and neighbouring Waipu Cove are bonny wee places.
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If Goat Island Marine Reserve whetted your appetite, diving at the Poor Knights is the feast followed by a wafer-thin mint that might cause your stomach to explode. Apart from the natural underwater scenery, two decommissioned navy ships have been sunk nearby for divers to explore.
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If it sounds remote, that’s because it is. The far-flung Far North is always playing second fiddle to the Bay of Islands for attention and funding, yet the subtropical tip of the North Island has more breathtaking coastline per square kilometre than anywhere but the offshore islands. Parts of the Far North are noticeably economically depressed and in places could best be described as gritty. While the ‘winterless north’ may be a popular misnomer (it was bucketing down when we visited), summers here are long and leisurely. Here’s your chance to get off the beaten track, although that often means unsealed roads.
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Although it was once known prosaically as ‘the hellhole of the Pacific’, those coming to Russell for debauchery will be sadly disappointed: they’ve missed the orgies on the beach by 170 years. Instead they’ll find a sweetly historic town that is a bastion of cafés, gift shops and B&Bs.
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Founded shortly after Horeke, Rawene was NZ’s third European settlement. There is still a surprising number of historic buildings (including six churches) from a time when the harbour was considerably busier than it is now. There aren’t any ATMs or banks, but you can get petrol here.
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The birthplace of NZ (as opposed to Aotearoa), Waitangi inhabits a special, somewhat complex place in the national psyche – aptly demonstrated by the mixture of celebration, commemoration, protest and apathy that accompanies the nation’s birthday (Waitangi Day, 6 February).
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These tranquil settlements near the south head of Hokianga Harbour more or less run into one another. The water’s much clearer here and good for swimming. Views are dominated by the mountainous sand dunes across the water at North Head.
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For many New Zealanders, the phrase ‘up north’ conjures up sepia-toned images of family fun in the sun, pohutukawa in bloom and dolphins frolicking in pretty bays. It’s uttered in almost hallowed tones, as if describing a mythical place. From school playgrounds to work cafeterias, owning a bach (holiday house) ‘up north’ is a passport to popularity.
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