© Lonely Planet Publications 154 www.lonelyplanet.com 155 Northland & the Bay of Islands 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 NORTHLAND & THE NORTHLAND & THE almost hallowed tones, as if describing a mythical place. From school playgrounds to work BAY OF ISLANDS cafeterias, owning a bach (holiday house) ‘up north’ is a passport to popularity. Beaches are the main drawcard and they’re present in profusion. Take your pick from surfy or sheltered, massive or minuscule, fashionable or forgotten, and from sand that’s golden, grey, pink or blindingly white. There are beaches suited to all sorts of aquatic pursuits imaginable, BAY OF ISLANDS including splashing about in the nuddy. Visitors from more crowded countries are flummoxed NORTHLAND & THE NORTHLAND & THE to wander onto beaches without a scrap of development or another human being in sight. Northland’s reserves shelter the most spectacular remnants of the ancient kauri forests that once blanketed the top of the country. The remaining giant trees are an awe-inspiring sight and one of the nation’s treasures. It’s not just natural attractions that are on offer: history hangs heavily here as well. The country was colonised from the top down by successive migrations from Polynesia and a strong Maori presence remains to this day, adding an extra dimension to any visit. The Bay of Islands was also the site of the first permanent European settlement, as well as the signing of the Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand by local chiefs in 1835 and the Treaty of Waitangi five years later. Northland is unquestionably the birthplace of the nation. HIGHLIGHTS Cape Reinga Being the first to leave footprints on the sand at any of Northland’s numerous beaches Ninety Mile Beach Watching oceans collide while souls depart at Cape Reinga ( p183 ) Paying homage to the ancient giants of the Bay of Islands Waipoua Kauri Forest ( p190 ) Waitangi Diving at one of the world’s top spots, the North Head Poor Knights Islands ( p163 ) Waipoua Poor Knights Kauri Forest Islands Claiming your own island paradise among the many in the Bay of Islands ( p165 ) Surfing the sand dunes at Ninety Mile Beach ( p183 ) or the Hokianga’s North Head ( p189 ) Delving into history and culture at the Wait- angi Treaty Grounds ( p172 ) TELEPHONE CODE: 09 www.northlandnz.com www.nrc.govt.nz 156 NORTHLAND & THE BAY OF ISLANDS •• Climate lonelyplanet.com lonelyplanet.com WHANGAREI DISTRICT •• Mangawhai 157 0 50 km NORTHLAND 0 30 miles MAORI NZ: NORTHLAND & THE BAY OF ISLANDS Cape Reinga The Northland region, known to Maori as Te Tai Tokerau, has a long and proud Maori history and today has one of the country’s highest percentages of Maori people. Along with the East Coast, Te Paki Waitiki Landing ᝲᝲ Great it’s a place where you might hear Maori being spoken. In mythology the region is known as the 1F Exhibition tail of the fish of Maui (see the boxed text, p56 ). Bay ὈὈὈTe Kao S O U T H Aupouri Maori sites of particular significance include the Waitangi Treaty Grounds ( p172 ), Cape Reinga P A C I F I C Peninsula Ngataki ( p183 ) and Tane Mahuta ( p191 ). Matai Bay O C E A N Ninety Mile Highly recommended Maori cultural experiences are offered by Footprints Waipoua ( p189 ), ᝲᝲBeachᝲᝲᝲ Pukenui Matai Beach Crossings Hokianga ( p190 ), Waka Tai-a-Mai ( p172 ) and Culture North ( p172 ). Many businesses Rangiputa Karikari Peninsula Whatuwhiwhi NORTHLAND & THE Doubtless catering to travellers are owned or run by Maori individuals or hapu (subtribal) groups. Tai Bay Whangaroa BAY OF ISLANDS Hihi Harbour Wreck of the Rainbow Warrior Tokerau Tourism (www.taitokerau.co.nz) lists dozens of them on its website, and many of them Taipa Mangonui Tauranga Cavalli Islands are reviewed in this chapter. ᝲᝲ Coopers Bay Awanui Beach Kahoe Matauri Bay Whangaroa See Bay of Islands Kaitaia Kaeo 10 1 Map (p166) Puketi Bay of stop anywhere along the route, as often as cially dangerous. The Mangawhai Cliffs Walkway Ahipara Forest Islands Cape See The Far North Mangamuka Kerikeri Brett Bridge Omahuta you like. (three hours return) starts here, affording ex- Map (p180) ᝲᝲHerekino ᝲᝲᝲᝲWaitangiᝲᝲ Forest Russell Waimate See the end of each town section for de- tensive views of sea and land. BAY OF ISLANDS BAY OF ISLANDS Paihia North NORTHLAND & THE NORTHLAND & THE Warawara Forest Kohukohu Horeke tailed bus options. For details on backpacker Various Maori tribes inhabited the area be- Panguru Wairere Ngawha KawakawaὈ Rawene Kaikohe discounts, passes and hop-on, hop-off tourist fore the 1660s, when Ngati Whatua became Mitimiti Springs Mimiwhangata Ruapekapeka Pa Poor Knights Hokianga Harbour Taheke Helena Coastal Park services, see p714 . dominant. In 1807 Ngati Whatua defeated ᝲOpononi Waima 12 ᝲᝲᝲBay Islands 1 Whananaki Omapere Waimamaku Sandy Bay Ngapuhi from the north in a major battle, Whakapara Hokianga Kai Iwi Manga Matapouri Coastal Tramping Track ka Hikurangi Tutukaka letting the survivors escape. One of them was Kawerua hia Rv Waipoua Ngunguru Kawerua Reserve ua WHANGAREI DISTRICT Hongi Hika, who in 1825 returned, armed Kauri Forest Rv Ngunguru Bay Trounson WHANGAREI Wair with muskets obtained from Europeans. The Maunganuiᝲᝲ Bluff (460m) Kauri Park Maunu Pataua To truly experience this area you have to Kaihu Maungatapere Whangarei Airport ensuing bloodbath all but annihilated Ngati Kai Iwi Maropiu 14 Parua Bay Mt Manaia (419m) be prepared to get wet. Beach after clear- Lakes Ocean Beach Whatua and the district became tapu (sacred, Tangowahine McLeod Bay Kauri Coast Whangarei Heads Bream Head watered beach offers munificent opportunities 12 taboo). British squatters moved in and were Ruakaka Dargaville Hen & Chicken for swimming, surfing or just splashing about. Baylys Beach Uretiti Bream Peach rewarded with land titles by the government Wairoa Bay Islands Waipu Cove Consequently the hot spots heave with Kiwi Waipu Cove in the 1850s. Ceremonies were only performed 1 holidaymakers at peak times, but even then River Langs Beach to lift the tapu in the 1990s. Glinks Gully Paparoa Brynderwyn Mangawhai Heads 12 it’s possible to find isolated stretches of sand Mangawhai Mangawhai Heads has a part-time informa- Ripiro Ocean Beach Ruawai Matakohe Kaiwaka where your footprints are the only ones. T A S M A N Pakiri tion centre (www.mangawhai.co.nz; Molesworth Dr; h2- Beach If you’re reading this and you’re a diving S E A Kaipara Tomarata Goat 5pm Fri, 10am-4pm Sat, 10am-1pm Sun) Harbour Tinopai in a prefab shed Pakiri Island fanatic, drop everything and head to Tutukaka Port Albert Wellsford Leigh next to full-time information panels. Kaipara Dome Omaha immediately. The neighbouring Poor Knights Lighthouse Pouto Forest Point Beach North Warkworth Sandspit Islands are considered one of the world’s top Headᝲᝲ diving spots. NORTHLAND & THE BAY OF Climate Whangarei, Kerikeri and Kaitaia all have ISLANDS FACTS domestic airports, connecting through MANGAWHAI The ‘winterless north’ averages seven rainy Pop 1200 Eat Kumara, Dargaville’s knobbly purple claim to Auckland to international flights. Northland days per month in summer but 16 in win- Magical Mangawhai – that’s what the official fame ( p192 ) has no passenger train service, but InterCity ter. Temperatures are often a degree or two road sign says, and such signs don’t tend to Drink Orange juice, Kerikeri’s signature squeeze (%09-623 1503; www.intercity.co.nz) and associated warmer than Auckland, especially on the lie. Leaving SH1 at Kaiwaka, a 13km drive ( p176 ) buses ply SH1 from Auckland to Kaitaia. east coast. east (there’s no bus) will take you to snug Read The House of Strife (1993), Maurice Shad- Other areas are poorly served, with only Main Mangawhai Village at the base of a horse- bolt’s novel set during the Northland War Coachline (%09-278 8070; www.maincoachline.co.nz) Getting There & Around shoe harbour. But it’s at Mangawhai Heads, Listen to Treaty (1998) by Moana & the Moahunters heading from Auckland along SH12 as far as There are two main routes heading north: 5km further on, that the enchantment really Watch The Endless Summer (1966), the surf classic Dargaville (six services per week). SH1 on the east coast, and SH12, which takes hold. that put Ahipara on the map Only tourist buses head to Cape Reinga, branches off at Brynderwyn and follows the A narrow spit of powdery white sand Swim at The Mermaid Pool, Matapouri ( p163 ) the Hokianga and Waipoua Kauri Forest. west coast to the Hokianga before rejoin- stretches for kilometres to form the south head, Festival Waitangi Day ( p171 ) The Magic Travellers Network (%09-358 5600; www ing SH1 near Kaikohe. This chapter roughly sheltering a seabird sanctuary. Across the water Tackiest tourist attraction Ancient Kauri .magicbus.co.nz) has a useful service from Paihia follows an anticlockwise loop, starting with sits an uncomplicated holiday town with a surf Kingdom (p184 ) to Auckland (in that direction only) via the the east coast, but you should choose your beach at its northern tip. Life-savers patrol on Go green Sing to the trees with Footprints Hokianga and Kauri Coast on SH12. The fixed direction based on your interests and the weekends in summer and daily during school Waipoua ( p189 ) prevailing weather. fare ($55, four buses weekly) allows you to holidays, but despite the rollers it’s not espe- 158 WHANGAREI DISTRICT •• Waipu & Bream Bay Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels lonelyplanet.com WHANGAREI DISTRICT •• Whangarei 159 In Mangawhai Village, the Mangawhai at least had the good sense to eschew frigid Eating DOC visitor centre (%09-430 2470; www.doc.govt.nz; District Museum (Moir St; adult/child $2/1; h10.30am- Otago, where so many of their kindred set- Cove Café (%09-432 0323; Cove Rd, Waipu Cove; mains $6- 149 Bank St; h8am-4.30pm Mon-Fri) 1pm Sat) has a tiny display of settler and Maori tled, for sunnier northern climes.