Northland of New Zealand

Story and photos by Arya Kazemi

Stunning verdant scenery, endlessly hospitable natives and the lack of urban chaos and pollution have always made visitors to New Zealand come away with a positive impression of their stay there. This positive word of mouth, and in recent years the massive success of the “Lord of the Rings” flicks filmed there have all factored in the tourism and real estate boom which the country has been enjoying recently.

Unlike many countries which have a de facto “tourist circuit” to which most foreign visitors stick to during their visit (e.g. in Thailand it would be Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and one of the “Koh” islands), travelers to NZ tend to make their itinerary based on their respective avocations and preferences. Adventure and “extreme” activities (keep in mind that bungee jumping originated in NZ), and water sports (the country is the spiritual home of sailing) are usually among the most common activities among tourists. Though foreigners who have spent time in places like Mumbai, London or New York may shrug at the thought of describing Auckland as a major metropolis, it still serves as the country’s air hub and considering that New Zealand is a fairly isolated island which foreign visitors have to fly into, nearly all visitors from abroad are likely to spend some time there.

Those looking for a wonderful excursion out of Auckland to the more secluded and scenic parts of the country’s North Island would be well-advised to take the Northland region into consideration. This region starts when one leaves Auckland heading Northwards, and ends at the northernmost point of New Zealand, Cape Reinga. There are several coach bus companies that have direct service between downtown Auckland and a town named Paihia (which is a 247 kilometer journey and takes roughly four hours), while there are also short flights available between Auckland and another borough named Kerikeri. All travel agencies located on or near Auckland’s main drag, Queen Street, will be able to assist travelers with booking a plane or coach ticket to the Northland.

Those who are able to drive their own private vehicle whilst in New Zealand, the drive North along SH1 offers quite a few interesting stops. The hamlet of Waiwera (37 km’s North of Auckland) is home to an excellent thermal resort, and if your feeling hungry a few kilometers further some of the best cheese New Zealand has to offer can be gobbled up at the Puhoi Valley Cheese Company’s café (www.puhoivalleyco.nz). The ancient Kauri tree which is native to New Zealand and has been largely ravaged over the last couple of hundred years due to its valuable resin is nowadays almost entirely limited to the Northland and Parry Kauri Park in Warkworth (13 km’s North of Waiwera) is great chance to view these tall trees up close.

Twenty kilometers North of Warkworth is a stunning lonely stretch of sand called Pakiri Beach. Here is an opportunity for one of those uniquely Kiwi experiences: horse riding on the beach (www.horseride-nz.co.nz). The Haddon family will be glad to arrange anything form an hour-long ride to a weekend safari during your stopover.

Further northwards and upon reaching the town of Whangarei; the Clapham’s Clocks Museum (www.claphamsclocks.co.nz) is a rare chance to observe hundreds of different types of clocks from all over the world. A beautiful waterfall (Whangarei Falls) is located just five km’s from the center of town, and Abbey Caves with its startling glow worms and limestone dating back 30 million years is also fairly nearby on the outskirts of the town.

For those who’ve taken a direct coach transport to Paihia (which is the center of a sub-region called the Bay of Islands), there are lots of activities to keep one busy upon arrival. Most popular choose swimming with dolphins, harbor cruises, kayaking, parasailing or even skydiving! Since this area of New Zealand was the first to be explored by pioneers, there are various historical sites scattered throughout the Northland mostly pertaining to the European settlers dealings with native Maoris—in Paihia the Treaty House is one such place where tourists can become educated regarding Kiwi history.

Since Paihia is host to loads of both foreign and local travelers on a year-round basis there are quite a few options as far as lodging and dining. A handful of hostels cater to budget travelers where as lodges tend to pull in families.

Those who’ve just gotten off a plane in Kerikeri will find a wonderful sub-tropical climate in which citrus and kiwifruit orchards flourish and a reconstructed Maori fishing community (Rewa Village), and the country’s oldest standing European building, Kemp House. There is a shuttle service from Kerikeri airport to Paihia as well, though the price depends on the number of passengers.

The terminus of nearly any journey to the Northland is the trip along the sand dunes of Ninety Mile Beach to Cape Reinga. Even those with a car are advised to sign up for one of the coach tours that leave Paihi early in the morning for the Cape, this is due to a number of cars on that beach having been suddenly sucked up by the sand and the near impossibility of having the vehicle removed and making it functional afterwards.

The Cape itself stands out due to the fact that the Tasman Sea meets the Pacific there, and the Maoris view it as a sacred place where the spirits of their dead take a last rest before heading to their afterlife in Hawaiki (a mythical ancestral homeland). Most coach companies also offer sand boarding in the nearby dunes and perhaps an hour-long surfing lesson. A tour of the Gumfields where for most of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th century thousands of European settlers once worked on extracting the prized resin from the Kauri trees ( exported at high prices for the manufacture of linoleum and other products) can also be arranged through certain coach companies in Paihia.

Arya’s website is www.hetrippin.com