Northland Explorer

Puhoi's contemporary attractions include kayaking 8km to nearby Wenderholm Regional Park, or sharing a weekend cold beer with Auckland's Harley Davidson-riding crew at the famous Puhoi Pub. Foodies can enjoy artisan cheese, yoghurt and and gourmet ice-cream at the Puhoi Valley Cheese Co.

Continue north, turning right at the intersection just past Warkworth and head towards more New Zealand treats at nearby Matakana, especially if your trip coincides with the village's Saturday morning farmers market. Accompanied by a lazy days soundtrack of local musicians, stalls selling buffalo mozzarella, organic chocolate and zingy olive oil gather beside the shaded banks of the Matakana River.

If you continue along this meandering coastal, sometimes dirt, road via Mangawhai Heads and Langs Beach, you will reach Waipu, the sleepy gateway to nearby Bream Bay. Visit the local museum to learn about the hardy Scottish settlers who founded the town in the 1850s, or relax along the sandy arc of nearby Waipu Cove. It's not unknown for marine mammals including sea-lions to occasionally visit the river estuary near the local campground, so keep a safe distance.

However, always friendly are the team at McLeod's Pizza Barn, housed in a former post office, they do excellent wood-fired pizzas and yet more surprising New Zealand craft beer.

Less than 30km northeast from Whangarei, the coastal settlement of Tutukaka is the jumping off point for trips to the Poor Knights Islands. Washed over by subtropical currents, marine life not seen elsewhere in New Zealand can be observed here, and the idiosyncratic underwater landscape includes caves, arches and submarine tunnels. It's a stellar environment for experienced divers, but non-diving travellers can also experience the islands on Perfect Day trips with Dive! Tutukaka incorporating snorkelling, paddle boarding and kayaking. Keep your eyes peeled as dolphins and whales often accompany the boats, but please note, that tours only run from November to May.

An alternative route to SH1 north to the Bay of Islands is the coastal detour dubbed the Old Russell Rd. Head east 6km north of Hikurangi, and journey along forested roads with coastal views to the Helena Bay Gallery & Cafe. Quirky corrugated iron sculptures fill the cafe's verdant grounds, and you'll probably be welcomed by Wolfie and Picasso, two friendly Newfoundland dogs who think they run the place. From Helena Bay, the Old Russell Rd meanders past remote bays dotted with pohutukawas and traditional Maori marae (meeting places) before reaching Russell, a coastal settlement that was New Zealand's first capital in 1840.

Once packed with carousing, alcohol-fuelled sailors and whalers, Russell enjoyed an infamous reputation as the 'hell-hole of the Pacific' in the mid-19th century, but now the sleepy coastal village offers a relaxed heritage ambience. Stroll along Russell's tree-lined esplanade to Pompallier Mission, the site of a colonial printing press that distributed the Bible to local Maori, and climb Maiki (Flagstaff Hill) for stunning views across the Bay of Islands to the buzzy resort town of Paihia. To explore local wildlife –including the opportunity to see New Zealand's national bird, the kiwi – join a night outing with Russell Nature Walks.