If 2000 year old trees, sliding down sand dunes at 65 km per hour and exploring boulders of Raiders Of The Lost Ark proportions sound like a lark then the Hokianga Harbour is a must. The best route from Auckland is to head to Dargaville and up S12. You will know you’re getting close when the road starts winding, and winding, and winding through lush Kauri and Nikau trees. The Waipoua Forest contains three quarters of the native Kauri wonders of New Zealand.
When you come across a car park along Waiotemarama Gorge Road, pull over and get out. Then head down the wooded gangway to view Tāne Mahuta, Lord of the Forest. Tāne is the largest Kauri tree in the country. With a girth of 18.8 metres (imagine a classroom of small children holding hands in a circle) and 51.5 metres high this ancient tree, who has been perched on this spot for 1400 years will humble you into silence and awe. Further along the road a fifteen minute stroll will take you to Te Matua Ngahere, Father of the Forest, a shorter slimmer Kauri and thought to be over 2000 year’s old.
New Zealand’s Kauri’s were depleted by logging in the 1820s and the few giants that remain are now under threat from dieback disease, which gets carried by people’s shoes and animals. The walkways have been built to preserve these ancient wonders but please wash your shoes before and after leaving to help protect and stick to the wooden walkway.
1
Labyrinth Woodworks and Puzzle Museum
Omapere is the first settler town at the mouth of the harbour. You can visit the information centre but Long Louis, the self proclaimed local wizard 5km before Omapere, is a much more enjoyable way to find out about the region. Long Louis fits the part with a long grey beard and mishcieveious blue eyes and he has many rich stories about the history of the area. If you’re lucky he’ll throw you a puzzle from one of the hundreds inside his hexagonal store, crammed full of mind twisting objectsm and other curios. And if you’re extra lucky you’ll manage to solve the puzzle. Situated in the Waiotemarama Gorge you’ll find Louis down a long driveway marked ‘Labyrinth’. He built the labyrinth himself and it is worth a giggle for only five dollars. Long Luis should be regarded as a national treasure, don’t skip this!
When you come out of the forest and into the Hokianga Harbour at Omapere you will want to pull over. Do! The mighty sand dunes on the north side cover the whole peninsula and if you squint across the water you could be in the Sahara Desert. Only accessible by boat, the dunes are breathtaking. And in fact there’s only one boat that can get you there, operated by a local called Pete.
For $27 (adults) you get a fast boat trip from the Opononi jetty to the base of the dunes, a boogie board and one hour to play in a grown up sand pit. Don’t worry if it’s raining as Pete operates in all seasons and you go faster when the sand is wet. Dune surfing or sandboarding is easy and enjoyed by people of all ages - all you need is some gumption to push yourself off at the top. Soon you will be whooping to the seagulls as you whiz down and skid into the ocean at the bottom.
3
Opo Takeaway
After all the excursion you’ll want the best fish and chips in town. Oponini Beach Takeaways is classic kiwiana. The fish is fresh and they often have snapper and the chips are the right amount of crispy. You can eat it all on weather beaten picnic tables, where you’ll be watched by the waiting seagulls, keen on their own snapper snack.
For something a bit calmer than sandboarding, the Koutu boulders can be found twenty minutes down the road between Koutu and Kauwhare, via the beach. You feel like you’ve wandered into a giant dinosaur petanque set when you stumble across them. And the further you walk the bigger the balls get. It is estimated the larger boulders, with a girth of five small children holding hands are five million years old. It is tranquil wandering around large, ancient spheres of rock and you can easily spend an hour exploring.
5
Boatshed Cafe
Further along, Rawene is a beautiful pioneering little town and the third oldest European settlement in New Zealand, where you can buy things like home made banana coconut carrot chutney or chilli and coriander plum jam in their café slash gallery. It’s also a good spot to base yourself to stay as you explore the area and there’s a camp ground and other bed and breakfast or accommodation options.
Another local called Pete has refurbished this classic hotel, with his wife. Horeke Tavern is the oldest pub in New Zealand, built in 1826, and overlooks the muddy harbour. While the outside is yet to be refurbished the inside has been nicely spruced up. Often the accommodation is booked up with cyclists but it’s also a great spot to meet some friendly locals, enjoy a drink and the food in the bistro’s good too.
Ngawha Springs
35 minutes along the road towards SH1 this is the real deal when it comes to natural, theurapeatic hot pools. You can smell the thermal acticity before you see it and you know when you’re getting grit in your toes and you can’t put your head under the way this is the real thermal thing. There are a varitey of different pools ranging from calm, managerable to blow your hair off hot. Make sure you take plenty of water with you, after a few hours here you’ll come out clean, refreshed, relaxed and you want to be hydrated as well.
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