Northland – Our favorite area in New Zealand [Guest Post]
New Zealand is so beautiful, it’s hard to choose your favorite place. Andre, the guest author of this article, decided directly on a whole region and shows us why Northland in New Zealand his favorite corner of the country is.
Andrés favorite area in New Zealand
After our wedding in Sydney we spent our honeymoon in New Zealand. We have seen many special places and sights of the North as well as the South Island. I would like to write here in this guest post about our favorite place in New Zealand, to which we would like to come back. We did like New Zealand, but we would always like to go to Northland. This is the area at the Northern tip of the North Island of New Zealand.
Whangarei – our base
We had the place Whangarei as a base chosen to make our daily tours by rental car around Northland. There we booked an accommodation over airbnb.de with a very nice family for a week. It was the perfect place to start the day, with breakfast on the veranda and a magnificent view of the city turquoise bay of Whangarei.
The most beautiful beaches
The most beautiful beaches of Northland, or maybe even New Zealand, are located nearby Tutukaka Coast. We explored there Ngunguru, Tutukaka Marina, Matapouri Bay and finally arrived at the Whale Bay to rest, which was also our goal.
This bay was recommended as an insider tip of our host. Because you reach this after a 15-minute hike on a trail from the road. There are only a few people and one here blue-turquoise crystal clear water, on white fine sand beach overlooking the green hills in the background. Here you can relax for a while. For surfers and a bit more action is a visit to the Sandy Bay recommended because of its waves. Of course we as beach lovers visited many other beaches in Northland, but this would go beyond the scope.
Caves and waterfalls
In bad weather the most beautiful beaches are of no use. Luckily, you will not be bored either because There are some caves around Whangarei to explore. We visited the Waipu Caves, a firefly cave, which can be reached by riding on unpaved road. Interesting rock formations and hundreds of fireflies can be admired here. North of Whangarei there is another glowworm cave, the Abbey Caves.
A hike through the AH Reed Memorial Park you can connect with nearby. It’s a pretty exotic forest that has a few of them huge kauri trees houses. Nearby there is a waterfall called Whangarei Falls, one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Northland. If you have time, there are a number of other waterfalls in Northland to admire.
Millennium old trees and unique nature
For nature lovers, New Zealand has much to offer. Absolute highlight are the largest remaining Kauri trees in the world. This can be reached after about 2 hours drive from Whangarei north. The oldest kauri tree will Tane Mahuta, “Lord of the Forests“ called. One estimates the age of the tree between 1200 and 2500 years! He is 51.2 m high and his trunk has a diameter of almost 4.4 m. It’s an overwhelming feeling when standing in front of this tree. Nearby there are other Kauri trees that are worth seeing. The rainforest in which these giants stand is definitely worth a visit, even if the trip is quite long.
Tane Mahuta, “Lord of the Forests”
Boat tours and dolphins
Not quite so far away from Whangarei are the Bay of Islands. It is mainly known and popular for its boat tours. At the Port of Pahia you can Dolphin sightseeing tours Book through the Bay of Islands. The ferry to Russell, a historic town on a peninsula opposite Pahia, is included. This place with its historic houses and the museum is not just for those interested in culture. It’s just nice to be pampered here in one of the restaurants right on the harbor and take a short walk through the small picturesque town.
One of the highlights of the boat tours is Motukokako Island, a small island with a steep cliff. The special feature is a big hole, the so-called Hole in the Rock, through which the boats can pass. On the way you can often see groups of dolphins playing. We were fortunate enough to see the playful dolphins at sunset as they accompanied us right on our catamaran for a while.
Do you want to know more about Northland and our journey??
Just visit our article “Northland – A week with the car through New Zealand‘s North”. There and on the linked pages you will find more information with detailed itineraries, overview maps and picture galleries.
about us
We, Christiane and André, love traveling. Whether individual local and long-distance travel, luxury cruises, city trips or package holidays, we are happy to travel and look forward to discovering people and cultures of foreign countries. We like to share our experiences and are looking forward to your visit at Reise-saison.de.
More articles on favorite places in New Zealand
Thank you for the interesting guest post, dear André, In our New Zealand category you will find some more articles about this beautiful country. Would you also like to write a post and present your favorite places in New Zealand to our readers? Then leave us a comment or send us a message. We are very pleased &# 128578;
Save our article on Pinterest &# 128578;
similar posts
2 comments on “Northland – Our Favorite Area in New Zealand [Guest Post]”
Thank you for these great impressions. Since you would like to go right back. That looks really great. The AH Reed Memorial Park we found also magical, at the Whangarei Falls we have unfortunately missed something, I see. Well, maybe there will be a next time, then we plan for sure.
Many greetings,
Tanja
Thank you for sharing the beautiful places. At the next visit we will probably look again at other corners we have missed in the last two times.
Write a comment Cancel reply
Who writes here?
We, that is Nina, Sebastian and our son Karl, report on our Family travel blog about excursions in our homeland Schleswig-Holstein and our Traveling in Germany, Europe and around the world.
We will also show you how to travel in a child-friendly way and give you tips to help you spend unforgettable holidays together.
Subscribe to a blog via e-mail
Tags
information
* Affiliate Links / Advertising
Should you buy or book something via our * links, we will receive a small commission, which we use to cover the costs of the blog. Of course, you still do not pay a penny and we’re happy if you help us with it.
Related Posts
-
Spiekeroog holidays – travel guides and tips for the North Sea island
Enchanted by Spiekeroog Of the East Frisian Islands, Spiekeroog is the quietest and greenest. What is there to discover and where to find the right…
-
The most beautiful beaches in europe: the best places to swim
The most beautiful beaches in Europe: the best places to swim From the sand dunes on the North Sea to the quiet bays in the Mediterranean: The most…
-
Tips for a holiday in dangast on the north sea
Friesland: Tips for Dangast If there is an artist village on the North Sea coast, then it is probably Dangast. It exudes a very special atmosphere with…
-
Back from New Zealand – a review
Back home – a New Zealand travel resume * Post updated on: 12 May 2014 It is done – after three days return journey with many impressions (Japan!), Too…