A perfect first week indulging in our new way of life
We knew our first week in Auckland would be hectic so had booked our second week at a remote cottage on a peaceful bay in an area of quiet hamlets. And that turned out to be ideal for us in every way. We had a delightful week relaxing, exploring, soaking up the beauty of this part of New Zealand and grinning at each other countless times a day asking “is this really our life now?”
Whangarei (pronounced Fangeraa) is the only “large city” (50k people) in Northland (the area north of Auckland) but we were out on the Whangarei Heads peninsula which is very rural with a mix of rolling hills of pastures (sheep, cows and even alpaca), small fishing towns, towering volcanic rock formations, empty beaches and a series of bays and coves dotted with anchored fishing and sailing boats.
Our place, off a remote road, down a more remote road, and then up and down a very steep gravel drive, overlooked a bay and I’m betting will hold top spot as our most favorite accommodation for this entire trip. This is one of the few times we were in a standalone building, with our hosts living in a separate house on the same property that they have been developing over the last five years and have done an incredible job. Our cottage is modern, quiet and utterly serene, with views in every direction.
So what exactly does one do on their first real week of a very long holiday? Read on for details if interested…
Or if you just want the quick summary: flat out, non-stop vacation activities and adventure.
Monday – Move Day
After one last sunrise walk to marina, we packed, cleaned and left Auckland for Northland, stopping to pick up the kayak in the first of the beach towns that line the drive north. We stopped in the trendy town of Manataka for a stroll and a visit to Heron’s Reach winery for our first New Zealand wine tasting experience. Wouldn’t you know it, we picked the one vineyard in NZ that specializes in Italian wines! Tasty though, and soon we were back to enjoying the drive on winding hilly roads through beautiful green pastureland.
Down some back roads, we found mostly empty Pariki Beach, a perfect place for a picnic lunch, and continued on to Mangawhai Heads for a beach walk, where the haystack offshore is reminiscent of the Oregon coast but the adorable little kids’ surf school is all NZ.
As we approached our place on Parua Bay past Whangerei, we were overwhelmed with the beauty of the area and completely surprised by the towering rocks rising out of the hills. Happily, we arrived just in time for a cloudy silver sunset watching the bay and our hosts fishing from shore in the distance.
Tip: To see enlarged pictures and descriptions from the gallery blocks, just click on the first picture and a window with larger images will open that you can click through in slideshow mode.
Tuesday
We woke up to paradise complete with a sunrise before it turned into a rainy morning which we spent looking at nautical charts of the area and working on our laptops. I indulged in the first noontime weekday nap I’ve taken in ten years and realized I have a lot of catching up on sleep to do!
When the skies cleared, we took a gorgeous drive out to Whangarei Head where we found a nearly empty parking lot at Ocean Beach and set out on a very up and down hike at Bream Headland Loop Track. Adding in the optional Peach Cove track added even more stairs, but the track is well maintained. (We very soon came to appreciate that NZ Department of Conservation (DOC) does a stellar job with almost every park, trail and set of information we encounter.)
The hike is beautiful, through forest including iconic Kauris and Kiwis (which we didn’t spot because they are nocturnal), down to secluded coves, around, over and through the rock formations and with views out over rolling green hills. We couldn’t believe all the birdsong – nonstop music.
We ended high above the ocean in a WWII bunker and radar area and then had an easy, grassy stroll down to the beach. The only downside was that the hike was the start of what felt like bootcamp week as we huffed and puffed up hills on legs and lungs left soft from desk jobs.
Northland may be called the “winterless north” but we were wrapped up in winter jackets and hats for a cold and picturesque sunset on deck.
Wednesday
A very windy morning so more laptop time dealing with financial and health stuff before heading to Whangerei Falls. This is the town’s major tourist attraction and definitely more populated than our solitary hike the day before, but still quiet. And then the short Hatea River walk to A.H. Reed Kauri park where we see our first “big” one.
We then backtracked south to Waipu to explore the Waipu Caves – Magical! We have seen stalactites before, but never a cave tunnel and caverns lit up by glowworms! From wikipedia: “Arachnocampa luminosa, commonly known as New Zealand glowworm , is a species of fungus gnat endemic to New Zealand. The larval stage produces a blue-green bioluminescence. The species is known to dwell in caves. Its Māori name is titiwai, meaning “projected over water”. “
Glowworms are a major tourist draw to Waitomo, another area on the North Island, but this is a non-commercialized cave and we had it almost to ourselves, with only patience needed for our eyes to adjust to the dark to let the glow worm fairyland appear above and around us.
Later, we did a mediocre walk there and then went on to the beach for a short but beautiful walk on the Waipu Coastal Track where we saw another darling surf school, “pancake rocks”, people fishing, a pa (remains of a Maori fortified settlement) and beautiful water. On the way home we made a stop at McLeod’s Pizza Barn and Brewery for stout and porter (hard to find here!) and arrived home just at dark.
Thursday
A rainy morning, so it was a good chance to do laundry (yes – even in this fantasy life we still have to take care of the hum drum of everyday life!) and then we drove north to explore the next peninsula up the coast, the Tutukaka.
We enjoyed the beautiful road over hilly farmland to Ngunguru, which has a gorgeous canal protected by sand dunes from the bay. The deserted Tane Moana trek took us to an impressive (even to PNW’ers!) big squat short Kauri.
Another incredible drive through coves around Whangaumu Bay – stopping for walks and a picnic and to check out marina where dive boats leave for the Poor Knights Islands.
Then on to the Tutukaka Heads Lighthouse Track, which is a stunning walk up and down hills to an isthmus and island with views everywhere.
One last stop at gorgeous Matapouri Bay and a short ramble to peacefully beautiful Whale Bay. A gorgeous drive home in time for a cold sunset on deck.
Friday
A beautiful morning and a tough but amazing hike up the Mt Manaia Track, close by at Whangerei Heads. It was a gorgeous walk with views around all the headlands and harbour, though very windy at top so we didn’t linger long there.
We spent a little time learning the history of McLeod (the hamlet we can see from our place across the bay and where this track starts) which was settled first by Maori and later by Scots who came to the area after first trying Canada. Most of the area is still populated by their descendants and the town signs welcome you in English, Maori and Scottish.
Then we did a much easier hike on the Smugglers Cove to Busby Head Loop Track, which is both beautiful with views over the harbor mouth and interesting with WWII sites. We watched a Tayana (a bluewater sailboat similar to what we had) fight its way upwind into the harbor and then later, while picnicking at Uretewa Bay, watched it try to set anchor – leaving us feeling soft but happy with our choice to try a different kind of travel this time!
We had a relaxing afternoon with a short, pretty (but very windy) walk on Ocean Beach, a stop at McLeod Bay to wander and watch a windsurfer, and a drive down the end of our farm road to hidden Nook Reserve, with its lovely, empty beach of big trees and views.
Home early for enough for a peaceful sunset on the deck again, which never gets old.
Saturday
Still windy so we decided to head to the west coast to explore, see Kauri forest and perhaps swim in the Kai Iwi lakes. New Zealand is so small that jumping from coast to coast takes anywhere from 5 hours to an hour – in Auckland you can actually walk it in half a day! Up here in Northland, it’s a two- hour drive through beautiful pastures, hills, and tiny settlements.
We first stopped in Dargaville, learned a little about its strong Dalmatian heritage and chuckled at boats docked in mud along Wairoa River at low tide. Bet you didn’t know Dargaville is the Kumara capital of NZ! Kumaras are (and have been from Maori times) a major staple in the NZ diet. They are like sweet potatoes, but I think even yummier.
From there, we took a long winding drive up to and through Waipoa Forest to Tane Mahuta – the largest Kauri in the world (only NZ has them). Amazingly few people and utterly impressive.
Then we drove just a few kilometers to a stroll through the grandest stand of Kauri living in the universe which culminates with Te Matua Ngahere – the fattest living Kauri. An absolutely powerful experience – the walk and the trees with just a few people and loads of birdsong.
Back down the winding road to Kai-Iwi dune lakes – 3 crystal clear lakes ensconced in petrified dunes, 2 km in from Tasman Sea. It was still too cold to entice us to swim, so we picnicked at the domain then took a coastal walk to the Tasman Sea.
The track passes through numerous cow pastures and at one point cows were starting to quickly crowd us (‘charge us’ some might say ;)) which was strangely scary (don’t laugh until you try it! We’re just two kids from the suburbs – what do we know about cows?) We finally realized they wanted to be let through the gate. Apparently the “grass is greener” syndrome happens to cows as well as people.
We reached a beautiful deserted beach with sandstone cliffs, waterfall, tuatua (clamlike shellfish found only in NZ) popping their heads up and jellyfish galore. Just as we were stepping back onto the trail from the beach, ATVs and truck blew by – what timing. We made it back through the cow pastures (wild turkeys too) for another pretty drive home, grocery shopping for next week and a late, late dinner.
Sunday
Up during the night, I was drawn outside by the array of stars stretching down to the horizon. The stargazing from the deck was amazing until the cold chased me indoors.
A beautiful morning and the perfect day to try out the single kayaks that come with this Airbnb. As we descended to our private cove, we “found” a sailboat anchored in our bay.
It was great to be out on the water as we kayaked from Erin’s Bay to McLeod anchorage and returned via the island in middle of Munro Bay. Absolutely gorgeous water colors, the perfect amount of wind and waves (hardly any of either) and good tide timing.
We enjoyed a relaxing afternoon with lunch and a beer on the deck then time at Ocean Beach. Hale put together his kiteboard and I beach walked – idyllic and mostly deserted. Sunset on the deck wrapped up an exceptional week. I’d stay here in a heartbeat but now the far north is beckoning.
Bonus Pictures
Week 2 of our journey