Te Arai offers pristine white sandy beaches at the end of picturesque rural roads and a glorious campground within the regional park.

It's an area well known by surfers for consistent and safe conditions and it's an utterly gorgeous spot for a day at the beach.

From SH1 in Wellsford, take Matheson Road at the top of the hill as you leave the shops behind. It's signposted to Whangaripo Valley, Pakiri and Tomarata. Continue on Matheson as it becomes Whangaripo Valley Road, then take Waiteitei Road to your left, signposted to Mangawhai. 

At the end of Waiteitei Road, turn right into Mangawhai Road for 3.6kms then take Te Arai Point Road to your right and travel to the end. Much of Te Arai Point Road is gravel, so drive with care. A brief walk to the top of the point will give you views right along the beach and you can choose from swimming in the surf or at the sheltered old quarry swimming hole. Make sure you explore the beaches on either side of Te Arai Point as well because Forestry and Black Swamp are even more beautiful.

The area is home to several species of bird and plant whose existence hangs in the balance, including the New Zealand Fairy Tern and the Northern New Zealand Dotterel. It's crucial for them that you take only photographs and leave only footprints… do not disturb them and let nothing harm them. Dogs are not allowed at Te Arai.

Otuihau Whangārei Falls is a picturesque 26.3 metre-high waterfall, cascading over basalt cliffs. Enjoy a relatively short circular walk or for a longer walk start from the A H Reed Memorial Park or Hatea River Walkway.

Whangarei Falls is located inWhangarei Scenic Reserve. The classic curtain waterfall is part of the Hatea River and one of the most popular swimming spot in the area. Easy access and a well-maintained Scenic Reserve make this waterfall one of New Zealand Must See Waterfalls.

Wind your way through regenerating native forest to the summit of Mount Manaia, 420m above sea level.

As you climb, the landscape becomes increasingly spectacular, with views overlooking one of New Zealand's most dramatic harbour entrances. Along the way, check out the impressive stands of large tree ferns (punga) and natural rocky outcrops that are perfect lookouts for views of Bream Head and the Hen and Chicken Islands. To reach the mountain's true summit, you will need a strong head for heights, but the views from the top are well worth the effort.

The Abbey Caves Reserve features dramatic limestone outcrops, sink holes and three significant caves; Organ, Middle and Ivy.  A well-established native forest includes particularly fine specimens of puriri trees.

Access the abbey caves walkway over a steep wooden stile and down a series of box steps onto a circular walkway of mown grass. The three caves are signposted and lie just off this walkway. Only experienced cavers should enter the underground caves, as there are risks from rapidly rising water and roof falls. The Organ Cave entrance is dangerous due to a roof fall. The walkway comprises of naturally sculptured limestone outcrops, sink holes and three significant caves, Organ, Middle and Ivy.  Along the walkway, you will see two distinct areas of native bush, podocarp-hardwood forest, specimens of puriri trees, and site of the historic house of Nathaniel and Amelia Clotworthy.

Ruakaka Beach is popular with swimmers, surfers and fishermen alike. It has a modest but growing resident population and good facilities including a surf club, shops and motor camp. Given the heavy industrial development of the Marsden Point area beach usage north of the Ruakaka River mouth is minimal.

The award-winning Whangarei Native Bird Recovery Centre Incorporated has cared for and treated thousands of birds since 1st August 1992, when it was first established.

Centre founders Robert and Robyn Webb, who have over 30 years’ experience working with native birds, manage and run the centre with the help of a small committee of volunteers.

The centre takes in all injured birds, both native and non-native, and where possible nurses the birds back to health for release into the wild. More than 60% of the birds that are brought into the centre are successfully released again.

A special part of the centre is the Bayer incubation unit and kiwi recovery pens. This facility is used to incubate eggs found in the wild and also as a recovery area for injured kiwi.

In the Whangarei area, dogs are the biggest cause of kiwi deaths and injuries, followed by motor vehicles. Many of these injured kiwi end up at the Whangarei Native Bird Recovery Centre.

The centre’s diverse operations include:

Magnificent coastal views, a small rocky beach, Waipū pancake limestone rocks, native coastal bush, great fishing and picnic spots.  This walk has been developed by members of the Waipū Lions Club following the vision of the late Alan McKenzie, who was a local resident. 

The trail can be entered at either end where notices, stiles, orange markers and posts indicate the path. Following wet weather, the track becomes very slippery in areas. Part of the walkway is near a steep drop into the sea or onto rocks below, so take care and supervise youngsters. Alternatively, Langs Beach can be accessed by walking on the side of the road. This walk requires a reasonable level of fitness and agility. There are stiles, steps, ladders and rocks to climb.  The entry / exit points at both Waipū Cove and Ding Bay may require you to wade through water. Please be aware of high tide times before you begin your walk. Please stay on the track, follow the orange markers and do not trespass onto private property.

At the Cape, the Tasman Sea meets the Pacific Ocean in a spectacular swirl of currents. At the northernmost tip of the Cape is a gnarled pohutukawa tree, believed to be over 800 years old. According to Maori oral history, the spirits of deceased Maori leap from this tree into the ocean to return to their ancestral homeland of Hawaiki.

While it’s not quite the most northern point of New Zealand (North Cape is further north, but it’s a scientific reserve and not open to the public), Cape Reinga is definitely the end of the road.

From Kaitaia, the drive to Cape Reinga takes about 1.5 hours each way. Guided coach tours depart from Kaitaia and Paihia (Bay of Islands) daily. As well as taking you up to the Cape, these trips travel along popular 90 Mile Beach, bringing Maori and early European history to life on the way. 

For those short on time, scenic flights depart from the Bay of Islands, flying to the Cape and along both coasts of New Zealand. 

Being a sacred site, eating is not permitted at Cape Reinga. However if you're looking for a good picnic spot, take the turn off to beautiful Tapotupotu Bay, 5km before the Cape.

Ninety-Mile Beach is the fabled strip of sand that stretches from Ahipara to Scott Point, five kilometres south of Cape Maria van Diemen. Truth be told, it is actually 88 kilometres long.

This beach is officially a highway, but is really only suitable for 4WD vehicles and is safe to drive only at specific times of the tides. Rental companies won’t allow their cars on the sand, mostly for safety reasons. The easy way to drive along the beach is to catch a coach tour from Kaitaia. If you are short of time in Northland and staying in the Bay of Islands, coach tours and scenic flights up to Cape Reinga depart from Paihia daily. Beach activities range from surfcasting and swimming to bodyboarding down the sand dunes. A special treat is digging for tuatua (a native shellfish) in the sand at low tide. Flanking the beach is the Aupouri Forest, which provides a green escape from the hot sun.

Once a year in late February or early March, 90 Mile Beach hosts a five day fishing competition. Hundreds of anglers surf cast from the beach hoping to catch the biggest snapper, a delicious white-flesh fish found in New Zealand waters. 

Karikari Peninsula is renowned for its amazing white sandy beaches and bays such as popular Maitai Bay. Other attractions include historical Puwheke Beach, Karikari Beach and picturesque Waikato Bay.

The Karikari Peninsula was a favoured area for seasonal hunting and gathering activities by pre-European Māori. Numerous midden are located in the adjacent fore dunes, showing a heavy reliance on marine resources for a long period of time with a focus on seasonal camping.

At Lake Ohia, the former lake bed offers snapshots of the recent past and ancient history showing visible effects of gum-digging and featuring ancient remains of a once thriving kauri forest.

Karikari is the traditional homeland for the Ngati Kahu tribe. In Maori mythology, the waka (canoe) Waipapa, captained by Kaiwhetu and Wairere, made its first landing in New Zealand at Karikari.

Taupo Bay lies just north of the entrance to the Whangaroa Harbour.

To reach this idyllic beach by road, one must travel 11km to the north of Whangaroa Harbour and then turn eastwards for a similar distance, but the journey is well worth it. This picturesque white sandy beach is the ideal surfing and family holiday destination. Taupo Bay offers quality beach front accommodation, and there is also a camping ground near the beach. Small old-style baches and newer holiday homes line the beachfront. The beach provides an easy launching ramp for trailer boats. Taupo Bay is in a spectacularly scenic setting, surrounded by native bush. 

Taupo Bay is one of Northland's best beaches. The beach is extremely wide and slopes gradually into the sea and curves in a gentle arc for a length of almost one and a half kilometres. Taupo Bay is renowned for its surf. The Isobar Surf School is found here and teaches the sport to all comers.

The 1700 hectare Pukenui/Western Hills Forest is located on the doorstep of Whangarei City. Numerous tracks link Whangarei District Council and Department of Conservation administered land which includes the Coronation Scenic Reserve, Pukenui Conservation Park, Whau Valley Water Supply Reserve and Whangarei Quarry Gardens Recreation Reserve. Walks range from 30 minutes return (Rust Track) to 8 hours (Amalin Drive to Russell Road) showcasing a beautiful array of native vegetation with some impressive mature trees, picturesque streams and a variety of forest birds.

The forest complex is steeped in history with Maori pa sites and storage pits, a deserted goldmine and remnants of former logging operations to be seen. Several places worth visiting, found at the start of the tracks, are the Quarry Craft Centre (off Selwyn Avenue) and the Whangarei Quarry Gardens (off Russell Road).

Please keep to the tracks marked with orange triangle markers and respect private property. No dogs, camping, fires or bikes are permitted and remember to take only photos and leave only footprints.

Pukenui Forest Loop Track

The first section of this track is an easy walk, suitable for all ages. To complete the full loop, a moderate level of fitness is recommended.

Time: 3 - 4 hrs (from car park)
Distance: 8.2 km (from car park)

From the car park, access to the forest is through open farmland displaying some attractive dry stone walls dating back to World War II. Once over the stile, this walk takes you along the edge of the forest past regenerating native vegetation. Tomtits are often sighted here and the delightful song of the tui can be heard as the track enters the forest. An old forestry bullock track leads you down to the beautiful Mangere Stream where there are some good picnic spots. There are some steep hills to climb which return you to the bullock track and along the fence line to the stile. Large kauri and totara, native orchids, and a range of forest types feature on this track.