The Winterless North: Northland, New Zealand

I wrote this in 2016 or 2017 during the two years I lived in New Zealand. Some details — prices, hours, what’s open — may have changed, but the experience and my love for this place haven’t.

The Northland Region is often referred to as the Winterless North — it is the farthest north of the 16 NZ regions and the warmest. You could call it the People-less North as well since it’s not a widely populated part of the country. It has around 168,000 people all up with 55,000 of them in the largest city, Whangarei. Kerikeri is the second largest with just 7,000 people and the towns get smaller from there pretty quickly.

Northland is the European starting point for modern New Zealand and Māori legend calls it the birthplace of the country. Being so warm means you can grow things here that don’t grow as well in the rest of the country — avocados, olives, citrus and lots of kumara. We stopped at one of the unmanned roadside stands and bought avocados on our trip — you drop your coins in a box, pick your avocados, and off you go. We made guacamole out of them a few days later and it was yum.

I’ve only been to Northland once so far but I’m in love. Conveniences are few and far between but the town of Kaitaia is bigger than you’d think and has restaurants and even a few fast food places. There is a lot to do in the region including:

Tāne Mahuta — the largest kauri tree in New Zealand and Lord of the Forest, estimated to be around 1,500 years old. He’s in the Waipoua Forest on Highway 12. I’ve written a full post about him — he is worth the detour.

Te-Oneroa-a-Tōhē / Ninety Mile Beach — an 88 kilometre stretch of officially drivable beach. It isn’t actually 90 miles — early European settlers named it based on how long it took their horses to walk, not accounting for the slower pace on sand. It’s a public highway but note that most rental car companies don’t cover driving on it, so the safest bet is a tour bus from Kaitaia or Paihia. Very popular in summer.

Hokianga Harbour — a beautiful harbour north of the Waipoua Forest with a car ferry that shuttles drivers back and forth across the water during the day.

Poor Knights Islands — I have yet to dive here but Jacques Cousteau rated it as one of the top ten dive spots in the world. It’s an uninhabited nature reserve known for extraordinary water clarity, marine life, and sea caves. Dive trips depart from Tutukaka Marina.

Cape Reinga — Cape Reinga is not the absolute northernmost tip of New Zealand but it is where Highway 1 ends and it feels like the end of the earth. It’s a beautiful drive and a sacred place in Māori culture — it is believed to be where the spirits of the dead depart on their journey back to the ancestral homeland of Hawaiki.

Te Paki Sand Dunes — we didn’t plan ahead for these and were surprised to find them. They are immense — some dunes rise to 150 metres. Bring a boogie board or hire one at the dunes for sandboarding. Most Cape Reinga day tours from Kaitaia or Paihia include a stop here, which is the easiest way to do it.