Northland - Birthplace of New Zealand

PHOTO: Hokianga Harbour

It’s no wonder most early settlers arriving at Northland failed to venture further into New Zealand.

The region is a Pacific paradise, blessed with glorious sandy beaches, seas teeming with fish and dolphins, beautiful islands and lush native forest. You wouldn’t want to leave either and as Northland is subtropical– the warmest region in New Zealand.

Although it’s easy to get sucked into the slow pace of life up north, there are still plenty of activities to keep you enthralled. Whether visiting one of many historical sites, feasting on delicious seafood or mastering a new water sport, you’ll find something that takes your fancy.

History

Although New Zealand is a relatively young country, there are numerous sites of historical importance, and many of these can be found in Northland. The region offers a subtle blend of history and culture for it played a major part in the development of New Zealand’s Maori and European history, beginning with the arrival of the great Polynesian navigator, Kupe, in 950AD. Kupe landed in Aotearoa (the land of the long white cloud) from Hawaiiki and made the west coast harbour of the Hokianga his base. The Maori people enjoyed the lush forest-robed countryside and spread across the north, to the east coast settlements of Waitangi, the Bay of Islands, and beyond. Today Northland is dubbed as the Birthplace of a Nation – the place where New Zealand began.

The first European to visit New Zealand was Abel Tasman, a Dutch explorer in 1642, who named the new country Nieuw Zeeland. In 1769 Captain Cook, from Britain’s Royal Navy, spent several months charting the coastline and once charted, an interest in New Zealand’s wealth of natural resources began to grow. New Zealand’s oldest buildings, which can still be seen today, were erected when mission stations were established.

By 1830, Kororareka (Russell) was the most popular port for visiting whaling ships in the South Pacific. Numerous British pioneers began to settle throughout the region from the Bay of Islands in the east, to the Hokianga Harbour in the west and to other parts of coastal Northland. Much of the dense vegetation was cleared and a thriving kauri milling industry established, which attracted even more settlers.

Russell became New Zealand’s first capital and on February 6, 1840, Maori chiefs from around the country signed the Treaty of Waitangi, at Waitangi. The treaty handed sovereignty of New Zealand over to Queen Victoria of Great Britain and was an agreement between the Maori and European, by which all New Zealanders still live today.

The Culture North production www.culturenorth.co.nz, held at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds in the evenings, is a moving performance that tells the tale of those times. A number of other opportunities exist in which visitors to Northland can become actively involved with the Maori people, such as Te Waka Tours and Waka Taiamai Heritage Journeys www.taiamaitours.co.nz in the Bay of Islands and Footprints Waipoua www.footprintswaipoua.co.nz in the Hokianga. Rather than cultural productions, these experiences provide a genuine opportunity to interact and learn more about the Maori people and their culture. As well as the historic Treaty Grounds www.waitangi.net.nz at Waitangi there are plenty of other historic attractions to visit throughout Northland such as the Matakohe Kauri Museum, www.kaurimuseum.com the Gumdiggers Park, www.gumdiggerspark.co.nz Russell’s old cemetery, numerous churches and mission stations, as well as New Zealand’s oldest surviving buildings at Kerikeri – just to mention a few.

Regions – Follow the Twin Coast Discovery Highway www.northlandnz.com/getting_around/twin_coast_discovery.htm

Pakiri: Just an hour’s drive north of Auckland City you’ll find yourself in a wilderness at Pakiri Beach. It’s great for horse riding, swimming and beach walks.

Bream Bay: With its sparkling blue waters and miles of fine white sand, Bream Bay contains some of New Zealand’s most popular surf beaches at Ruakaka, Waipu Cove and Langs Beach. Head there for fishing trips, horse trekking, limestone caves and bush walks.

Whangarei: Whangarei is a great place to base yourself if you’re mad on fishing, beaches, skydiving or even abseiling It’s also close to the Poor Knights Islands, a marine reserve off the coast of Tutukaka that’s rated one of the world’s top 10 diving spots. The Whangarei Town Basin is also definitely worth a peek, with the Burning Issues Gallery, cafes, restaurants and Clapham’s Clocks. www.claphamsclocks.com

Bay of Islands: The Bay of Islands is steeped in historical significance – it is the location of the Waitangi Treaty Grounds www.waitangi.net.nz (the place where the treaty of Waitangi was signed, signalling the future of NZ as a bi-cultural nation). Culture aside, it’s also an aquatic playground and its waters are dotted with 144 islands. This is a watersports paradise with its sandy beaches, subtropical climate and crystal clear water. Try swimming, sailing, kayaking, diving, snorkelling and jet skiing or simply cruise from the lively buzz of Paihia’s cafes to historic Russell. One of the most popular activities with backpackers is swimming with the dolphins. Alternatively, take advantage of the many walking tracks in the area or visit the nearby giant kauri trees.

The Far North: North of the Bay of Islands lie many beautiful and secluded beaches, providing ample opportunities for water sports. Don’t miss your chance to sample fresh New Zealand seafood at its best. A famous feature of the Far North is Ninety Mile Beach, a long stretch of beach and sand dunes en route to Cape Reinga, and a popular place for sand tobogganing. Magical Cape Reinga is where the Pacific Ocean and Tasman Sea collide, and the spirits of the Maori are said to depart after death.

Ahipara, at the southern end of Ninety Mile Beach is the place to go for quad bikes, blo-karts and kayaks.

Hokianga: Steeped in history and lucky enough to have spectacular ocean viewpoints, Hokianga is an excellent holiday destination. It’s a great place to head for horse riding, beach buggies, local arts & crafts, pig hunting and contemporary Maori culture.

Waipoua: The Waipoua Kauri Forest contains 75% of New Zealand’s remaining kauri trees, including the largest living kauri, Tane Mahuta. Several of the giant native trees are only a short walk from the road or you can join a night walk with local Maori guides. www.footprintswaipoua.co.nz Another magnificent pocket of kauri can be found 17 kms south at Trounson Kauri Park.

Kai Iwi Lakes, just south of Trounson, are amazing sapphire freshwater pools, surrounded by brilliant white sand and a couple of great camp sites.

Dargaville – Kaipara: It is possible to drive to Pouto along Ripiro beach, a gazetted highway, two hours either side of low tide. This beach is the graveyard of at least 113 recorded shipwrecks.

Top Attractions

• See the Southern Hemisphere’s largest collection of clocks, time pieces and music boxes at Clapham’s Clocks in Whangarei. www.claphamsclocks.com
• Take a cruise through the famous “Hole in the Rock” and learn about Maori legends and local history in the process – maybe spotting some dolphins, seals or whales too.
• Learn about the early years of contact between Maori and Europeans in Northland at the Russell Museum.
• Watch staff at historic Pompallier House in Russell practise the ancient crafts of tanning, printing and bookbinding – just like the missionaries that first lived there in the 1840s.
• Take a bus tour to Cape Reinga via Ninety Mile Beach and learn about the history and culture of this spiritual place. www.explorenz.co.nz
• Go back in time at Rewa’s Village, an authentic pre-European Maori fishing village at Kerikeri, with reconstructions of traditional storerooms, dwellings and a hangi site.
• At Kerikeri visit the Stone Store, New Zealand’s oldest stone building (built from 1832 to 1836), and Kemp House, the oldest surviving building (1822).
• Enjoy the fabulous views of Hokianga Harbour from Omapere.
• The Kauri Museum at Matakohe provides a stimulating insight into New Zealand history. Exhibits include a kauri swamp log believed to be up to 45,000 years old, pioneering memorabilia and kauri gum displays. www.kaurimuseum.com
• See the sound and light show run by Culture North and set in the Waitangi Treaty. The story is told through the eyes of a grandfather talking to his grandson covering a thousand years. NB: this runs 4 to 6 nights a week depending on time of year. www.culturenorth.co.nz

Adventure

• Go skydiving, jet skiing, surfing, diving, sailing, horse riding, kayaking, quad biking, snorkelling or water skiing at numerous Northland destinations.
• Go sailing on a Tall Ship in the Bay of Islands and experience Northland as Captain Cook would have.
• For the eco-cruise of a lifetime, take a dolphin cruise in the Bay of Islands. You might even be able to swim with the playful creatures. www.sailingdolphins.co.nz
• Make the most of spectacular diving opportunities at Matauri Bay, overlooking the Cavalli Islands – the final resting place of the ill-fated Greenpeace flagship, the Rainbow Warrior.
• Ride the massive sand dunes on quad bikes or by sand toboggan.

More Information

For more information visit www.northlandnz.com

For a downloadable Northland Visitor Guide http://www.northlandnz.com/information/visitor_guide

See the Northland DVD on u-tube www.youtube.com/watch?v=43__c7DHR4o

Contact the Visitor Information Centres at

Whangarei Ph 09 438 1079

Bay of Islands Ph 09 402 7345

Far North Ph 09 408 0879

Dargaville Ph 09 439 8360

Kaikohe Ph 09 401 1693

Hokianga Ph 09 405 8869