GO NZ: A road trip on Northland s Kauri Coast
18 Jan, 2021 10:39 PM
5 minutes to read
The Northern Wairoa River on the Kauri Coast, with the volcanic plug Tokatoka in the background. Photo / Sue Taylor
The Northern Wairoa River on the Kauri Coast, with the volcanic plug Tokatoka in the background. Photo / Sue Taylor
NZ Herald
Lindy Laird takes the road less travelled into Northland s magnificent geography and history
To travel Northland s Kauri Coast is to journey through time and a world of giants.
Starting at the State Highway 12 turn-off at Brynderwyn, the route skirts the Kaipara Harbour s northern reaches and pretty, historic settlements.
Photos / Supplied
What better way to spend a Kiwi summer than in the Winterless North? From New Zealand’s longest beach (which isn’t actually Ninety Mile Beach) to our biggest Kauri tree, there’s an abundance of outdoor activities waiting.
Just under two hours from Auckland, the Kauri Coast is accessed on SH1 and SH12 via the Twin Coast Discovery Highway. Known for its ginormous Kauri trees, stunning beaches and rich Maori history, Hokianga’s Kauri Coast is a must-do for any nature-lover looking to experience one of our best drives.
Just a few minutes west of Dargaville, you can enjoy Ripiro Beach, NZ’s longest stretch of sand at 107km. Ideal in a four-wheel drive vehicle, Ripiro can be driven on, and contains many of the 153 shipwrecks that the Kaipara Coast has seen over the years. On top of this, there’s great fishing, surfing, and site-seeing to be done on this epic stretch of rugged sand.
New Zealand s best swimming holes, beaches and outdoor pools to visit this summer
27 Dec, 2020 05:16 PM
8 minutes to read
By: Ewan McDonald
Summer is bliss. Or Bliss , if your coming-of-age memory is Th Dudes gig at the Soundshell.
It s the rosy beginning, burnt-orange middle and fading end of the golden weather, when life is a beach, a surf break, lakeshore, swimming hole, whitewater raft-ride, sit-down or stand-up paddle bay; when New Zealand becomes a country of sails.
Aotearoa has 15,000km of coastline, which means that each of us gets 3 metres to find a tree, spread out a towel and moor a gently defrosting chilly bin.