‘This hauntingly beautiful area which stretches from Brynderwyn in the south to the Hokianga Harbour in the north has perhaps the longest and richest history in all of Aotearoa New Zealand.’
FROM KOHUKOHU TO KAI IWI LAKES
Take a look below at our Youtube Video for this trip!
KOHUKOHU
We began our trip in the lovely little town of Kohukohu. A historic village on the Hokianga Harbour. Being right on the water, it has pretty wharf, perfect for grabbing a few shots. There is a short walk around the town which took us past all of the old buildings.
We popped into Village Arts, the community art gallery, which showcased the works of the talented locals. There is also a cute little op shop called Second Hand Rose which is good for a look.
Whilst walking around the town, we began to notice a black and white cat following us from place to place. To our amusement, a local told us that the mayor of Kohukohu was in fact this cat, named Patch! Patch does not have an owner anymore, and is cared for and fed by many people in the community.
HOT TIP: The cafe ‘Kai to Go‘ do the best ever bacon and egg rolls!
You can catch the Hokianga ferry from here over to Rawene, however we decided to head inland as we wanted to discover a few more country towns and hot pools! The ferry costs $40 one way for a campervan, so is quite expensive, but it does cut out about an hours worth of driving if you are headed this way.
TE WAIMATE MISSION
Next we headed inland and visited a Heritage New Zealand site named Te Waimate Mission. As we are members we get free entry, so it was a no brainer to visit as we love a bit of history.
The building itself is New Zealand’s second oldest building. The mission preserves missionary, farming and architectural history, as well as stories of important early encounters between Māori and Europeans. The guides are extremely knowledgeable and great to speak with. You can learn more about Te Waimate Mission here
NGAWHA SPRINGS
After a few days on the road we decided to treat ourselves to some rest and relaxation. Ngawha Springs comprise of 16 geothermal pools each with their own unique characteristics and healing properties with differing temperatures, colours and minerals.
The architecture, ambiance and set up of the facility is so well done and on point. Although quite a few of the pools were closed, it still left for enough pools to enjoy fully. The cost of $34 per adult is a bit on the expensive side though and you are only allowed to stay for a maximum of two hours!
That night we stayed down the road at the Bay of Islands Pastoral Industrial Association. In fact, it was so nice we stayed two nights and we were the only ones there for the whole time. We were surrounded by paddocks of calves, horses and farmland. They just ask for $10 per night left in an honesty box. So worth it.
RAWENE
In the morning we drove out to Rawene, and similar to Kohukohu, it’s a charming and historic town right by the water. Being New Zealand’s third oldest European settlement there is lots of history here.
We strolled through the town admiring the different heritage buildings, especially Clendon House, built in the 1860’s. Unfortunately the house was closed at the time of our visit so we could only admire this from the outside.
We then headed down to the Rawene Mangrove Boardwalk which is a short 15 minute walk taking in lovely views of wetland habitat whilst learning from the many informative signs.
Our last stop in Rawene was at the Boatshed Cafe, which was an awesome little cafe in and actual old boatshed on stilts overlooking the water. Highly recommend this place, their coffees are awesome!! They even have a gift shop that sells local arts and crafts…
OPONONI & ŌMĀPERE
From Rawene was continued along State Highway 12 towards the stunning turquoise waters and white sands of Opononi and Ōmāpere.
Opononi became famous throughout New Zealand in the summer of 1955 and 1956 due to the exploits of a dolphin called Opo who is now buried in the town where there is a statue of the Dolphin!
We ended our time in this area by walking the Signal Station Track up to a lookout with splendid views of the ocean and Hokianga Harbour. The walk only took 20 minutes but its so worth it with beautiful views throughout the walk and native bush all around.
We would have loved to have stayed the night in this area, but unfortunately there were no low cost campsites so we continued on down through the Kauri Coast.
KAURI FORESTS
Next we headed through miles and miles of thick ancient Kauri Forests (known as Waipoua Forest) to end up at Tāne Mahuta- the oldest known living Kauri Tree in New Zealand. This mammoth has to be seen to be believed!
This short five minute walk is easily accessed straight off state highway 12. Being so old, and at risk from Kauri dieback disease, the walk is gated and only open between 8.30 am and 4.30 pm.
Tāne Mahuta is estimated to be between 1,250 and 2,500 years old! With a girth or circumference of around 15 meters and height of about 45 metres!
Our stay for the night was at the lovely DOC (Department of Conservation) Trounson Kauri Park Campground. As we have an annual DOC pass, this camp was free, otherwise its normally $20 per adult which seems a bit expensive. It situated right next to an awesome Kauri walk through lush forest which is well known for kiwi sightings.
As we wanted a break from travelling for a while, we ended up staying five nights at this camp and it was just lovely. Although we looked most nights, we did not see any kiwis, although we definitely heard them!
The campsite had unlimited hot showers, kitchen, power, and toilets, however sad to say that no one came to clean them the whole time we were there.
KAIIWI LAKES
Our final destination was Kaiiwi Lakes which are actually three separate dune lakes and make for an awesome holiday spot. As we were just starting the peak season, we decided not to stay overnight as we wanted to be somewhere quieter. The lakes are perfect for swimming, water sports and boating, and are very popular with families and groups.
The lakes often shine a brilliant turquise blue, and with the surrounding bush, make for some awesome photos.
We decided to walk the Lake Waikere loop track which is a lot quieter than the other bigger lakes and offers some special views. The walk is about 45 minutes in total with some ups and downs.
PART 2 COMING SOON…