Native Parks North Island

Pick up your maui in Auckland and enjoy the short journey over the harbour bridge and up State Highway 1 to Puhoi. We recommend you stop for the night at the Art of Cheese Café with hosts Donna and John. Watch the cheesemakers at work then sample the results and buy some delicious cheese to enjoy on the rest of your journey. Close by is Ransom Wines offering a delightful wine and food experience. With space for maui motorhomes it is another great spot to spend the night.

Keep following the northern sun along Northlands Twin Coast Discovery Highway, stopping at the Waipu Pizza Barn for lunch – excellent coffee, great service and kid friendly. If it’s a hot day the surf at Waipu Cove is glorious or invigorate yourself with a walk along the beach.

For a tranquil night in the countryside continue on through Whangarei and visit Carmen and Adrian at Native Parks. Set in a valley amongst dairy farms with bush clad hills there are friendly farm animals for the kids to meet and a captivating starlight display on clear nights.

Get yourself to Kerikeri and experience the Bay of Islands Farmers Market held Sundays 8.30am to noon. More than 40 stall holders showcase Northlands best locally grown fresh veges and fruit as well as cheeses, olive oils, wine, honey and preserves. Abuzz with locals, pause and chat with the stallholders who are also the growers of the produce they sell.

No visit to Kerikeri is complete without a stop at the historic Stone Store. Then while away the evening at Ake Ake Vineyard & Restaurant with sumptuous vegetarian and seafood meals accompanied by over 100 wines from around the world including their own. Stay overnight and join your hosts Aynsley and John on a late morning tour of the vineyard (Wednesday – Sunday).

Head back down the western side of the Twin Coast Discovery Highway, along the Hokianga Harbour and through the seaside town of Opononi. Enter the Waipoua Forest and be sure to stop and visit Tane Mahuta (God of the Forest), the worlds largest living Kauri tree estimated to be around 2000 years old.

Bring the history of the Kauri alive with a visit to the internationally acclaimed Kauri Museum at Matakohe. Stay the night.

Follow State Highway 1 south to Wellsford and turn onto State Highway 16 for views out over the Kaipara Harbour. At Waimauku stop in at BeesOnline Honey Centre & Café, enjoy the live bee exhibit and sample honey flavours.

State Highway 16 becomes the North Western Motorway, which will take you back into Auckland City.