The Best ... in New Zealand
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@dogmeat said in The Best ... in New Zealand:
@booboo Yes Waiwera is closed. As a kid we used to stay for the May and Aug school holidays at the hotel next door (mates of my parents). Was a fantastic place in those days. The adults who we were staying with and who ostensibly looked after us who were old alkies. We saw them about every 4th day. Great days.
Fergburger is crap.
@voodoo Two weeks is comfortably enough to do the top without rushing. All the tourist highlights are worth doing and almost any coast road will reward a meander down it.
There is plenty of accommodation but it will get booked out. It's not impossible to find places at the last minute if you are prepared to be flexible but it'd be a bit of an effort. However its not that big a place that you couldn't find 3-4 bases for a few days each, book ahead and trip off from them
Tokerau Beach Camp on the Karikari Peninsula is worth looking at as an option. Can day trip up to the Cape/90M etc and also Mangonui/Taupo Bay
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@Crucial Not stayed there but have at Whatuwhiwhi Top 10 - 5 minutes further up the peninsula which also has cabins if that's the option @voodoo chooses.
Agree the Peninsula would be a great base to explore the top of the north. You can comfortable do the whole of the trip to Cape Reinga as a self drive in a day with side excursions to all the harbours beaches etc or pick up a coach trip from Kaitaia. Also a good base for Whangaraoa plenty of good beaches fishing arts and crafts etc.
Take the coastal route back to the BoI and base yourself there for a few days and sort a similar base on the Hokianga and you are pretty much sorted.
There are a multitude of great places on the east coast and Te Araroa pretty much follows the coast so lots of great walks as well. Could stop in at Whananaki for a wee dram with Winnie … although locals say he doesn't care for visitors.
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@dogmeat haha yep, due to the 'queens chain' you can walk on his lawn.
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@taniwharugby been there - done that
Watered his lemon too... -
@dogmeat said in The Best ... in New Zealand:
@Crucial Not stayed there but have at Whatuwhiwhi Top 10 - 5 minutes further up the peninsula which also has cabins if that's the option @voodoo chooses.
Agree the Peninsula would be a great base to explore the top of the north. You can comfortable do the whole of the trip to Cape Reinga as a self drive in a day with side excursions to all the harbours beaches etc or pick up a coach trip from Kaitaia. Also a good base for Whangaraoa plenty of good beaches fishing arts and crafts etc.
Take the coastal route back to the BoI and base yourself there for a few days and sort a similar base on the Hokianga and you are pretty much sorted.
There are a multitude of great places on the east coast and Te Araroa pretty much follows the coast so lots of great walks as well. Could stop in at Whananaki for a wee dram with Winnie … although locals say he doesn't care for visitors.
Actually it was Whatuwhiwhi I was thinking of. Couldn't think of the name and glanced at the map.
Stayed there for a few days one summer with friends. Was like going back in time the way everyone chilled out. Never went short of fish as those in the camp with boats would haul in so much from Doubtless Bay they would just hand it out when they got back.
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AARGH This thread is reinforcing for me two facts. I didn't get a winter break this year and I am working through Xmas / New Year. Have had so many great times all over Northland although usually as a long weekend.
Whananaki camp ground (the private coastal one) is one of the best I've ever been to. Iconic beach NZ although it gets booked out over summer well ahead. I went in spring almost had the place to myself sigh
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@dogmeat said in The Best ... in New Zealand:
AARGH This thread is reinforcing for me two facts. I didn't get a winter break this year and I am working through Xmas / New Year. Have had so many great times all over Northland although usually as a long weekend.
Whananaki camp ground (the private coastal one) is one of the best I've ever been to. Iconic beach NZ although it gets booked out over summer well ahead. I went in spring almost had the place to myself sigh
Do you mean the farm one with sites scattered around the hills? Haven't stayed there as we couldn't get in but can recommend the DOC one up the coast a couple of kms at Otamure Bay.
Whangaruru (North Head) also a good spot
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@Crucial said in The Best ... in New Zealand:
Do you mean the farm one with sites scattered around the hills? Haven't stayed there as we couldn't get in but can recommend the DOC one up the coast a couple of kms at Otamure Bay.
Whangaruru (North Head) also a good spotThe DOC one at Mimiwhangata is excellent, havent stayed for years (school camp, so >5 years) just stopped via boat.
Mimiwhangata Coastal Park
Mimiwhangata Coastal Park near Whangārei is home to recovering bird and marine species.
Puriri Bay is at Whangaruru too, which is popular, although think the DOC one you are referring to is next bay round? Again, been a long time since I stayed there.
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@Crucial said in The Best ... in New Zealand:
Yeah, we are blessed with some amazing bits of undeveloped coastline where you can camp right on the edge of multi-million dollar views. This shot is from sitting outside the tent at Port Jackson
Maaaaate! This is one of my favourite places in the world. Have spent a significant amount of time up here and caught a very large amount of kingfish off the rocks over the back of the hills to both left and right of the pic. It is such a cool DOC camp too and has all that you really need (and that is not much at all)
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@JK said in The Best ... in New Zealand:
@Crucial said in The Best ... in New Zealand:
Yeah, we are blessed with some amazing bits of undeveloped coastline where you can camp right on the edge of multi-million dollar views. This shot is from sitting outside the tent at Port Jackson
Maaaaate! This is one of my favourite places in the world. Have spent a significant amount of time up here and caught a very large amount of kingfish off the rocks over the back of the hills to both left and right of the pic. It is such a cool DOC camp too and has all that you really need (and that is not much at all)
We went up there just before Xmas one year before everyone packed the place out and had a great time. The bloke next to us went out in his boat to the right looking out and was back only half an hour later with a big king spread over the bars of his quad bike. Reckons he caught a little Kahawai and as he was bringing it in the king jumped after it and landed in the boat!
I didn't care if it was a fisherman's tale or not as he divvied it up among the other campers and we all had a good feed. -
@jegga said in The Best ... in New Zealand:
These guys make some bloody nice port but it aint exactly cheap.https://www.ruahineports.co.nz/
They're in Dannevirke right? Very nice if it's the one I'm thinking of.
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@Magpie_in_aus said in The Best ... in New Zealand:
My local f and c has shut down apparently in Napier.
Tried the Pirimai Chippy? Pretty good. Very good gurnard and tarakihi but never any snapper unfortunately.
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@raznomore said in The Best ... in New Zealand:
Golden Palace Eastbourne - Spend $25 and feed the family twice. Massive portions, heaps of free potato fritters and it taste awesome. Best chippy for me.
And wander down and eat it on the wharf. Don't go to piranha or whatever it is and have to deal with the angry lady.
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@dogmeat said in The Best ... in New Zealand:
@taniwharugby been there - done that
Watered his lemon too...Either you missed the word "tree" or that's a sensational euphemism.
