In this final vlog of our Northland, New Zealand road trip we made our gradual journey back to Auckland down the west side of the North Island while stopping at a few small towns to enjoy the special sights like Wairere Boulders in Horeke, Hokianga Harbour and the main must do activity on our list - visiting Tāne Mahuta, the largest Kauri tree in NZ.
We started our day off with a quick tour of our Airbnb in Houhora (where we stayed after visiting Cape Reinga) before we made our way over to a hidden gem activity - Wairere Boulders.
Houhora Airbnb accommodation:
www.airbnb.co.nz/rooms/33473981
Wairere Boulders is a private nature reserve with amazing rock formations and an enchanting NZ bush walk. They operate on an honesty box system (if no one is in the cafe) for payment. You can either drop cash into their box or simply do a bank transfer which is what we did. It's definitely well worth a visit if you enjoy nature walks and geology.
Wairere Boulders
Address: 70 McDonnell Road, Horeke 0475
Hours: Monday- Sunday: 8am-6pm
From the boulder walk we went to check out Hokianga Harbour to get some lunch in Rawene at Hokianga Takeaways. We met a very lovely and friendly couple (Monty & Nina) who were temporarily looking after the takeaway shop on behalf of Monty's mum. Hokianga Takeaways is a popular local spot so you've got to get in quick especially if you're after their raw fish and flounder.
Hokianga Takeaways
Address: 2 Parnell Street, Rawene 0473
Hours:
Mon: 10:30am-2:30pm
Tues - Sat: 10:30am-7pm
Sun: 10:30am-6:30pm
We then checked into our classic small town Kiwi hotel at Opononi and were treated to some great sunset views at Hokianga Habour.
Opononi hotel:
opononi-resort-hotel.business...
Address:
19 State Highway 12
Opononi 0473
New Zealand
The next day before heading back to Auckland, we visited Waipoua Forest and finally saw the "Lord of the Forest", Tāne Mahuta. Tāne Mahuta is the largest living kauri tree in New Zealand and the second oldest, around 2,000 years old. It's an incredibly majestic and impressive tree.
We were advised by Vanessa, who is a guide at Waipoua Forest that the oldest kauri tree (around 3,000 years old) was a short drive and walk nearby so we also went to see Te Matua Ngahere, "Father of the Forest".
We hope you've enjoyed our Northland, NZ vlogs. You can check out our previous episodes below if you've missed parts 1 and/or 2.
Northland Road Trip Vlog 1 of 3:
• We found an AMAZING HO...
Northland Road Trip Vlog 2 of 3:
• Reaching CAPE REINGA o...
#hokianga #tanemahuta #opononi #nz #newzealand
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VLOG DATE: 10 & 11 Jun 2020
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