JulesG

Flying into Auckland for two weeks on North Island 3-12/3-26-07. Nothing set in stone as of yet. Want to check out Waiheke Island for a day or two and do Waitomo Caves for half a day. Would love to find some beautiful, calm waters for a little kayaking and snorkeling. Looking for information such as where do locals like to sleep, eat and be merry? Budgeting for $150.00 NZ per day for accomodations. Not interested in heavily populated tourist areas. Will have car for entire time. Any feedback most appreciated.

mlgb

If you go north of Bay of Islands, there are some beautiful bays on the Karikari peninsula, Matai Bay being one of them. There are a number of holiday parks and motels, seach wotif for "Northland". The general area would be Doubtless Bay, Cable Bay, Coopers Beach, and thereabouts.

mlgb

Here's some research that I did for my trip to Doubtless Bay. Unfortunately I was only able to do a day trip from Waitangi so can't give a personal recommendation on lodging, but the Doubtless Bay website is very good.


http://www.doubtlessbay.co.nz/activities.htm

Whatuwhiwhi is the major settlement with a dive centre, school, takeaways and general store/petrol station. There is a lovely safe family beach, a holiday park and a selection of other accommodation. Nearby is the world-class Carrington Club golf course, with resort accommodation, and Karikari Estate Vineyard & Winery.

Matai Bay at tip of Karikari on the east coast is one of Northland's pure gems consisting of two crescent-shaped coves looking out to the Pacific Ocean. There is a D.O.C camping ground popular with fishermen and holidaymakers with its safe bathing. (Also diving )

Rangiputa on Karikari is a small picturesque settlement which looks on to the Rangaunu Harbour with its white sands and clear blue waters. There is a variety of accommodation available. A TURNOFF TAKES YOU TO to Puheke Beach with white dunes , On east
Tokerau Beach on Karikari Peninsula is the longest on the peninsula and stretches for 18kms. It is a surf caster's paradise and good for digging for shellfish.

Tapia Beach
This pretty white-sand beach combines the open ocean and the shelter of the estuary. You can launch a boat, swim, fish, surf or sail. There is often good surf and this is an excellent location to spot dolphins and orcas.
There are various shops, bakery, garage and petrol station, area school and early childhood centres, a major resort hotel and a variety of other accommodation. Nearby is the Swamp Palace cinema and two potteries.

Cable Bay: Swimming Less developed
This pretty pink-coral beach with rockpools, small lagoon, childrens' playground, general store and a variety of accommodation, was the landing point for the first underwater telegraph cable (the red route) linking New Zealand with Australia, Canada and Norfolk Island. There is often good surf between the rocky areas.

Coopers Beach Quite Developed
The 2.5km. long beach offers safe swimming with expanse of sand and is fringed with Pohutukawa (the New Zealand 'Christmas' tree) which offer good shade. Adjacent is the shopping centre with hairdresser, general store, butcher, pharmacy, medical centre, restaurants, childrens' playground and the bowling club. The Taumarumaru Reserve includes three historic defended pa sites. There is a wide range of accommodation available.

Hihi
Breathtaking at sunset, on a peninsula that wraps around Mangonui Harbour, Hihi has both a sheltered and open ocean side. Here you will find Butler House and Butler Point Whaling Museum, a holiday park and other accommodation

Taupo Bay This beautiful idyllic beach has white sand and crystal-clear waters and is one of Doubtless Bay's most popular surf spots. There is a good holiday park with a small shop.

JulesG

Thanks, mlgb, for all the info. The link to Doubtless Bay is full of gems. It's kind of you to put so much time into your reply. We will be starting at Waitomo and decide from day to day where we want to head. Not sure if we should go to northern tip on North Island and work our way back to Auckland or go from Waitomo to Rotorua route and work our way up. Haven't been able to locate a good website to track mileage from one location to the next or for getting step by step directions. Do you know of any?

mlgb

Wises.co.nz is very good for detailed street maps as well as general directions.

For a broader brush, look at the aa.co.nz website.

I think there is another one but these are the two that I use.

One caveat is that traffic around Auckland can be very bad due to road construction and slow vehicles. Don't assume that you will be able to average more than about 40-50 miles per hour even though the posted limit is more.

I haven't been south of Auckland for a while so not much help on the routing for that part of the trip. North of Auckland, it's nice to head up the west coast and then back down the east (or vice versa). Click on my name and you can find my brief trip report of the north island.

ElendilPickle

We spent 10 days on the North Island in April 2004; you can see pictures and a trip report at http://community.webshots.com/user/ElendilPickle

Consider going black water rafting at Waitomo. It's a lot of fun and a great way to see the glowworms.

Lee Ann

JulesG

Your pictures are fabulous. Did you stay in any phenominal B & B's in Doubtless Bay area?

Thanks.