Another Magical Mystery Tour – Whangaruru North Head

Posted on September 20, 2015 by Ross

Kowhai in flowerWhile we were at Bland Bay last week we wanted to walk the walk around Whangaruru North Head. The harbour entrance is at the southern end of the harbour and so North Head was to the south of Bland Bay. But I guess the North Head is north of the South Head over by Oakura Bay. Except when I check it is actually east. So there goes that idea. Continue reading →

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Bland Bay – Anything But

Posted on September 19, 2015 by Ross

Bland BayBland Bay is a strange name for a beautiful bay adjacent to the Whangaruru Harbour at the top end of the Tutukaka Coast in Northland. We’d been at Oakura at the south head of the harbour last week, and moved around the top of the harbour and out towards the North Head. The Bland Bay camping ground is on an isthmus between the Whangaruru Harbour and Bland Bay Continue reading →

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Magical Mystery Tour At Mimiwhangata

Posted on September 17, 2015 by Ross

MimiwhangataWhile we were staying at Oakura Bay on the Whangaruru Harbour last week we went in the car for an explore south, to Mimiwhangata Coastal Park which is at the upper end of the Tutukaka Coast.  It is at the end of a winding gravel road. This is a Department of Conservation Reserve that is run as a working farm. There are tracks around the beaches and bush parts and through the farm bits Continue reading →

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Off Out Back For a Bit – To Cape Brett

Posted on September 13, 2015 by Ross

We’re off for a walk tomorrow; bit of a big one for us. We’re walking the last part of the way to the Cape Brett lighthouse. And staying the night there at the hut which used to be the lighthouse keepers house. That’s sort of the easy part. On Tuesday we’re walking right back to Rawhiti which is where we’re parked up at the moment. That’s a full day tramping which will be interesting Continue reading →

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The Sun Comes Up Again – Oakura Bay

Posted on September 12, 2015 by Ross

Sunrise Oakura BayFrom SH1 north of Hikurangi we headed east again, over the hills back to the coast. Near the top of the last hill we stopped at the Helena Bay Hill Cafe and Gallery. we managed to park out on the road without being too much of a obstruction. We’d been doing very well keeping out of cafes but heard a bit about this one and decided it was time to break our drought. And it was well worth visiting. Continue reading →

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Weekend of Two Halves – Sandy Bay

Posted on September 10, 2015 by Ross

Pohutukawa at Sandy BayLast weekend was a weekend of contrasts; stormy on Saturday and sunny and calm on Sunday. The rain was predicted so we’d moved to Sandy Bay after our big walk on Friday to Whananaki. The rain came in the night and lasted into Saturday morning. Sandy Bay is popular with the surfers and they began to turn up by the afternoon. We were happy enough to rest up Continue reading →

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In Search of a Bridge We Find a Memorial – at Whananaki

Posted on September 9, 2015 by Ross

Whananaki South beachLast week while we were at Woolleys Bay we wanted to walk the Whananaki Walkway. [Only 4 words in that sentence didn’t start with ‘w’; unintended and interesting?] The walkway is between Sandy Bay and Whananaki South and mostly follows farm tracks.  Back in 2009 we’d been to Whananaki North and driven past the estuary which separates North from South. Definitely a settlement of two halves. Continue reading →

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In Search of a Tree – Tane Moana

Posted on September 7, 2015 by Ross

Tane Moana Track TutukakaUp this way in Northland they have names for trees. I don’t mean like Rimu or Pohutukawa. I mean like Tane Mahuta. And Tane Moana. Tane Mahuta is the big Kauri guy over on the west coast. The biggest and most awesome. On the Tutukaka Coast lives Tane Moana, said to be the biggest kauri tree on the east side (sounds like a forest gang thing?). The information was a bit vague on how far Tane Moana lives from the road Continue reading →

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Back To The Sea – Tutukaka Coast

Posted on September 5, 2015 by Ross

Woolleys BayOn Wednesday we left Whangarei, heading north-east towards the Tutukaka Coast. We’d been there back in 2009 and were looking forward to returning. We remembered the lovely beaches and the clarity of the sea. We’d picked out a couple of walks to try out and the weather looked reasonable for a couple of days. Continue reading →

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The Whangarei Bridge That Can – Te Matua a Pohe

Posted on September 3, 2015 by Ross

Whangarei bascule bridgeThere is a lot to like about Whangarei. Lots of walks and lots of lovely forest. Nice river. Cool new bridge. Friendly for motorhomers including a dump station made by people who care. We hung out in car parks Continue reading →

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Whangarei Falls and the Hatea River on Gloomy Saturday

Posted on September 1, 2015 by Ross

Whangarei FallsSaturday was a gloomy day but the rain held off mostly. Whangarei City does a good job with tourist information with plenty of help on where to go for walks. The Hatea River Walk links a lot of them together and provides a great example of packaging activities to encourage exploration. We started with a walk from the Town Basin Continue reading →

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Where Natural Meets Nautical – More of Marsden Point

Posted on August 31, 2015 by Ross

Walking beside Whangarei Harbour

It was a lovely morning last Friday; waking up down by the wharf at Marsden Point – beside the oil refinery. Too nice for sitting and looking; time for a walk to make the most of it. We headed off for another walk around the beach to the Whangarei Harbour entrance Continue reading →

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Marsden Point – Where Natural Meets Industrial

Posted on August 30, 2015 by Ross

Mt Manaia across Whangarei Harbour entranceLast Thursday we moved on from Waipu; less than 20kms to Marsden Point. Marsden Point is on the south side of the entrance of Whangarei Harbour. It is the location of New Zealand’s only oil refinery. It is a large-scale industrial site. It was constructed in the 1960s, expanded in the 1970s, and further expanded in the 1980s. Continue reading →

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Underground in the Waipu Cave

Posted on August 28, 2015 by Ross

Waipu Cave entranceAfter our slippy-slidy muddy walk up and down the Waipu Caves Track (which didn’t go to the Waipu Caves) Wyn was no less keen on going into the cave. (It is called Waipu Caves but so far we have only ever found one of them.) I wasn’t keen but had run out of excuses. Continue reading →

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The Track From Waipu Caves

Posted on August 27, 2015 by Ross

Waipu Caves TrackYesterday we went in search of Waipu Caves and the Waipu Caves Track. They are between Waipu and Whangarei. We were staying in Waipu and we found the best map in the Waipu butchers shop. along with some nice sausages for tea the night before. The journey didn’t go so well. First a truck and trailer almost took us out on SH1 beginning a u-turn before we’d gone past! Continue reading →

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