New Zealand is blessed with beautiful scenery seemingly almost everywhere, but Northland has more than most.
It is home to some of the longest beaches in the country. Ninety Mile Beach (which is only actually 55 miles long) is the most famous, running along the west coast of the Far North, popular with tour buses and people willing to risk getting their cars stuck in the sand.
Baylys Beach is the gateway to the 100km long Ripiro Beach, New Zealand’s longest driveable beach, running from the Pouto Peninsula to Maunganui Bluff. It was slightly reminiscent of a salt flat, easy to lose your sense of depth in it’s vastness.
Some of the largest surviving Kauri trees can be found in the Puketi Forest, seen on the Manginangina Kauri walk.
Northland is also home to Tāne Mahuta is New Zealand’s largest known living kauri tree, between 1,250 and 2,500 years old, a true forest giant.
Te Paki Giant Sand Dunes live up to their name, and are a great spot for boarding down.
There are more giant sand dunes on the northern side of the Hokianga Harbour, spectacularly seen from the other side of the harbour at the lovely Arai-Te-Uru Recreation Reserve.
Kerikeri has the rather nice Rainbow Falls a short walk from the town centre.
Whangarei is the largest city in Northland, home to a pleasant waterfront and some interesting quarry gardens.
Some of the best diving in New Zealand can be found off the coast of Northland, including the world famous Poor Knight Islands.
Finally Cape Reinga / Te Rerenga Wairua is both a stunning natural point, the northern most point of mainland New Zealand where the Tasman and Pacific oceans meet, and a deeply sacred place where Māori believe their spirits depart when they die.
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