Northland
April 2023
In New Zealand the kids have a two week break between the four terms throughout the year. For the term break in April we decided to take the kids to the North Island for their first exploration. They’ve been in transit in Auckland / Christchurch and we did have a quick trip to Wellington for passport renewals, but no real adventure or exploring yet!
We wanted to explore everything Northland has to offer, but we only had a week. We’ve learned that staying one day in a location only works well if in a campervan. Because we were doing an AirBnB trip we decided on 3 destinations with 2-3 nights in each location just to minimize packing in/out of the van.
Over the course of the week we explored the Bay of Islands, Coopers Beach, and Whangārei.
Instagram Recommendations
We asked our Instagram followers for recommendations and have compiled a spreadsheet (Google Sheets link) to share with everyone.
Bay of Islands (Russell)
We flew into Auckland (after the trip we learned it may have been a lot better to fly into Whangārei instead!) in the late afternoon. We landed at 4PM and needed to make it to Opua by 10PM to catch the vehicle ferry to Russell (our first destination). We picked up our rental van and quickly made our way up to Russell. We made it to the ferry on time (phew)!
We chose the Russell Cottages for our first stay because Russell was highly recommended by our Instagram followers and there’s a heated pool (!) and hottub on the shared grounds.
After we arrived late in the night we quickly settled for bed for our early morning adventure.
Barefoot Sailing Adventures
There are so many options for exploring the Bay of Islands by boat but we decided on Barefoot Sailing Adventures based on the recommendations from our followers and because we prefer smaller groups. The R. Tucker Thompson and The Rock Adventure Cruise were also highly recommended but we’ll have to check those out next time.
Our excursion departed Paihia at 10am and we were staying in Russell. Luckily there’s a quick passenger ferry between the two. We took this passenger ferry several times and just a few days later it sank after collision with another boat 🫣
We stopped for breakfast at Oso. We were running late and they were very kind to quickly cook up some eggs and toast for the six of us so that we could catch the early morning ferry. The ride from Russell to Paihia only takes about 15 minutes. After arriving in Paihia we walked to the beach and boarded our sailboat for the day.
We set out for Moturua Island. Our family had the front of the boat to ourselves and there were only two other couples on the boat (along with the skipper of course). The skipper prepared us some morning “tea” - coffee for the adults and hot chocolate (aka Milo) for the kids. We relaxed in bean bags at the front of the boat while we made our way to the island.
Once we arrived we (the kids, in wetsuits) did some swimming/snorkeling and we took a couple paddleboards out to explore the bay for a bit. For lunch we carried our sandwiches (provided by the tour) on a 20 minute hike up and over the top of the island to another bay. This was about a quarter of the island track that loops all the way around the island.
After lunch we headed back to Waipao Bay and boarded back onto the boat to return back to Paihia. Along the way back we came upon the R. Tucker Thompson ship and the kids enjoyed getting to the “pirate ship” on the water. Everyone had a good, nice nap on the way back.
For the evening we had a pizza back at the Russell Cottages and the kids spent some time enjoying the heated pool and hottub.
Waitangi Treaty Grounds
The kids asked to sleep in the next day so we stayed in all morning and got some extra rest in. For lunch we split into two groups - some of us ate at Butterfish and some at Seaside - both are located right on the waterfront in Russell.
The weather was overcast and a forecast for rain but we were hoping to explore the Waitangi Treaty Grounds so we drove back to the vehicle ferry and made the quick drive through Paihia over to Waitangi.
We enjoyed our time on the grounds exploring the area where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed. This place is beautiful. We skipped on the guided tour as those don’t usually work well for young kids, but the kids each had a “scavenger’s hunt” to complete to earn a prize when leaving the grounds. We attended a performance at the Te Whare Rūnanga (it was amazing) and we explored the Te Whare Tiriti Treaty House. Finally we headed down to see the Ngātokimatawhaorua Waka (ceremonial war canoe) and there was also a smaller waka that the kids could get in. We were too late to make it into the museum, so we’ll have to save that for another time!
Before we left Waitangi we checked out Haruru Falls. We saw three waterfalls on this trip and they were all great because none required hiking - our kids sometimes take extra encouragement to make a 30 minute tramp. On our way back to Russell we stopped at Charlotte’s Kitchen in Paihia for dinner. It was getting windy and rainy but this restaurant on the water kept us safe and sheltered. Then we stopped for ice cream at Movenpick just across the street from the wharf. This place made the waffle cones right in the store - I can still smell their sweet goodness.
With our bellies full of food and sugar we headed home for bed. This was our last night in Russell; tomorrow we would be on the way to Coopers Beach!
Kerikeri / Rainbow Falls
As Danielle finished packing up the car Donnie took the kids to the pool for one last swim before we left the Russell Cottages. These kids love to swim!
As we headed towards Coopers Beach we wanted to stop in Kerkeri to see the historic Stone Store. Before going in we stopped at the nearby Plough and Feather for lunch. This area was so lovely, there’s a beer garden out in the back and the restaurant sits right on the Waipekakoura River. Amazing views and amazing food.
Checking out the Stone Store with young kids was a bit difficult. We would have loved to spend some more time here and see all the neat things, but with the two young boys it was too difficult so we didn’t even purchase much other than some small toys to keep them entertained in the van.
We couldn’t go to Kerikeri without stopping at the Rainbow Falls! So after lunch we made a quick stop to see our second waterfall of the trip. This was really neat as there were different access points and you could see the falls from the top and bottom.
Coopers Beach
When we arrived at Coopers Beach the kids were pleasantly surprised that we would be staying ON THE BEACH. This house (and several others) have stairs that access the beach from the back yard. We all headed straight down as soon as we arrived and spent a couple hours playing in the water and watching the sunset.
It was late in the evening so we drove to Mangōnui for dinner. The famous Mangōnui Fish Shop was closing so we tried Jesse’s but they were all booked out and our only option was a little cocktail bar Wine & Whiskey Bar. The staff here were incredibly friendly and allowed us to bring some takeaway fish n chips for the kids from next door while we ordered a charcuterie board and drinks.
Afterwards we headed back home and made plans for the next day. We had planned to drive 1.5 hours up to Cape Reinga but the forecast was rain and the kids were not looking forward to another day in the van. So instead we scratched Cape Reinga off our list and stayed in the Coopers Beach area.
In the morning the kids put on their swimsuits (Pax his wetsuit - his favorite) and we headed back down the stairs to the beach. The previous evening was at low tide and in the morning was high tide. We were surprised to find that the water came almost all the way to the stairs and it actually covered some of the trees’ low hanging branches. The kids had to time their running between water and branches to make it to an open area on the beach.
Further down from where we were staying there’s Kanekane Stream that exits into Coopers Beach. The kids spent a couple of hours at this “river delta”. They loved how the stream would run into the ocean but then as the tide got higher the ocean tide would run backward up the stream’s channel. There’s also a playground here as well as parking if you’re driving through and want to stop. We loved it here.
We had heard a lot about the Mangōnui Fish Shop so we had lunch there. The fish was definitely fresh and all six of us enjoyed our very kiwi meal.
For the afternoon we drove to the nearby Cable Bay Beach and spent some time counting all the shells and getting sprayed by waves crashing onto the rocks. This was another gorgeous area with accommodation right on the water. We loved this area and felt like we could spend a lot more time here.
Coopers Beach
Cable Bay Beach
Karikari / Waikoto Bay
The next day we packed up the van in the morning (we would be staying in Whangārei next). Before we left the area we wanted to see the Karikari Peninsula. Maitai Bay was highly recommended so we stopped there first. As we arrived we realized there’s two bays here… Maitai Bay and Waikoto Bay. The Waikato Bay had a convenient car park located right by a protected area on the beach so we opted to go to Waikato instead of Maitai.
We LOVED Waikato Bay. This day at the beach was probably the highlight of our trip and we all think it may have been one of our favorite beaches for swimming. We hadn’t planned to stay long but luckily we had everything with us because we were switching accommodation. So we had snacks and swimming gear for a good long stay.
We arrived near high tide which was fun because it had created a “secret beach” behind some rocks and trees that the kids loved exploring. There’s also a beautiful little tunnel through some trees and rocks that kids made their hideout.
We can’t say enough about this beach and we have to get back to it someday. We’d also love to see its neighbor Maitai Bay which was highly recommended and our original destination.
We needed to make it down to Whangārei next so we had to get going sooner than we were ready. We had pizza at Karikari Estate for a late lunch as we made our way south out of the peninsula. This place is amazing, up high on a hill with excellent views of the peninsula. Good wine and beer too 😁
Whangārei
In Whangārei we stayed in a family cabin at the Top 10 Holiday Park. This was a very clean and nice little holiday park in the center of Whangārei. The cabin had great sleeping arrangements for our family of six. There was a queen size bed and two bunk beds so everyone had a space to rest. We arrived in the evening so we just stopped by Bocky Boo Gelato for ice cream for dinner (nobody was very hungry after the late lunch) and then went back to the holiday park for bed.
Perfect Day Cruise
The next day we had another boating adventure aboard the Perfect Day Cruise out of Tutukaka. We stopped at Cafe Narnia for breakfast and then made the 30 minute drive to Tutukaka.
The Perfect Day Cruise takes you out to the Poor Knights Islands for a day of snorkeling, paddle boarding, and canoeing! We brought our own wetsuits but they have some onboard for you to use as well. They provided all the snorkeling gear as well and also had a towel rental option which was great because we didn’t have room to pack them.
This cruise was quite larger than we would prefer, but the number of staff made this an absolutely amazing trip. We were seriously impressed at how helpful the crew was. Our family of six was well taken care of. As you’re going into the water or coming back to the boat there is always someone there to help - this was extremely helpful for our family with young kids. The staff were also upbeat and in great moods - something that really makes the trip even better.
We all spent a bit of time in the water, even Pax got some “snorkeling” aboard these little rafts the smaller kids can lay on. They have a see-through hole so they can see the fish as well but they don’t have to swim. We had never seen these before and were really happy to have them for both Pax and Milo.
Reese spent the entire time snorkeling - she didn’t want to get out! The rest of us got a bit cold after a while and got out of the water and had some lunch. Reese was one of the last to get out. We have to get her back to snorkeling soon!
When we arrived back to Tutukaka we had a couple of hours until our dinner reservation at Schnappa Rock Restaurant so we drove up to Matapouri Bay to explore our last beach for the trip. We stopped at a convenience store for some snacks and spent about an hour and a half walking the beach. This beach was amazing as all the others in Northland. It looked like some of the stairs down to the beach had been damaged by the recent cyclone that passed, but it was still accessible. The kids loved climbing on the large rock formations here.
Dinner at Schnappa Rock was great but the kids were tired by the end so we just headed straight back to the holiday park for the night.
Adventure Forest
On our last day of the trip we wanted to visit Adventure Forest (Milo had been so excited to do something like this since we did the Treetops Adventure in Australia) and explore the Town Basin. Pax wasn’t old enough to climb so Danielle stayed behind with him at the Town Basin while the rest of us went to Adventure Forest.
The courses at Adventure Forest were great for the kids. They gradually get harder and harder, so the kids can start at a level and work their way up. Donnie stayed with Milo and the girls climbed the more challenging courses on their own. Milo finished early all the courses that were allowed for his height and he was ready for the next, but for his safety he wasn’t allowed so he just repeated some of the others he had completed. This was a great experience and something everyone enjoyed.
As we headed back to town to meet up with Pax and Danielle we first stopped at Whangarei Falls which is another waterfall with easy access. This area was beautiful and something you can plan a whole day or at least half a day around. Great picnic areas and of course a gorgeous waterfall. We only spent about 30 minutes though because we needed to get back to town.
Town Basin
We met Pax and Danielle at the Town Basin Playground and found Pax napping under a tree while Danielle was catching up on some work. He and Danielle had a great morning at the Hundertwasser Art Centre. The kids spent a while at the playground and then we all spent a good amount of time enjoying the Rolling Ball Clock right by the playground.
We had lunch at The Quay. Right by our table on the river was a boat with “Austin, Texas” and “Sugar Shack”. We weren’t sure if this was related to the Sugar Shack in Bastrop or a BBQ Food Truck, but it definitely made the world feel a bit smaller for us. The food at The Quay was amazing, Donnie had the “best pizza he has ever had” in the El Loco pizza (spicy sour cream base, kumara, corn chips, jalapeno, mozzarella, guacamole, and coriander). Afterwards we spent a little more time at the playground and then bought tickets to see the Super Mario Bros. movie at the cinema in town. Popcorn, candy, and sodas for our last dinner of the trip - it was a great way to end.
Returning Home
We were up early (6AM) the next morning to make it all the way back to the Auckland airport for our 12:30 flight back to Queenstown. Although we live in Invercargill a lot of times the flights are much better time-wise and cheaper to fly out of Queenstown which is 2.5 hours from home. Along the drive home we stopped in Lumsden for some snacks and a play on the playground. Lumsden has a neat Historic Lumsden Railway Station. We explored some of the carts that had been restored and then got back on the road. We arrived home in the evening. As soon as we pulled into the garage Milo asked “Can I go to Jane’s?!” We love traveling but we also love our new neighbors and friends in Invercargill.