Some Great Spots to Visit on a Drive through Northland

Fairy Falls

After completing the Waitākere Ranges hike, I headed north further into Northland. On the way out of the park. I paid a short visit to Fairy Falls, which were incredible. Like KiteKite Falls, the falls were in two sections.

I slept at a freedom camping allowed carpark – which is where public land is declared legal to camp. You can camp randomly too outside from these areas, but at a risk of being fined and is generally frowned upon. People often avoid this by having self-contained vehicles like vans, which are equipped with sort of toilet system. As I only have a little hatchback, if I find a good freedom camping spot, I’ll take it.

This one was located at a tiny tidal flat boat wharf area called Port Arthur. It was nothing more than a carpark with toilets, but all I needed. The problem was the shitty rain – I didn’t want to have to sleep in the drivers seat. Thankfully the rain stopped for a bit and I set up my tent and prepared dinner before a beautiful sunset.

Waipoua Forest

One thing Northern New Zealand is known for is BIG trees – the Kauri. Waipoua Forest, my next stop, contains the biggest Kauri in the entire country.

The first walk was in three sections. The main walk leads to Te Matua Ngahere – ‘The Father‘ tree which is about 25 minutes return. There is a short side trip to the ‘Four Daughters‘ which is less than 5 mins return. Finally, there is the longer walk out to ‘Yakas‘ – the 7th biggest Kauri tree (by volume). Here you get the chance to actually touch the tree and give it a big hug.

Not far up the road is another pullover spot. Here is Tāne Mahuta – ‘Lord‘ Kauri tree, the biggest known. It’s right off the road, so not much of a walk. It didn’t feel as wide as the father tree, but it was most definitely taller and had a lot more foliage. These trees are just insane to see. So much wood, so old…

The Town of Omapere

After the forest I found myself back on the coast, or rather a huge river inlet from the ocean, and heading into a town called Omapere. There was a well-received guesthouse here called Globetrekkers Lodge according to ‘Campermate‘, the app I used to find cheap campsites, or accommodation – an improvement from the one I used last time ‘NZ WikiCamps‘ – though it is also quite good. This place in Omapare was amazing and Sue was an amazing host. I stayed in a bed for one night, and decided to stay another but in my tent this time as it was cheaper.

Waimamaku Coastal Track

I ended up going out for drinks the first night with 3 others there (two French guys and A Canadian girl), and then the next day did the Waimamaku Coastal Track with Harriet, a girl from the UK loving in Auckland. It was a nice little trip in the end!

Your Donation Really Helps!

In order to support the travelling and hiking community, I spend many hours per week or month to adequately document all information and advice for prospective visitors, accompanied by a (hopefully) entertaining insight into my personal experiences. This service is, and will remain, free. However, running a non-profit website and spending time creating content comes with financial and personal costs.