If you’re done with The Bay is Islands and want a new adventure, just head north up State Highway 1 and you can’t get too lost. Just a mere 2 and a half hours from Kerikeri, you’ll finally make it to the Cape Reinga lighthouse that marks the end of the New Zealand and the start of the rest of the world. But there’s places you need to stop on the way, here’s where.
Matauri bay
Just 30 mins out of Kerikeri and just off the main road is Matauri Bay. Just one of the stunning beaches that you’ll pass on your way up north. It’s been made famous by the Rainbow Warrior memorial set high on the hill, dedicated to the life that was lost in the bombing of a Greenpeace ship, which now lies out to sea. It’s a good spot for a swim and if you’re lucky you might meet some dolphins. Friends of hours frolicked in the shallows with them recently. It’s a magical spot, but don’t let the views put you off your driving.
Mangonui for lunch
After all those views and more driving you’ll make it to Mangonui, in the beautiful Doubtless Bay. It’s a pretty famous spot for fish ‘n chips so it would be rude not to stop in for lunch. You’ll find the seafood in the cutest little blue building in a cute little town with nothing much going on except the great wide ocean out in front. Fish n chips are a real kiwi thing, so you might as well have them here, where they do make them pretty good.
The white sands of Rarawa Beach
If you’ve got time, drive out to the Karikari peninsula for a looksie, and see beautiful spots such as Rangiputa Beach. You’ll notice the further north you get, the less people you’ll see. Then keep driving north just past Hohoura (a place I mentioned in passing in our Bay of Islands post) and you’ll come across Rarawa Beach and the whitest silicone sands you’ll see in New Zealand. It almost feels like you’re not in New Zealand. It’s the kind of beach anywhere else in the world would be covered by resorts and hundreds of holiday makers. But not here. There’s usually no one else for miles and all you’ll hear is the squeak of the sand underfoot.
The Lighthouse
By the time you get to the Cape itself, you deserve a pat on the back. It’s a long way up, and it will be a long way back down. Park your car, and you’ll walk the rest of the way by foot. The short walk takes you down a hill to the stunning lighthouse, which marks the most northern point of New Zealand and looks out to where two oceans collide, the Pacific Ocean and Tasman Sea. Spend awhile, look, relax and have your photo taken under the road sign.
The mighty Te Paki Sand dunes
Now you’re on your way back, stop and enjoy the Te Paki sand dunes. These things are epic and if you didn’t know better you might think you’ve blinked and ended up on Mars. Drive on round to the bottom of the dunes, where you’ll find a bloke (or lady) hiring boards so you can climb to the top and slide right on down. If you’re fit, you’ll do it a few times, but if you’re like me, just once or twice will probably be enough. It’s a steep hill.
Ninety Mile Beach
Turns out it’s only 88 kms long (someone didn’t measure properly), but when you’re driving on it, it’s a beach that seems to go on forever. So you kinda get why they named it what they did. It’s part of the adventure to take a drive along the beach (not in a rental car). Just time your tides right and don’t be dumb and get stuck. Mike was more game than I would have been last time we were here, but I think he didn’t even want to risk it, despite having a 4wd. So maybe leave it to the locals and just use your feet and take a walk.
Kaitaia
It’s a long way up to the Cape and back down in one day, particularly if you’re keen to stop off and enjoy the beaches, the food and all the activities. Kaitaia. Is a small New Zealand town, with not much to it other than a supermarket and a Thai restaurant. But there’s a backpackers or two where you can rest your head for a night. From here I recommend a road trip down the west coast back to Auckland – Or there’s other great spots all along this road to spend a night or two.
Enjoy the drive, and if you’ve got time to spend in the Bay of Islands, check out our guide here.