Length of stay: 2 days
Visited: April 2025
Whangarei is considered the gateway to the Northland region in the North Island of New Zealand. It’s a large city, the northernmost city in New Zealand actually, and has a subtropical climate. It contains plenty of opportunities to enjoy the coastal views and volcanic mountains.
Day 1: Whangarei Heads
We got an early start to the day and left Auckland as baby M was getting ready for her morning nap. We headed north to Whangarei, which is about a two hour drive away. But our little one was still snoozing by the time we were approaching the city so we decided to keep driving to Whangarei Heads. This added an extra 30 minutes to the drive, but we were planning to come here the next day, so it was all good.
It’s a beautiful drive along the coast. The road follows the shoreline of the western part of the peninsula, providing stunning views of the Whangarei Harbour and the mountainous terrain. We stopped to hike Mount Manaia Track (3.9km, rated moderate), which is reputed to provide fantastic views of the surrounding area. Near the carpark there’s a small viewing platform overlooking the harbour. It was a nice preview of what was to come.
After passing through the shoe washing station (to help stop the spread of kauri disease), the trail gets down to business right away. It’s all uphill with a lot of steps and stairs. Most of the trail is through the forest though, which provided some relief from the heat of the sun.
The trail was busy for a weekday. There was a large group of kids that were here as part of a field trip. They were coming down as we were going up. And if they can do it, so can we. Between all the huffing and puffing, we caught a glimpse of the harbour through the trees. This provided great motivation to continue and a good excuse to stop (and catch our breath) to take some pictures.
The trail comes out to a staircase that leads up a large rocky outcrop that provides a panoramic view of the surrounding area. This marks the end of the trail. Even though it was busy on the way up, we had the summit all to ourselves.
The way back down was less fun. But the trail was relatively quiet now that the school group had left. Once we made it back to the carpark, we ate some lunch at a picnic table in the shade. And on the drive back to Whangarei it started to rain, so we decided to run some errands. First to pick up more groceries. Then to buy a hotplate, which proved to be challenging as most were induction (and we weren’t sure whether our camping pots and pans would be compatible) or too heavy (we would be flying from Auckland to Christchurch at the end of the week).
The rain subsided and the sun was poking out through the clouds. So we went to the Whangarei Quarry Gardens which contain a variety of subtropical and native plants. Entrance is by donation with a suggested amount of $10 per person. The lady at the visitor centre kindly gave us an overview of the history of the gardens and a suggested walking route. She also let us try a feijoa, a type of fruit that is native to a few countries in South America. It was quite delicious and tasted like strawberry and banana. People from New Zealand are so friendly.
Off we went to explore the gardens at our own pace. The gardens were once a stone quarry that was later used to dump trash. A fellow by the name of Laughton King helped negotiate the site be transformed into a public garden in 1990. Over the next couple of decades, a group of volunteers within the community helped clear out the trash to create and later maintain the gardens.
The gardens sustained some recent damage from a massive flood in 2020 and cyclone Gabrielle in 2023, which caused a landslip and destroyed the collection of succulents and cacti. Part of the path was still closed off from it. But that didn’t deter from the overall experience of the gardens. We still couldn’t believe we were the only ones here.
Once we wrapped up we headed to our accommodations, which was a 20 minute drive outside the city. We booked a private cabin on a small working farm that had highland sheep, highland cows, llamas and pigs. And best of all was that we could see the animals right from the front windows of our cabin.
Day 2: Hiking in Whangarei
It rained overnight and the forecast was calling for more rain throughout the afternoon. After eating breakfast we took M outside to see some of the farm animals up close. She loved it.
We headed out shortly after 9am and drove back into the city to check out Whangarei Falls. There’s a paved path that passes a few viewing platforms that overlook the falls from up above. The path continues onward for a better view at the bottom of the falls.
There’s a turnoff for a connector path that leads to the nearby A. H. Reed Memorial Park, which is where we were headed next. It’s a short trail, about a couple of kilometres, that follows the river. We’re all about getting our steps in so decided to give it a whirl and enjoy the scenery.
We followed the signs for the Canopy Walk. It’s a short trail along an elevated boardwalk that loops through the forest and passes several ancient kauri trees. Some of the kauri trees are at least 500 years old.
There’s a short detour to check out Paranui Falls. It’s mostly all uphill with several stairs and steps. The falls were a little underwhelming though. Perhaps because of the time of year.
After completing the rest of the loop we circled back to Whangarei Falls. The wind was picking up and we even felt a few sprinkles. But all that walking had worked up our appetite so we opted to eat a quick bite to eat before heading to Paihai, which is located an hour away.
L
Wow, such beautiful views! A very beautiful country. ❤️ I like the term Car Park much better than parking lot!
Thanks! Whangarei is lovely. It’s the only major city in the Northland region so we made sure to stock up on groceries before we left. We typically use the term parking lot in North America, but noticed that everyone in New Zealand says carpark. We liked that better too.
The British call them. Car park too. Cool! 😎
That’s true! So I wonder why we don’t use that term in Canada considering we typically like to follow their spelling and terms of measurement.
I had the same thought. Why aren’t we in the sphere of British influence even though today is our Independence Day? 😞
I know! It would make things a lot simpler!
Gorgeous views of the bay on the hike and then beautiful waterfalls thr next day. Looks like a good stop in NZ! Maggie
Initially we were going to visit the waterfall on our first day in Whangarei and then do the longer hike the next day, but I’m glad with the sequencing of events as I don’t think the views of the bay and hike up the summit would have been particularly all that nice in the rain.
I was in New Zealand a few years ago for my first, and so far only, time. I was on both the North and South Islands, but I didn’t get north of Auckland. I totally loved what I saw of that truly beautiful country, but Whangarei looks stunning. It makes me want to return to New Zealand and see some of what I missed. Thanks for the post.
Thanks for reading and leaving a comment. I share your sentiment about New Zealand and would love to return someday. We were there for five weeks and spent about an equal time between the North and South Islands. And even then it felt like we were only scratching the surface. Whangarei and the Northland region are beautiful. The weather wasn’t the greatest when we were there, but we still enjoyed the scenery and ancient kauri trees.
Oh wow!! These seem like interesting hikes, but the boardwalk in the forest look absolutely gorgeous!
I’m such a sucker for a trail with a boardwalk. It was a great way to see the kauri trees from a different perspective. It’s also needed to help protect their shallow and fragile root systems.
Whangarei is a beautiful area Linda and you captured a lot of it in your hikes. Happy Canada Day. Allan
Thanks for your kind words. We were debating about whether to visit the Northland region as it’s quite a bit of driving. It’s a shame the weather wasn’t the greatest. They were in a drought the past few months prior to our trip and imagine our luck to visit during a period of torrential rain. It could have been worse though, a few weeks later a cyclone swept through the area and caused flooding and power outages. So it could have been worse! Even with the gloomy weather, the scenery was beautiful. And I’m glad we got to spend some time in Whangarei before the rain. Hope you had a lovely Canada Day! Cheers. Linda
Lovely Linda! We have only visited North Island and our trip was when our boys were around 8 and 5, so quite awhile back. We also drove to Whangarei from Auckland and then based ourselves in Pahia for a few days. Your little girl looks adorable and so inquisitive!
Thanks so much for your kind words. Glad to hear you’ve spent some time in Whangarei and the Northland region of New Zealand too. It’s quite different compared to the landscape in the South Island and it reminded me a lot of Maui in some ways. The weather ended up taking a turn for the worst once we reached Paihia, but we made the most of it.
Wow! These photos are incredible!!
Happy Canada Day, my fellow Canucks! Cher xoxoxo
Thanks for your lovely comment. It’s hard to take a bad picture when the scenery is that beautiful. Hope you had a lovely Canada Day as well. Have a wonderful weekend. Linda
It is truly awe-inspiring, Linda! Thank you, and to you as well! Cher xoxoxo
Beautiful photos of the views and then the gardens and the farm animals for M, too. What a beautiful couple of days you had. M looks adorable and thanks for including photos of her with each of you. Cheers.
Thanks! I’m so glad we completed the hike before the rain as that wouldn’t have been very fun and the views wouldn’t have been any good. The cabin at the Highlander Farmstay was one of our favourite spots that we stayed during our trip. It was nice to see all the farm animals right from our front window. Our little one loved it. It was really cute to watch.
Such a wonderful post and inspiring Country 🌷🙏👍🏻 full of beauty and calm Ocean , walking way across the
bay side , varieties of flowers 🌸 and special beauty of parents and their lovely daughter , perfect travel 🧳
Very interesting place for hiking also !! Thank you so much for sharing and graceful wishes dear friend 🥰👏
Thanks for your lovely comment. The scenery was beautiful, especially the coastal views. We had a wonderful time staying in the Highlander Farmstay where our little one could see all the farm animals right from the front window of our cabin. Wishing we were there right now. Have a wonderful weekend.
Always welcome and thank you so much for likes my feedback 🌷🙏❤️✍️
Be Blessed my dear friend 💞👏
You as well. Enjoy the rest of the weekend.
Thank you so much for concern my dearest friend 🌷🙏❤️🌷
Love this, I have been there and can even pronounce it. Did not get out of the city since I was doing a seminar, my pre-retirement job. But I loved it. Thanks for the memories.
Thanks for your lovely comment. We figured out how to pronounce the name of this place towards the end of our trip. The “wh” is typically pronounced like an “f”. We never would have figured that out on our own! Glad to hear you enjoyed your time there as well.
Well a lot of pronunciations don’t make sense that is for sure.
We had a lot of struggles with pronunciations too. But we had a few good laughs from trying to say some of the names and places!
Ah, the private cabin with animals nearby sounds amazing. The wooden bridge passed the kauri trees is such a blissful, surely fulfilling experience walking there. How beautiful. What a wonderful hike up there. I love it, Linda.
The cabin was one of our favourite places that we stayed at in New Zealand. It was really cute to see our little one watch all the farm animals. And the scenery in the area was beautiful, especially with all those ancient kauri trees which the Northland region is famous for.
Gorgeous photos. Loved Whangarei.
Thanks for your kind words. The coastal views and forest scenery are beautiful. And it was nice to explore the Whangarei Quarry Gardens. I still can’t believe we were the only ones there.
All your photos are gorgeous! It sounds like you had such a wonderful time. Thank you for bringing us along on your trip. I couldn’t help but smile while reading. ☺️💞 Looking forward to your next post.
Thanks Rose. We had a lovely time in Whangarei and I’m glad the weather held up. We weren’t so lucky the following days though, but more on that later. The Northland region doesn’t get as many visitors as other areas in New Zealand, but I think that’s part of its charm. Because who likes a crowded beach or trail!?
Beautiful post!
Captivating narration and stunning images.
New Zealand has long been at the top of my bucket list, and I’ve always dreamed of exploring the well-known treks in the South.
But you’ve introduced a completely different region, opening up so many more possibilities to explore while in New Zealand.
The canopy walk trail looks incredible, and you’ve captured it beautifully.
Thank you so much for sharing. Have a great time, Linda! 😊
Thanks so much for your kind words and for leaving a comment. I hope you’re able to make it to New Zealand someday. It’s such a lovely country and the scenery is stunning. There is no shortage of fabulous hiking trails. While the landscape is more dramatic in the South Island with all the mountains, the North Island is more subtle, but equally beautiful. The ancient kauri trees were quite something to see.
During our visit to Whangarei, there was no time to go to the Heads, so it’s great to see it on your blog – stunning views. We were only in Whangarei for one day and all I remember is how far we walked from our hotel to the falls! Beautiful photos!
Bummer that you were able to visit Whangarei Heads. But here’s the thing, every single region and area in New Zealand is beautiful. It’s hard to see it all and visit every beach and hike every trail!!
Looks so beautiful! Hiking there must have been very enjoyable. The greenery and peaceful trails must’ve been such a refreshing escape.🙂
Absolutely! The hiking in New Zealand was fantastic. We visited during the shoulder season so many of the trails were quiet, which is just how we like it.
That sounds perfect! Quiet trails make the experience so much more special. New Zealand really is a dream for nature lovers!
Oh I know! It’s a much nicer experience when you don’t have to fight for parking or constantly have to move over when someone’s passing you, either on the way there or back. The hiking in New Zealand was something else. It’s a great way to enjoy the scenery.
Totally agree! It makes such a difference when the trail isn’t crowded. New Zealand sounds incredible for hiking.
Sorry for delay response
For sure. We visited in the shoulder season so the trails weren’t very busy. We encountered some miserable weather though. But I’ll take the rain over the crowds any day.
That actually sounds perfect—shoulder season is the way to go. It’s nice to be out there when it’s quiet, even if the weather isn’t ideal!
You bet. Less people and it’s much easier (and cheaper) to book accommodations.
Thanks for all the pictures! Our traveling has been limited these days, and so joining your family as it wanders here and there is a gift. BTW, I don’t know if you’re familiar with the detective drama “Brokenwood,” but you may have passed through “Brokenwood” territory when traveling from Auckland to Whangari.
Thanks for your lovely comment. Sorry to hear that your travelling is limited these days. I haven’t heard of Brokenwood, but I just looked it up. It’s been on for 11 seasons so it must be good! And that’s awesome that it was filmed in New Zealand. It’s available on Amazon Prime so I’ll have to give it a whirl. Have a wonderful weekend. Linda
I have heard of Whangerai, as my husband was there on business years ago. (He left a comment here as well). Your photos are excellent and have beautifully captured the gorgeous scenery of the area. What a wonderful experience.
You are too kind. It’s a lovely city with a lot of great hiking opportunities nearby. I was also impressed with the amount of green spaces and gardens. We could have easily stayed for another day or two, especially in the cabin at the Highland Farmstay. It was really cute to see how excited our little one was by all the farm animals.
Looks quite dreamy! Thank you for sharing your adventure! I especially love the photos of you three! 😊
Thanks! We were in our element enjoying nature and the wildlife! It’s amazing how being outside works wonders on our mind, body and spirit.
Wow, sounds terrific! NZ really is appealing, even more so now.
It just keeps getting better and better … well, maybe not the next few days after Whangarei as we ended up having miserable weather with torrential rain. I guess it could have been worse. A few weeks later a cyclone passed through here and caused massive flooding and power outages.
Wow, that sounds fantastic! New Zealand is truly captivating, and even more so now.
Thanks for your kind words and for leaving a comment. We were mesmerized by the beautiful landscape in New Zealand. And the people were very kind.
Great photos of a beautiful area. How fun to experience this part of the world!
Thanks! We travelled a long distance to get to New Zealand, but I’m glad we got to stay for five weeks. It’s such a beautiful country. And the hiking and scenery were amazing.
Definitely need to stay awhile when you travel that far.
Absolutely! And we could have easily stayed longer!
The view from the top is stunning. I noticed all the different colors in the water. It’s quite amazing you did have that garden to yourself. It’s so beautiful.
It was well worth the climb up to the summit, even on a cloudy day. I couldn’t believe that we had the Whangarei Quarry Gardens all to ourselves either. It was a remarkable story how a group of people within the community was able to transform a garbage dump into this beautiful space. And it’s entirely managed and maintained by volunteers. It’s amazing what we can do when we come together for the greater good.
The photo of M and the sheep is beyond adorable. I thought it was a puppet at first because of how full the wool was!
Such beautiful scenery you all drove by and hiked by and those views were worth all the huffing and puffing. I will have to add New Zealand to my wishlist.
Learned about kauri disease thanks to your post too!
Greetings from Lake Superior. Having a blast exploring this beautiful part of our province. We’ll be doing the Nikomos trail tomorrow! 😊 Take care,
Thanks! It was very cute to see her excitement from all the farm animals. The place we stayed at had Scottish highland sheep and cows, which were all very adorable. I highly recommend visiting New Zealand. But good luck with the long flight!
Glad to hear you’re having a wonderful time on your Northern Ontario road trip. Lake Superior Provincial Park is one of my favourites. Love the views of Old Woman’s Bay from the Nokomis Trail. Enjoy! Hope the weather has been nice.
You got a lot of fantastic views! It’s refreshing to see others parts of New Zealand other than the Lord of the Rings scenery. We really would love to see New Zealand for ourselves.
Thanks! I hope you’re able to visit New Zealand. It’s a long flight, but it’s such an amazing country. The Lord of the Rings scenery is beautiful, but so is everything else. And the landscape is so varied between the North and South Islands.
Wow the views from the trail are stunning. I love the photo of Baby M touching the bark too 🙂 The gardens are also right up my street, it looks like a great day of exploring!
She would often like to hold a leaf in her hand while we were hiking. It was very cute. And we’re happy at how much she loved being outside, which was great since our main focus was hiking and visiting gardens. Most towns had their own botanic garden which were typically free to visit. It was very lovely.
Fascinating and the views are spectacular! I’m sure baby M loved those farm animals.
It was well worth the climb to the summit to enjoy the views of the surrounding area. Baby M had a blast watching all the cute little farm animals. Who needs to watch tv with entertainment like that?!
So beautiful! Despite the rain, I think it was a good decision to visit this part of the North Island. So sad to learn about the kauri disease though, but it sounds like the authorities try what they can to control the situation.
Thanks Bama. The rain ended up turning torrential over the next few days. But even with the miserable weather, it was neat to see the Northland region as it’s really quite different compared to everywhere else in New Zealand. And it’s home to some of the oldest and largest kauri trees. They take the spread of kauri disease seriously and are constantly monitoring for signs of it. The unfortunate thing about the disease is that once you see signs of a tree being infected, it’s often too late for treatment. Prevention is the best strategy.
fantastic views! That’s a great shot of you and baby M touching the tree bark. I would love that canopy walk.
Thanks! She’s very curious and loves touching trees and holding leaves. It’s very cute. And it works out well since we enjoy being outside too! The canopy walk was very lovely. I’m such a sucker for a trail with a boardwalk.
I love that curly hair of the sheep. Looks so cute.
Oh I know! They had a bunch of highland animals on the farm, including sheep and cows. And they all looked so cute.
Looks like you have enjoyed the place.
We did! It was one of my favourite places that we stayed during our five weeks in New Zealand. I wish we could have stayed a bit longer.
It’s like you were wandering through your own private Garden of Eden! Such lush and soothing images. It must have been a wonderful experience.🌿
Oh I know! The nice thing about visiting during the shoulder season was that the trails and garden weren’t very busy. The downside is that we encountered some miserable weather here and there. I’ll take the rain over the crowds though.
A beautiful place that I haven’t visited, but I’m not sure I want to hike the Mount Manaia Track, you’re brave.
New Zealand is amazing. We weren’t initially planning to hike the Mount Manaia Track on our first day, but the timing worked out well as I imagine it wouldn’t have been very fun in the rain. It was wonderful to see a bunch of school kids hiking the trail as part of a field trip. And it provided good motivation for us to make it to the summit!
What a beautiful place to follow along with you to! I love the boardwalks and stairs through the lush greens. Also great pictures of Baby M- I can almost feel her giddy joy at petting the animals from the picture 🙂
Thanks! She had a blast being outside and then seeing all the farm animals at the cabin. It’s too bad we didn’t stay for another night. It ended up being one of our favourite accommodations of the trip.
Absolutely stunning 🤩.
Oh I know. Hiking is the best way to enjoy the scenery. It’s amazing how the plants and trees are so different compared to what we have back home in southern Ontario.
This area looks absolutely stunning! We are in the same boat with napping while going places. Sometimes we drive a little longer too so that she gets in a decent nap! Also, I love your flower and waterfall photos!
Thanks! Our schedule revolves around our little one, especially when travelling or going somewhere. We’ve done the same thing with extending the drive so our daughter can keep sleeping. We figure that way she’ll be in a better mood and we can do more in the afternoon. It’s a win-win for everyone!
Wow such gorgeous photos! Those views…and such pretty vegetation. Will be hard to narrow down a New Zealand itinerary for future travel which we’d love to do.
Thanks for your lovely comment. It was neat to see how different the vegetation was in New Zealand compared to southern Ontario. There are so many great options. We were in New Zealand for five weeks and it only felt like we were scratching the surface.
That’s an incredible amount of time…5 weeks and only scratching the surface…wow! we were thinking a month so it’s interesting to read that comment. The sheer variety of scenery in New Zealand looks so incredible!
A month is a good amount of time. But more time in obviously better since New Zealand is so beautiful! We had to travel at a much slower pace and couldn’t do as much in a day with our little one. Everything had to be scheduled around her nap time. I can’t complain too much though as she’s the main reason we were actually able to go on this vacation. My husband was on parental leave and I ended up using the extra vacation days I had accumulated when I was on maternity leave.
I love when pretty views give a reason to stop and catch your breath while hiking!
Me too. Then I don’t feel so out of shape!! But the views were a great incentive to keep climbing onwards and upwards!
Wow, what an amazing adventure, my Dear Friend… These photos are absolutely stunning 😍📸 The views, the trails, the gardens… just breathtaking…
And Baby M is growing so fast 🥹✨
God Bless you all and keep you safe in His loving embrace always 🙏
Thanks for your kind words. The scenery in Whangarei is beautiful. I still can’t believe we had the Quarry Gardens all to ourselves. And agreed, baby M is growing so fast! Way too fast! I wish I could hit the pause button every so often.
Volcanic views! Wow 😲 these photos are phenomenal. You really depict so well what you experienced and the photos match your words so well. Aw baby M looks so excited trying to touch the tree and engage with nature. Aw
Thanks for your lovely comment. Baby M is so curious and loves trying to touch trees and plants. We would often give her a leaf to hold onto while hiking, which she enjoyed. It was a challenging hike, especially when carrying a toddler, but so worth it for the views at the summit.
I love that you are teaching your little one to appreciate nature and exploration. What wonderful core memories she is developing!
I don’t think she needs much teaching in that department! She absolutely loves being outside. Some of the first words she learned were “shoes” (which signals we’re going to go outside) and “tree”.
I LOVE that!
It’s very cute. I hope her love for the outdoors will only continue to grow!
I’m sure it will. She has great role models!
You are too kind 🙂
Quite tropical there !
It was very lush and tropical. It felt like we were in Hawaii.
We stayed here for almost a week and loved it.
How wonderful that were you were able to spend nearly a week in Whangarei. It’s such a lovely area. And the views of the coastline are stunning.