Whangarei

New_Zealand

Whangarei harbour from Mt Manaia

Whangarei is the main city of Northland, in the North Island of New Zealand, with a population of 50,000. It has a warm semi-tropical climate, with summer daytime temperatures around 24-26°C, regular rainy days year round and mild winters that rarely have frosts and are mild enough for the region to be described as the winterless north.

Whangarei Falls

  • Claphams National Clock Museum, Town Basin, Dent Street, +64 9 438-3993. Daily 9AM-5PM (except 25 Dec). One of the largest collections of clocks in the southern hemisphere. $8 adult, $4 child, senior citizen $6.
  • Kiwi North, 500 State Highway 14, Maunu (on the road to Dargaville, about 5 min from Whangarei City centre, +64 9 438-9630. Daily 10AM-4PM, closed 25 Dec. Whangarei Museum, with exhibits relating to Whangarei and Northland, as well as a Kiwi aviary and a heritage park of historic buildings. Adult $20, child 5-16 yr $5, child under 5 yr free.
  • Whangarei Falls, Tikipunga (5km north east of the city. Known as the most photogenic waterfall in New Zealand, dropping 25 m into a beautiful bush-fringed pool.
  • Whangarei Quarry Gardens, Russell Road. Daily 9AM-5PM; cafe W–Su 9AM-3PM. Spectacular subtropical plantings in a terraced amphitheatre with a lake fed by two waterfalls. Free.
  • Marsden Point Oil Refinery Visitors Centre, Port Marsden Highway, Ruakaka. Daily except Good Friday, 25 and 26 Dec, 10AM-5PM. The cafe next door is open M-F (excluding public holidays), 6:30AM-2PM.

Claphams National Clock Museum, Town Basin, Dent Street, +64 9 438-3993. Daily 9AM-5PM (except 25 Dec). One of the largest collections of clocks in the southern hemisphere. $8 adult, $4 child, senior citizen $6.

Kiwi North, 500 State Highway 14, Maunu (on the road to Dargaville, about 5 min from Whangarei City centre, +64 9 438-9630. Daily 10AM-4PM, closed 25 Dec. Whangarei Museum, with exhibits relating to Whangarei and Northland, as well as a Kiwi aviary and a heritage park of historic buildings. Adult $20, child 5-16 yr $5, child under 5 yr free.

Whangarei Falls, Tikipunga (5km north east of the city. Known as the most photogenic waterfall in New Zealand, dropping 25 m into a beautiful bush-fringed pool.

Whangarei Quarry Gardens, Russell Road. Daily 9AM-5PM; cafe W–Su 9AM-3PM. Spectacular subtropical plantings in a terraced amphitheatre with a lake fed by two waterfalls. Free.

Marsden Point Oil Refinery Visitors Centre, Port Marsden Highway, Ruakaka. Daily except Good Friday, 25 and 26 Dec, 10AM-5PM. The cafe next door is open M-F (excluding public holidays), 6:30AM-2PM.

  • AE Fun Park, 203 Hayward Rd (15 min drive south of Whangarei, +64 9 432-3534. Activity and events park. Paintball, Lasertag, archery, clay shooting, flying fox, target shooting, mini putt golf, BBQ and function area. Good for half-day outings, birthdays, corporate functions, family gatherings.
  • Walking. Whangarei has good opportunities for short and medium duration walks. Mair Park and the adjacent Parihaka Reserve in the centre of town straddle the Hatea river and are extremely popular (the latter has various glow worm spots if walked at night). Two tracks lead from the river up to the top of Parihaka which has beautiful views over the city. The A.H Reed Memorial Kauri Walk. Whangarei Heads offers many opportunities for walkers of all capabilities. The rugged landscape fringed by beautiful bays and coves results in some wonderful panoramic views.
  • Beaches. In summer, and for the hardy any other time of the year, the beaches in and around Whangarei are the place to head for.
    • Onerahi Beach is not the best beach but it is the closest and very popular with families for a swim at the weekend.
    • Ocean Beach a lovely big white sand beach with normally a decent surf.
    • Matapori and Sandy Bay
    • Ngunguru
  • Whangarei Aquatic Centre, 52 Ewing Rd, +64 9 438-7957. The main public swimming pool is in the centre of town and has a wave pool as well as a regular lap pool, hydroslides, spa and a gym.
  • Diving. Dive at the Poor Knights Islands
  • Big game fishing.

AE Fun Park, 203 Hayward Rd (15 min drive south of Whangarei, +64 9 432-3534. Activity and events park. Paintball, Lasertag, archery, clay shooting, flying fox, target shooting, mini putt golf, BBQ and function area. Good for half-day outings, birthdays, corporate functions, family gatherings.

Walking. Whangarei has good opportunities for short and medium duration walks. Mair Park and the adjacent Parihaka Reserve in the centre of town straddle the Hatea river and are extremely popular (the latter has various glow worm spots if walked at night). Two tracks lead from the river up to the top of Parihaka which has beautiful views over the city. The A.H Reed Memorial Kauri Walk. Whangarei Heads offers many opportunities for walkers of all capabilities. The rugged landscape fringed by beautiful bays and coves results in some wonderful panoramic views.

Beaches. In summer, and for the hardy any other time of the year, the beaches in and around Whangarei are the place to head for.

  • Onerahi Beach is not the best beach but it is the closest and very popular with families for a swim at the weekend.
  • Ocean Beach a lovely big white sand beach with normally a decent surf.
  • Matapori and Sandy Bay
  • Ngunguru

Whangarei Aquatic Centre, 52 Ewing Rd, +64 9 438-7957. The main public swimming pool is in the centre of town and has a wave pool as well as a regular lap pool, hydroslides, spa and a gym.

Diving. Dive at the [[Poor Knights Islands]]

Big game fishing.

The Piggery. High quality and hard to find (mainly secondhand) books.

Reyburn House Art Gallery, +64 9 438-3074. Reyburn House Lane, Town Basin.

Burning Issues Gallery, +64 9 438-3108. Quayside, Town Basin.

The Warehouse, +64 9 438-0346. Port Road, Okara. Discount department store.

Muffin Break, 145 Bank St, +64 9 430-6539.

Indian Aroma Restaurant, 25 Vine St, +64 9 430-2282.

Shiraz Indian Restaurant, 58 Walton Street, +64 9 438-3112. Daily 11AM-3PM, 4:30-10PM.

Pimarn Thai Restaurant, 12 Rathbone St, +64 9 430-0718. Lunch M-Sa 11AM-2:30PM, dinner M-Sa 5-10PM. Very popular Thai restaurant. Reservations a must. $15-20.

Killer Prawn, 26-28 Bank St, +64 9 430-3333. 6PM till late. Popular restaurant and bar whose menu includes seafood, steak, pizza and a big wine list.

Asahi Japanese Restaurant, cnr Vine St & Quality St, +64 9 430-3005. Reasonable prices.

  • Mokaba has good coffee, pleasant food. It shares a building with The Batch, an arts and crafts shop.
  • Fring's Brauhaus is a small brewery and restaurant.

Most of the towns bars and clubs are located in the central city in or around Vine Street.

  • Grand Hotel
  • Rynos
  • The Old Stone Butter Factory
  • Split
  • Fring's Brauhaus
  • Bacios

  • Poor Knights Islands – Dive and snorkel by charter or by private boat. You must not land on the islands.
  • The Bay of Islands is 70 kilometres north.
  • Dargaville – to the west
  • Hokianga (90 minutes drive). You can go via the Bay of Islands, or go to Dargaville, then north through the kauri forests along the west coast.
  • Ngunguru (28km). Sat on the edge of a river / estuary, find the cafe and sample Steak and Cheese Pies. One of the most beautiful places in New Zealand.