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Whangarei – New Zealand’s Surprising Northland City

Dale Dunlop The Maritime Explorer

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Friday, April 24th, 2026

In 2025 Alison and I spent a far amount of time in the far north of New Zealand known as Northland. We checked out the Nova Scotia connection at the Waipu Museum, we played golf at the incomparable Kauri Cliffs. we explored the Bay of Islands by boat and we drove to the very top of the country at Cape Reinga. What we did not do was spend any time in Whangarei, the largest city in the Northland. In fact, we by passed it at least twice. In 2026 we returned to the Northland, not to visit Whangarei, but to go snorkelling at the legendary Poor Knight’s Islands.  I had booked a tour to the islands with Dive Tutukaka who offer snorkelling as well as diving. The trips leave from the small village of Tutukaka, but I wasn’t sure about staying there so I booked a place in Whangarei, the nearest large centre. The day before the trip I took a reconnaissance drive to Tutukaka just to make sure how long it took and checked in with Dive Tutukaka. The news wasn’t good. High winds were predicted and it was unlikely the trip would depart the next day. It didn’t. So now we had to spend the day in Whangarei. Turns out it was a serendipitous outcome as there is more than enough to keep you occupied for a day or more in this place that most tourists just drive past on their way to the Bay of Islands area. Here’s just a few of them.

BTW if you are planning a trip to the Poor Knights Islands, Tutukaka is a great little place with some nice accommodations and restaurants. If we try to do this again we will definitely stay there.

Whangarei Falls

The number one attraction in the Whangarei area is undoubtedly Whangarei Falls, a 26 metre (85 foot) plunge of the Hātea River over a basalt ridge with a classic Niagara Falls like look. It is on the outskirts of the city and when I first tried to visit in the late afternoon on a Sunday the parking lot was jammed and we couldn’t find a space to park. The next morning after finding the snorkelling trip was off we returned to the parking lot where only one other car was now parked. There is a hiking trail that takes one in a loop from the top of the falls across the Hātea River then down one side and after crossing a bridge with a great look at the falls, up the other side back to the parking lot. I highly recommend walking this trail to get the best look at the falls. Here’s what you will see.

And of course you’ll want to get a photo with the falls.

This is the river below the falls.

Hatea River Loop

If you want to see most of the highlights of Whangarei then you need to walk the Hātea River Loop,a 4.2 km. (2.6 miles) paved path along both sides of the Hātea River well below the falls. It will take about an hour to just walk it, but there are many places to stop along the way including museums, restaurants, art installations and more. There is a large parking lot next to the You are Here indicator on the map above, where we parked and walked the path in a counter-clockwise direction.

Here are a few of the highlights in this gallery. Double-click to open a photo and double-click again to enlarge.

The last photo is taken from the bridge that returns you to the city side of the loop right beneath one of the most bizarre structures you will see in all of New Zealand.

This is the Hundertwasser Art Centre which has a museum shop that Alison, as an artist, found very interesting.

I stuck to hanging around the fountain outside the entrance.

Aside from the Hundertwasser, there are two other places you might want to check out in Whangarei. This is the Claphams National Clock Museum which has a collection of over 1600 time pieces from around the world. On a visit you can find out why clocks go clockwise or how cuckoo clocks make their sound.

Almost right beside the ultra modern look of the clock museum is Reyburn House, the oldest house in Whangarei and home to the Northland Society of Arts. At any given time there will be exhibits from artists, sculptors, ceramic workers and other craftspeople. It could be just the place to buy that unique Kiwi memento.

By now it will be time for a bite to eat and the Riverside Cafe is conveniently nearby. Alison had the B.L.A.T.

And I had fish & chips.

They both hit the spot.

We needed some nourishment because our next journey will take us out to Whangarei Heads which has a direct connection to Nova Scotia. In my very first post from New Zealand I featured the journey of Reverend Norman McLeod and a dedicated group of followers from Nova Scotia to New Zealand in the 1850’s where most settled in the town of Waipu. However, some ventured further north to the Whangarei area and settled at a place call McLeod Bay in the small community of Whangarei Heads. It’s just over a half an hour drive along the very scenic Whangarei Heads Road passing the small airport and The Pines golf course along the way. The reason people come here is mostly to hike one of the many trails leading either to uncrowded beaches or to one of the small peaks overlooking Whangarei Harbour on the one side and the open Pacific to the other.

We don’t find any particular monument or other indicator in the small community of Whangarei Heads that it was first settled by Nova Scotians so we push on to the end of the pavement where there is a short walk to magnificent Ocean Beach.

Walking down toward the beach you get this view of the southern end of the beach which stretches 5 kms. (3 miles) north from here. It is part of the Te Ararora Trail, the 3,000+ km. (1,864 mile) hike from one end of New Zealand to the other.

Turning around we make our way back to Urquart’s Bay and turn left down a single track lane that ends at a small car park where there are trails to Smuggler’s Bay and Busby Head. We won’t be going that far, but instead head for a WWII battery on Bream Head that once guarded the entrance to the harbour.

There are fine views of Bream Head Harbour and being New Zealand there are ten sailboats for every motorized vessel.

We pass by a number of docile cows who apparently are used to humans trespassing on their territory.

The battery is not dissimilar to many we have explored around the entrance to Halifax Harbour back home.

The views are equally nice on the way back.

After returning to our room at the Lodge Bordeaux, a modern motel right on the main route through town, we freshen up and head out for the evening meal. After checking on Trip Advisor, we decided on the Fat Camel Cafe, with an Israeli based menu run by Israeli expats. It was a good decision.

I had this lamb stuffed pita washed down with a Speights Mid Strength Ale, which despite being only 2.5% ABV was still flavourful enough to complement the lamb.

Alison had a shakshuka which instead of the traditional poached eggs on top, was topped with feta cheese. It tasted as good as it looks, especially when dipped with the pita bread.

Back at the motel, we both marvelled at what a great day it had been – totally unscripted and spontaneous. Instead of being disappointed in not being able to do what we planned to do, we were delighted with what we had not planned.

In the next post we’ll leave the Northland and head to the city of Hamilton where a great garden awaits us. Hope you’ll join us.