Northland: Coastal Landscapes, Culture and Routes

Northland brings together coastal landscapes, historic places and routes with different themes. Taitokerau Northland is New Zealand’s northernmost and only subtropical region. When planning a hotel stay, you can first consider whether you are mainly interested in cultural history, nature or routes between several places. The region can be explored from these different perspectives.

Cultural history at distinctive sites

The Waitangi Treaty Grounds combine historical significance with several guided experiences. Admission includes an informative 50-minute guided tour, a 30-minute Māori cultural experience, and entry to the Te Kōngahu Museum of Waitangi and the Te Rau Aroha Museum of the Price of Citizenship. Guided tours share stories about the people and events that have shaped New Zealand’s past, present and future. Waitangi is also where Te Tiriti o Waitangi / the Treaty of Waitangi was first signed in 1840. The grounds were also New Zealand’s first national monument.

Pompallier Mission and Printery focuses on another aspect of history: it is New Zealand’s only surviving pioneer printery and tannery. It illustrates the influence of Bishop Pompallier and his missionaries in introducing Catholicism through written works in te reo Māori. Several guides take visitors through the 19th-century processes of printing and bookbinding, from setting type to tanning hides.

Other sites also tell the story of encounters. Kororipo Heritage Park marks the first settlement where Māori and Pākehā—people of European descent—lived side by side. Māngungu Mission was the site of the largest signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the founding document of Aotearoa New Zealand. There are nine Tohu Whenua sites in Taitokerau Northland.

Landscapes and routes through Northland

The Te Paki Sand Dunes comprise a series of enormous dunes about 150 metres high. The Mangawhai Cliffs Walkway offers a different landscape, passing expansive ocean views, pōhutukawa trees and a white-sand beach; it is part of the Te Araroa Trail.

Off Northland’s east coast lies the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve, about 22 kilometres from shore. Established in 1981, it covers 2,410 hectares. Underwater, the area is characterised by caves, arches, tunnels and steep cliffs. The reserve can be reached by boat from Northland, with Tutukaka Marina considered the main departure point. Boat trips, sailing excursions, snorkelling experiences and kayaking adventures are offered in the Bay of Islands.

The Pou Herenga Tai Twin Coast Cycle Trail offers an east-to-west route: it runs from the Bay of Islands in the east to Hokianga Harbour in the west and is New Zealand’s northernmost and only coast-to-coast Great Ride. Other routes connect their own points of interest. The Secret Coast Route passes through Taitokerau Northland’s coastal landscapes between Russell and Helena Bay. The Ancient Kauri Trail connects Maungaturoto, Dargaville and Ōmāpere. Into the Wide Blue Yonder connects Whangārei Falls, the Tutukākā Coast and Hikurangi. Northland Journeys, meanwhile, includes routes of 50 to 150 kilometres through Taitokerau Northland to hidden attractions, local favourites and other destinations.

The region’s natural character also includes Tāne Mahuta, the kauri tree known as the “Lord of the Forest.” These natural landmarks, coastal trails and historic sites offer different themes to guide your trip planning, without defining a fixed route through the region.

Planning your trip

Visitor information centres in Northland offer booking services and personal recommendations for activities, accommodation, attractions and travel bookings. This can help you match your interests with the options and stops you are considering for your trip. When choosing a hotel, you can first decide on your preferred focus: for example, the history of Waitangi and Pompallier, a route between named places, or Northland’s coastal landscapes.

Discover more destinations

Far North District, Whangarei District, Kaipara District, Waipu, Matakohe, Cable Bay, Kaeo, Whangaruru, Kaikohe, Otaika, Matapouri, Rawhiti, Ruakaka, Lake Ohia, Awanui

For the main travel overview: New Zealand.