Okaihau: Railway Traces and Twin Coast Cycle Trail

Okaihau brings together the Twin Coast Cycle Trail and visible traces of its railway history. Beside the trail is a railway-themed rest area overlooking the site of the former Okaihau railway station. The project includes a bilingual information panel about the town’s railway history. The rest area and panel highlight different aspects: the rest area points to the former station site, while the panel focuses on the railway as part of the town’s history.

Cycling route and getting oriented in Okaihau

The Twin Coast Cycle Trail is accessible from Okaihau. The section between Okaihau and Hōreke is short and has a moderate difficulty rating. These two details describe different aspects: “short” refers to the length of the section, while the moderate difficulty rating describes its grade. So short does not automatically mean easy here. In Okaihau, the trail starts from Nova Street; Two Ponga Park is just beyond the public toilets. Many of the trail’s shuttle buses use Okaihau as a pick-up and drop-off point. If you’re planning a bike ride, the section, the trail access point and the town’s role as a shuttle stop are distinct points to keep in mind.

There’s also a specific local attraction away from the cycling route: the Okaihau Golf Club is a 9-hole golf course in Okaihau. From Okaihau, Horeke Road leads to the Wairere Boulders, which are in the surrounding area of the destination. In this nature park, large basalt boulders fill a valley. The golf course is in town; the boulders are a separate nature attraction in the surrounding area.

More to explore in the wider Far North District

The wider Far North District destination offers further cultural and landscape attractions. The former Mangonui Courthouse in Mangonui is a well-preserved late-19th-century courthouse, built in 1892. As an unusually intact example of a small courthouse, it is of national importance. In Kerikeri, the Stone Store was built between 1832 and 1836. It is New Zealand’s oldest intact stone building and oldest surviving warehouse. Pompallier in Russell was built in 1841–1842 and is one of New Zealand’s earliest surviving French colonial buildings.

The Te Paki Coastal Track offers views of the north coast, regenerating bush and large wind-shaped sand dunes. You can walk the entire track or selected sections; there are four campsites along the route. Check current route information before planning, as operating conditions and closures can change.

At the Te Ahu Centre in Kaitāia, the Te Ahu Museum presents the history of the Far North District. Topics include pre-European Māori artefacts, gold mining, Dalmatian heritage, kauri gum and timber, early shipwrecks, and missionaries and pioneers. The museum offers films, interactive exhibits, virtual landscape tours and informative displays for visitors of all ages. Its extensive archive includes documents, journals, newspapers, maps and photographs; more than 500 records are available online.

Discover more destinations: Paihia, Kaitaia, Coopers Beach, Pakaraka, Haruru, Opua, Waitangi, Ahipara

For the wider travel overview: Far North District.