Whangarei Things to Do

Wow what a cool shop that was, definitely more alive than the others we visited in New Zealand, very passionate owners in there! Maybe that's only on a Saturday but they had lots of different artists working and doing demonstrations, very entertaining and we talked to loads of interesting people. We bought most of our gifts for home before heading down to Auckland, lots of great stuff for kids, some unique pieces of handcrafts (all New Zealand made - some shops seem to have nothing but Chinese things, plastic Maori art etc. - avoid!), of course couldn't go home without yarns for the wife (big selection for those interested - also lots of glass jewellery the owner makes herself), and lots of small and inexpensive things, lots of art on the walls. It's not directly in the Whangarei Town Basin but you can see the blue shop from the carpark, it's very close and there's also easy parking in front.

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Paintball, Go-karts and clay bird shooting

Situated on a spectacular 60 acre farm of rolling pasture and native bush; AE Paintball offers you unrivaled adventure and fun. Playing in the trees and a great many obstacles even full field lighting for night games. Paintball is a fun game for the recreational player and is a fast growing sport for the competitive player.

AE Go-karts situated on 2 acres of flat at the back of the park. race around a clay track drifting on every corner trying to beat your mates

Also available are toilets, shower, changing room, picnic ground, free BBQ, party room, eftpos. AE fun park also offers an on-line booking option, saving you time and money.

When you take Heads Rd from Whangarei, you'll pass some lovely bays and towns. There's no bus going up here, so you'll need your own car. The road ends at Whangarei Heads, a very nice beach with a lovely surf (when I was there). We slept on a parking lot near the beach and had a lovely time when some locals came by.

Town Basin, is a popular yacht anchorage for travellers through the Pacific. In the summer there is always an interesting collection of mulit-national flagged yachts and launches in the basin. There are also some nice spots to eat here and the famous clock museum, which has the biggest clock collection in the southern hemisphere. There is plenty of parking if you're stopping in enroute to somewhere.

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The Whangarei Falls make a rather classical waterfall sight. They are located in the north of the city in the suburb of Tikipunga on the road out to Tutukaka. Just follow Mill Road from the city centre, which then morphs into Kiripaka Road. When you come to the round-about at the end of that road turn right and within a few hundred metres you'll see the sign for Whangarei Falls on the right.
There is free parking, but make sure you lock your car and take valuables with you or leave them out of sight in the car.
You can just stop for a look at the falls from one of the three viewing platforms above them, or, as we did, walk down to the pool at the bottom. It is a nice easy bush walk and there are good views of the falls from below. I was disappointed to see so much rubbish lying around and floating in the pool when I visited, so please don't contribute to that.

Mount Parahaki (well it's a hill really) overlooks Whangarei and the viewing platform can be reach by road or by hiking up on the tracks. Walking up only takes about an hour and a half at a slow walking pace and it's very easy going, well sign posted etc. The view from the top is well worth the effort and a good place for a quick nibble or drink before heading back down again.

I happened to be returning from the Bay of Islands early on a Sunday morning, when I decided to check out the Whangarei Falls (exit is clearly marked on the highway).

Because it was early Sunday morning, there was no one else in the parking lot. Note that there are numerous signs warning of break-ins to cars in the parking lot, so take your valuables with you.

After a short walk, I reached the bottom of the falls, and enjoyed the fantastic view. The sun was just rising over the top of the falls, creating a couple of rainbows. Again, because of the time, there was no background noise - no people, no cars passing by etc - just the sound of the waterfall and the occasional bird call. Perfect opportunity for a romantic picnic breakfast - too bad I was by myself!

For the wine lovers, we have a local winery where you can put your tastebuds to the test and try out all the different wines to find something that tickles your fancy. If travelling in a group as an organised prearranged tour, your hosts will provide a selection of cheeses and crackers and as an added bonus you get to keep your wine glass.

Longview Estate is the oldest established vineyard in Northland. It consists of 7 hectares of grapes which include: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Syrah, Chardonnay, Gerwurztraminer.

Open daily for tastings and sales.
Summer Hours: 8:30am - 6pm
Winter Hours: 8:30am - 5pm
Closed Sundays
(May - Sept)