The TSF Travel Tips Thread
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@canefan My friend hired a cheap Hyundai hatchback when he got to Auckland, and that was fine. No 4WD needed between Auckland and the cape. If you want to go out to the east coast from Russell then there are some roads through bush that are a bit hairy, but they can be avoided if you plan for it.
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@Machpants The some of us did the sand dunes too. Too bloody hot that day for me to be walking up those dunes.
I would also drive back to Auckland via the west coast to take in Opononi and then Tane Mahuta. If you are never going back up north best to tick off all the boxes.
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@Bovidae yeah Tane Mahuta is amazing, was parent help on one of my boy's Opononi camps. The kids did an amazing Waiata there, and a local guide randomly there just gave us a huge and interesting history/culturally lesson. Amazing moment
Edit. Not sure about die back, just horrific ðŸ˜
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@Tim said in The TSF Travel Tips Thread:
@Bovidae said in The TSF Travel Tips Thread:
Tane Mahuta
Kauri forests might be closed at the moment due to the dieback disease?
Is open according to reviews. I thought it was mainly some of the Waitakere forests that were closed. There is a foot bath etc at the entry.
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I had 10 days in Taipa about 5 years back and it was ace. Fucking nice part of the world.
Cape is awesome. Russell is beautiful. Really glad I drove back down the West coast for Tane Mahuta, Rawene ferry etc
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@Tim said in The TSF Travel Tips Thread:
@canefan Yeah, the main roads are pretty good. It's about 3 hours from Paihia. Google estimates 1h45min from Cooper's Beach. Think there's a Ramada resort in the next bay. Would be a lot nicer than Kaitia.
Roughly this time last year I was doing a Northland trip, we stayed at Mangonui (on the Coopers beach side), would definitely agree to stay there rather than Kaitaia @canefan
Have some of the famous fish and chips, they’re nice, but they’re overrated and more Aussie style than traditional NZ, but definitely a decent feed. There’s a good Indian place there too.
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Looks like most things have been covered.
Was last in Kaitaia about two years ago for Mum's 90th, then a few months later for her funeral.
Admittedly it was winter and a little dank and dark but crikey it had regressed. Much of the town centre was government agencies and social organisations and a lot of businesses had followed the Supermarket and The Warehouse out to the edge of town.
What used to be the flash hotel/motel is now social housing so am not sure about accommodation options.
Somebody mentioned Taipa for accommodation. That'd work well.
Other stuff.
May be worth loking into a cruise on the Whangaroa Harbour. Little known gem.
No-one has mentioned the Milk Run or Hole in the Rock or even dolphin cruises out from Paihia.
Treaty House is must do.
Is the original Kelly Tarlton museum on the boat still going? Used to be moored near the bridge over to Waitangi. Not sure of quality if indeed it's still there.
Puketi forest inland from Kerikeri is good, nearly as good as Waipoua just no Tame Mahuta.
Glow worm cave as mentioned South of the BoI isn't bad as mentioned.
Plenty of other historic sites around as well, battlefields, Pas, churches, missions, The Stone Store etc
On the way to the Cape (of course you can bus instead of drive, and I assume they still go up or down (tide dependent) 90 Mile Beach) stop at Ka Uri in Awanui where they make stuff out of the Kauri they dig out of the swamp. And Gumdiggers Park near Waiharara (a locality, not a town ) which is as the label says , an old kauri gum diggers village.
Cape is as Tim said amazing. Was there about 5 years ago. Did pick our day: weather was perfect and pretty calm but felt a real buzz.
Local Kaitaia bus company used to run a trip called The Tutu which was a four wheel drive bus up the hills behind Ahipara at the South end of 90 Mile. Took in the gumfields up there, then back across the big sand dunes (with a bit of tabogganing), possibly the chance to grab some mussels off the rocks , and crawling back round the coast to Ship Wreck Bay. Worth a look if still running.
If you head down the West coast be careful of the Mangamukas if you get car sick kids :). Scenic if you can stand the twisting.
But worth heading that direction to jump the car ferry from Kohukohu to Rawene. Cuts out a lot of travel too.
Gets you to Opononi and Omapere then Waipoua.
That went on a bit.
All of the above is subject to change since I no longer live there, nor visit regularly any more.
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Kaitaia is a shit hole. I would stay at the Top 10 Holiday Park on the Karikari peninsula (they have some cabins) if you're on a budget or at the Karikari Resort if you want to splurge. From there you can do the whole peninsula easily in a day including side diversions to all the bays. You have to go to Spirits Bay it is stunning.
Whanagaroa Harbour is OK basically everywhere on the East Coast is. We stayed at the Kingfisher Lodge (only accessible by boat) but sadly its gone under.
Russell is one of my favourite places on earth - go there at least once every year just to chill.
Kelly Tarltons has gone. TBH I can't find much nice to say about Paihia although I know people that love it. To me its boring full of cheap motels and whilst not big is too big if that makes sense. Very 80's ish. However if you have the cash a helicopter over the bay of islands is worth every cent - views are amazing.
I've spent weeks cruising up there when I had a yacht. I'd give the hole in the rock a miss. Seas can get quite a swell on and at the end of the day its a rocky island with a hole in it. Plenty of options to get out on the water without going that far. Urupukupuku has a bar and somewhere to eat.
If you have the time the East Coast Road to / from Russell is a very pleasant drive and doable from Auckland in a day. Im talking leaving SH1 at Warkworth up through Matakana. Leigh Pakiri Managawai Langs Beach Waipu back on to SH1 and then after Whangarei head out to Ngunguru Tutukaka Matapouri Whananaki Helena Bay Oakura Whangaruru and into Russell the back way through Rawhiti
West Coast doest have as much to recommend it. Hokianga is good - agree with Boo about ferry. I mean if time was no object I'd drive out to the coast at Mitimiti - that's like taking a time trip back 60 years but I'd only recommend it to someone who was spending 10 days up north. If you do drop in on Tanemahuta just south of there is a diversion to Trounson Kauri Park which I would thoroughly recommend. More Kauri than you see at Waipoua and more bird life too. After that there's no real highlights until you get back to Akl. I mean there's plenty of places you can divert to but not on a schedule The SH is boring.
All of the above is easily done in any bog standard car.
You can see everything in 5 biggish days - add on as much time as you want to stop and appreciate what is an under-rated part of Aotearoa
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So they're talking a "travel bridge" to the islands of the realm I would be in like Flynn.
We normally take off overseas in Aug/Sept so would be starting to count down the days from about now. Was supposed to be 14 days in Sri Lanka sigh
Fucking phone will start sending me memory photos soon.
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@Nepia said in The TSF Travel Tips Thread:
@Tim said in The TSF Travel Tips Thread:
@canefan Yeah, the main roads are pretty good. It's about 3 hours from Paihia. Google estimates 1h45min from Cooper's Beach. Think there's a Ramada resort in the next bay. Would be a lot nicer than Kaitia.
Roughly this time last year I was doing a Northland trip, we stayed at Mangonui (on the Coopers beach side), would definitely agree to stay there rather than Kaitaia @canefan
Have some of the famous fish and chips, they’re nice, but they’re overrated and more Aussie style than traditional NZ, but definitely a decent feed. There’s a good Indian place there too.
And a very good Thai restaurant.
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@dogmeat said in The TSF Travel Tips Thread:
Russell is one of my favourite places on earth - go there at least once every year just to chill.
Kelly Tarltons has gone. TBH I can't find much nice to say about Paihia although I know people that love it. To me its boring full of cheap motels and whilst not big is too big if that makes sense. Very 80's ish.
Agree on Russell and Paihia. I used to spend a lot of time in Paihia during the 90's (I lived in Whangarei as a teenager) and most of the town has slowly degraded since then. The restaurants are hit and miss.. Russell has a small number of options but they are generally very good
To me the only advantage Paihia has over Russell is that it's slightly easier to get to
If you enjoy history I would recommend a trip out to Marsden cross. It has great views looking south back towards Russull etc
It was basically the first European settlement. The buildings are gone but you can still make out their foundations etc. They were protected by a local pa which looks down over the beach. If it's a fine day it's an amazing spot, the photo's don't do it justice.
The area was upgraded a few years ago, they did a really good job https://www.rangihouaheritage.co.nz/
@dogmeat said in The TSF Travel Tips Thread:
Kaitaia is a shit hole.
Correct
If you are in that area a trip to Ahipara is worth it. A great surf beach
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@Duluth Thanks for the tip about rangihoua - I've sailed past and stayed close but never been. Something I will address next time we are up that way.
As an aside for anyone interested - there are scores of really amazing little BNB's to stay at in the north. We've stayed in converted caves, boatsheds, loads of funky places on, over and beside the water.
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@Bovidae said in The TSF Travel Tips Thread:
@Nepia said in The TSF Travel Tips Thread:
@Tim said in The TSF Travel Tips Thread:
@canefan Yeah, the main roads are pretty good. It's about 3 hours from Paihia. Google estimates 1h45min from Cooper's Beach. Think there's a Ramada resort in the next bay. Would be a lot nicer than Kaitia.
Roughly this time last year I was doing a Northland trip, we stayed at Mangonui (on the Coopers beach side), would definitely agree to stay there rather than Kaitaia @canefan
Have some of the famous fish and chips, they’re nice, but they’re overrated and more Aussie style than traditional NZ, but definitely a decent feed. There’s a good Indian place there too.
And a very good Thai restaurant.
I lost the vote so we didn't try the Thai restaurant. One cafe was really good and one was average, but they've both blended in my mind.
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@mariner4life said in The TSF Travel Tips Thread:
I got back from Europe on Saturday. Time of my life...
Get any good photos?
In a month I was supposed to do this:
I've decided to not bother given the uncertainty and Covid-19 impact on work.
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@antipodean said in The TSF Travel Tips Thread:
@mariner4life said in The TSF Travel Tips Thread:
I got back from Europe on Saturday. Time of my life...
Get any good photos?
In a month I was supposed to do this:
I've decided to not bother given the uncertainty and Covid-19 impact on work.
We had to race a minivan across Aussie because it was transported in a herc to WA but when were supposed to come back, the herc was diverted so we had to drive the van back, essentially non stop. 6 pax all taking turns driving!! Did not take 85 hours
EDIT: Although it was Perth to Sydney without the add-ons you have in that map