New Zealand has so much to offer!

We travelled the country for a year and compiled a list of the places we deem unforgettable, truly unique. Places you’d be blessed to be.

In this post, we’re covering our top nine spots in the North Island.

1. Cape Reinga, Te Paki Sand Dunes & 90 Mile Beach

Cape Reinga is a well-known destination and is commonly visited by those wanting to access the far northern coastal beauty and the meeting of Pacific and Tasman ocean currents on offer here.

It’s actually not the most northern point of mainland New Zealand!

North Cape’s Surville Cliffs (30km more driving) are 3kms further north, but Cape Reinga is easily the most accessible, with sealed roads all the way there. 

As if the breathtaking glory of Cape Reinga and Ninety Mile Beach wasn’t enough, right at the northern end, near the Te Paki Stream, are some seriously steep and fun to board down sand dunes.

And as they are just a short drive off the main road north to Cape Rēinga, they are a small detour that delivers a big reward.

You’ll need a board for the adrenaline-pumping ride down, and you can rent one there for about $10 or take your own along.

In the busy season, you might want to pre-book, and you’ll need ID as security if you’re hiring boards there. 

Parking is limited and we’d recommend you fill up on snacks, water, and sunscreen before heading out as it is a totally awesome experience but requires some walking up dunes – up 2 steps, down 1, is the recipe for the day.

Our recommendations are to go early in the day and get your duning done by 11am as the sand can get really hot into the afternoon.

If you can’t fit your visit in by then, take shoes up the dunes – totally worth the choice, saving you burnt soles.

Getting to the top – look for the most worn paths in the sand and follow those routes up.

Coming down, wear sunnies or keep your eyes slightly closed to keep out the sand.

It’s fast and furious and you might even want a Go Pro to catch the sand surfing action! 

Mosquitoes come out in FORCE at night up near Te Paki. Our motor home was invaded by hundreds overnight.

Drive further south and inland to avoid these bloodthirsty critters, but if you’re camping in the far north in the summer months, be ready – shut your tent up early, wear long sleeves & trousers, and have a ton of repellent or bug spray handy.

2. Russell

We love Russell’s old-town feel. It feels colonial, safe and has a ton of charm with waterfront hotels, shops and cafes, piers to boat, fish or jump from, beaches and history galore.

Russell is a significant place in terms of New Zealand history – being our very first seaport, the first European settlement and New Zealand’s first capital was in nearby Okiato.

There are some significant historic places in Russell.

Pompallier Mission

Built in 1842 to house the Catholic mission’s printing press, this rammed-earth building is the mission’s last remaining building in the western Pacific, and NZ’s oldest industrial building. 

Christ Church

English naturalist Charles Darwin made a donation towards the cost of building this, the country’s oldest surviving church (1836). 

There’s an interesting cemetery to wander through and bullet holes to find in the church’s outer walls from bye-gone skirmishes.

Flagstaff Hill

Overlooking Russell is the hill where Hōne Heke chopped down the British flagpole four times. You can drive up, but the epic view over Russell and the harbour rewards the 2.5km Flagstaff Hill Track, which starts along the water’s edge in town. 

Russell Museum

This small museum has a Māori section, a 1:5 scale model of Captain Cook’s Endeavour, a short video outlining the town’s history, interactive maps and the biggest Packhorse crayfish I’ve ever seen.

You can drive into Russell or catch the Opua vehicle ferry for around $15, saving you travel time.

Things to do near Russell.

3. Bay of Islands & Kerikeri

This area is stunning, especially on bright, summer days when the blue sea, dotted with islands, stretches out to the horizon, glistening. 

If fishing’s your thing, there’s no shortage of opportunities to get on a charter in the Bay of Islands waters.

There are also glass-bottomed boats, Hole In The Rock dolphin cruises, sailing, kayaking, diving, bike hire, and even Thunder Trike tours.

KeriKeri’s Stone Store

This is the oldest surviving stone building in New Zealand. Stone was used to protect wheat from rats, for defence against Māori, and to reduce the risk of fire.

It’s had a colourful history of use ranging from mission station, food store to boys’ school, kauri gum trading post to the library, and is now a tourist attraction.

A shop, cafe, and museum make this a great way to pass the time – wandering the open grounds and adjacent Mission House.

I found the wooden framework and descriptions of trading with Maori in the Stone Store interesting. Next door in the Mission House were displays of artifacts from early European life in NZ.

Our young sons enjoyed finding the painted rocks around the gardens, re-hiding them, and playing in the nearby river. 

Free entry to the Stone Store and Mission House on Waitangi Day, 6 February every year.

Check out other things to do in the Bay of Islands here.

4. Waitangi

Waitangi provides a great insight into the cultural history in New Zealand.

At the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, you’ll see historic buildings where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed and a beautiful marae.

Pathways wind through the bush and there are gardens to explore plus a museum wing full of historic writings and artifacts.

Near the entrance, master carvers are often at work and happy to chat with you about their craft.

Adult entry is circa $50, NZ residents $25 with ID, and kids under 18 go free.

You’ll need at least 3 hours here I’d say but passes are valid for two days and include a guided tour plus the half-hour Maori performance which is worthwhile.

5. Otamure

One of our favourite camping spots in New Zealand is Otamure Bay in the Whananaki area of Northland, about 30kms out of Whangarei.

It’s a DOC run site set right on the coast, lined with beaches and pohutukawa. It has 130 non-powered/ tent sites and bookings are required in the summer as it fills up quickly, sometimes months in advance.

No fires or dogs allowed and signal is hard to come by here but we discovered one spot – walk along the beach to the right and near the large carved wooden chair you can usually find it.

There’s plenty to do here without devices such as fishing, snorkelling, rock jumping, paddling and walking.

We spent a week at Otamure over the summer enjoying all it has to offer and we’ll head back again no doubt to enjoy the pure nature on offer there.

6. The Coromandel

If you’re looking for idyllic beach life with sightseeing variety, a road trip out here could take care of a few weeks! There are 100s of islands and 400km of coastline here.

The Coromandel and the roads to it are full of natural and man-made activities. Here are our top spots to stop and soak.

Thermal delights	The Lost Spring  Hot Water Beach	Other attractions	The Waterworks New Chum Beach Whiritoa Beach Shakespeare Cliff
Snorkelling & Fishing	Cathedral Cove Fishing Locations	Ferry to Auckland across Hauraki Gulf Marine Park	360 Discovery Cruises
Walks	Cathedral CoveThe Pinnacles Mt Paku  Windows Walk	Food	Homegrown Food Trail
Bike	Hauraki Rail Trail Karangahake Gorge	Birding	Shorebird Coast
Train	Driving Creek Railway Waihi Rail	Art & Craft	Studios and shops Tara’s Bead shop Coromandel
History	Coromandel Town Karangahake Gorge School of Mines Thames Paeroa	Cars & Drives	Whangamata Beach Hop Thames Coast Road

7. Mt Maunganui & Main Beach

Mount Mauganui to climb with 360 degree views of the Bay of Plenty and NZ’s best beach to laze on, what more do you need?

Swimming, surfing, cafes or a visit to the Gourmet Night Market or go big game fishing, on a dolphin tour, blokarting or just chill on the beach.

8. Hamilton Gardens

Hamilton Gardens is one of our best garden stop spots.

Free and open every day from 7.30am, it’s packed full of garden choices – from Indian, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, herb, surrealist, and contemporary to rose and childrens’ spaces.

You can spend hours here wandering the pathways around this huge plot. Bring a picnic. Stay a while.

If you have kids who would love a water playground or fancy a lake walk, visit nearby Hamilton Lake Domain & Playground.

9. Rotorua

This is a thermal wonderland area of New Zealand with geysers, hot pools, spas, forests, lakes and exciting adventure tourism options all near each other.

Located in the North Island about halfway between Wellington and Kaitaia, you can pass through Rotorua on your way to Tauranga, Taupo or Hamilton. 

It’s well known for mountain biking, Maori culture and sporting events like Crankworx, The Walking Festival and Rotorua Lakeside Concert.

Read this post for more great ideas on what to see and do in Rotorua.

New Zealand is beautiful and there are a lot of other magnificent spots to be found.

I hope you’ll get to see a few of our faves plus some of your own along the way. 

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Thanks!

Meagan