10 Top Spots to Visit in NZ’s North Island In Summer

New Zealand has so much to offer. You might be wondering about our country’s most fabulous spots. We travelled the country for a year and compiled this list of places we deem unforgettable, and truly unique.

We think you’d agree that those listed here are 10 top spots to visit in New Zealand in summer. Places you’d be blessed to be.

We’ve listed our best spots north to south so you can pick any of them up, whichever way you’re travelling.

New Zealand is beautiful and there are a lot of other top spots and I hope you get to see a few of those too along the way. 

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

Cape Reinga is a well-known destination and 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 3km 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 from $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 sand dunes – up 2 steps, down 1, is the recipe for the day.

Our recommendation is to go early in the day and get your duning done by 11am as the sand can get really hot. If you can’t fit your visit in by then, take shoes up the dunes – totally worth the choice, saving you burnt soles.

Another tip is to look for the most worn paths in the sand and follow those routes up.

Coming down, wear sunnies or keep your eyes a bit 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! 

Also good to know is that 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 blood-thirsty 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, coils or bug spray handy.

2. Russell

We love Russell’s old town feel. It feels colonial, and safe and has a ton of charm with waterfront hotels, shops, cafes, piers and boats to 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 really 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 around and 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 is 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 for it in order to protect stored 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 library, and is now a tourist attraction.

A shop, cafe, and museum make this a great way to pass 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 New Zealand.

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

Good to know: There’s 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 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 to you about their craft.

Adult entry is $60, NZ residents $30 with ID, kids under 18 go free. Check here for latest pricing.

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

5. Otamure

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

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

No fires or dogs are allowed and mobile 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 though such as fishing, snorkelling, rock jumping, paddling, and walking.

We spent a week at Otamure over summer enjoying all it has to offer and we’ll head back again 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 for you! 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 Cove The 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 Maunganui to climb with 360-degree views of the Bay of Plenty and NZ’s best beach to laze on, what more could 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 a chill on the beach are all on offer here.

8. Hamilton Gardens

Hamilton Gardens is one of our best garden stop spots.

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

You can spend hours here wandering the pathways around this huge plot. Bring a picnic. Stay awhile in this botanic heaven.

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.

10. Taupo

Lake Taupo is New Zealand’s largest freshwater lake. Roughly located in the middle of the North Island, it’s a supervolcano that was formed after one of Earth’s largest known eruptions.

There’s a thriving waterfront town and access to most services here with tons of top spots to visit while in this area.

Check out Huka Falls, Pureora and Kaimanawa Forest Parks, and The Great Lake Trails if outdoor beauty is calling you. There are also lake cruises, parasailing, fly fishing, geothermal spas or walks, plus other action-packed activities like bungy jumping to choose from.

If it’s self-propelled exercise you want, look up the Great Lake Trails. They provide a biking journey of volcanic discovery around the rim of Lake Taupo and are perfect for all-seasons riding. Consistently rated highly for rider experience, the Great Lake Trails were built by mountain bikers, for mountain bikers and deliver true singletrack heaven for riders. 

New Zealand’s best one-day hike – The Tongariro Alpine Crossing – can be accessed nearby in Tongariro National Park and is worth the time if you have a day for a highly rated 19.4km walk through spectacular crater-like terrain.

I hope you’ve had or you’ll get the chance to see some of the wonders NZ has to offer. Let me know what you think if you get along to any I’ve mentioned. 

I’d love it if you pinned this post by clicking on the ‘pin’ below.

Thanks!

Meagan