After the bustle of Paihia, we headed west to the Hokianga.  The pace of life felt slower here and we could certainly tell that we were now off the beaten tourist path.  In Rawene, a friendly local historian gave us shelter from a rain storm and told us a little about the problems the Hokianga currently faces in terms of attracting jobs and keeping people in the area.  It’s a shame that such a beautiful region feels relatively unloved by the tourists compared to the East Coast, and we found his statistics of second- and third-generation unemployment quite shocking.  However, the kauri-logging industry was once the primary source of income in the Hokianga, and I certainly wouldn’t want them to be starting that up again!

One of the few major tourist attractions in the area is the majestic Tane Mahuta in Waipoua Forest, and I’d recommend it not just for the kauri itself, but also the entertainment value derived from people’s reactions – particularly those who walked in looking the wrong way, and commented that the kauri didn’t seem that big!

We wanted to see more of the forest, so took the time to do another of the walks that was a little more demanding than the two-minute boardwalk to Tane Mahuta.  The track to the Yakas, seventh-largest kauri in NZ, took us much deeper into the bush and we had it to ourselves, definitely a treat!

My previous impressions of Kai Iwi Lakes had been centred around its reputation as a water-sports playground, but I can’t remember visiting previously, and I’m sure I would have remembered the beauty of the main Lake, Taharoa.  The cool, crystal clear waters were the perfect way to revive our tired feet, and given it was dinner time for the campers there was minimal boat noise, making it the perfect time to appreciate the area.

Our final stop on our Northland tour was Baylys Beach, where I can’t go past the Funky Fish Cafe – always delicious!

Our Northland tour gave me a renewed appreciation for our beautiful country, and we had a blast checking out all the different attractions – it was the perfect Easter escape!