Our route to the “winter-less north” takes us past the Westhaven Marina and over the Auckland Harbour Bridge, with it’s commanding views over the city and the Waitamata Harbour. Highway 1 north continues beside native and man-made forest, hilly terrain with great views of rolling country side and sea vistas.

On through various small settlements, before turning west at the foot of the Brynderwyn Hills to Matakohe, stopping at the world class Kauri Museum, which tells the history of the early pioneer settlers and how they worked the giant Kauri trees and harvested it’s gum. The museum has the world’s largest gum collection and fine examples of Kauri furniture. A model 1900’s boarding house, a working mock-up steam saw mill and many more exhibits. Our morning tea break is taken here. The drive on continues to intrigue as we cross low lying flat land past Mt Tokatoka, a core or plug of a volcano to Ruawai, the Kumara capital of New Zealand and beside the Northern Wairoa River to Dargaville. Onto the Waipoua Forest, covering over 80 sq kms and home to the largest Kauri trees in existence. At 13.77m girth and 51m tall, Tane Mahuta is the largest and only a three minute walk in. Further on is the Hokianga Harbour. The vista from Pakia Hill over the heads and across to the giant sand dunes is awesome. We stop below at Omapere for lunch, which includes fish & chips and salad.

Continuing east through small villages, farmland and Maori Marae’s to the Waimate Mission Station. New Zealand’s second oldest building 1832, preserving missionary farming and architectural history, as well as stories of important encounters between Maori and European.

We then head onto Paihia, stopping first at the Haruru Falls before arriving at the Bay of Island’s and your accommodation for the next two nights.