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Rich in history and culture, Northland’s sub-tropical coastline features kilometres
of golden beaches, giant sand dunes, tranquil harbours, a myriad of islands and
large tracts of ancient kauri forest to explore. The birthplace of the nation, it
was the landing place of the great Maori adventurer Kupe, the seat of NZ’s first
government, and where NZ’s founding document, the Treaty of Waitangi, was signed
in 1840. The three-day journey, with the optional one-day excursion to Cape Reinga,
begins in Auckland. We travel the Twin Coast Highway to Paihia, take part in a traditional
Maori ceremony, savour Kerikeri’s gastronomic delights, take a cruise through the
Bay of Islands, explore historical Russell, collect mussels from rocks in Mitimiti,
and walk amongst giant kauri trees in the Waipoua Forest.
day two: paihia, kerikeri and russell
Key
- Destinations
- Apex Locations
The soft early morning light brings showers. Water activities are off the agenda,
but there are numerous other options. The vibrant township of Kerikeri seems inviting,
so after a continental breakfast, we set off.
Half an hour later, rows of orange trees and mandarin groves hemmed with poplar
indicate our arrival in this town, a haven for the gourmet traveller. From locally
produced wine, olives and avocados, to cheese, ice cream and chocolate, there’s
something here to tempt everyone’s taste buds.
Makana Confections is our fi rst port of call and here we sample irresistible chocolatedipped
apricots and tantalisingly fresh citrus jellies – they taste as though they’ve just
been picked from a tree! Bob leaves with a box of macadamia butter toffee crunch
tucked under his arm, and we tour the workshops of talented artisans who craft a
range of house-wares including kauri furniture, ceramics and even kaleidoscopes...
To read the full story
Please click the link to download the full
auckland to bay of islands scenic drive, courtesy of apex car rentals
new zealand... the kiwi way
to read more extracts from our driving holiday's guidebook please click on any of
the following links:
north island scenic drives
south island scenic drives
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