Northland Travel Guide
Northland accommodation, Northland activities and attractions, Northland maps, transportation to and around Northland - the ALL NEW Jasons Northland Destination Travel Guide is your complete visitor guide for Northland.
North of
Auckland lies the scenic finger of land known as Northland. Northland's stunning coastline and scenery have made it a favourite with holiday makers, who come to enjoy the coastal areas which stretch from just outside the northern
Auckland Region, up the east coast to the
Top of the North and Cape Reinga, and back down the west coast through the
Kauri Coast,
Hokianga Harbour and the
Kaipara Harbour.
Giant kauri forests, stunning coastline, top diving spots and history are the key features of Northland. Some of the world's biggest kauri trees, as well as a host of other botanic and wildlife treasures, grow in Northland's rainforests. Northland's coastline embraces a blend of golden beaches, towering sand dunes, rocky bays, headlands, harbours and estuaries. These provide habitats for a huge diversity of marine and birdlife, together with great opportunities for outdoor encounters. Harbours such as Kaipara, Hokianga and Parengarenga penetrate inland into mazes of waterways and mangrove forests rich in fish and birdlife.
Northland's scenic gems include the
Bay of Islands Maritime Park and the
Tutukaka Coast, world-renown for deep sea fishing and diving, and for swimming with the dolphins.
Whangarei is the region's largest city, while
Kaitaia makes a great base for exploring the Far North, where
Cape Reinga's solitary lighthouse watches over the meeting of the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean. On the West Coast, the vast sands of Ninety Mile Beach and with the spectacular sand dunes of Hokianga Harbour are popular drawcards.
On Northland's east coast whales, dolphins, fish and thousands of seabirds thrive in the variable marine habitats of the Bay of Islands. Further south, the Poor Knights Islands are a world-renowned diving spot and, along with other nearby
island reserves, are refuges to rare native species such as tuatara, little spotted kiwi, saddleback, giant weta and the Poor Knights lily.
Northland is also known as the 'Birthplace of the Nation'. The Bay of Islands were the first area of significant contact between Maori and European people and the nation's founding document, the Treaty of Waitangi, was signed here in 1840. Historic reserves, museums, restored buildings and cultural performances reflect this colourful and at times turbulent history.
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Geographic Location
Northernmost finger of the North Island, stretching from Greater Auckland to Cape Reinga
Population
140,000
Climate
Summer average
17 - 24°C
Winter average
11 - 17°C