Karikari Peninsula

Swimming, sea fishing, surf casting, scuba diving, snorkelling, golf, sailing, boating, sea kayaking, dolphin watching, surfing, shellfish, Cape Reinga

Karikari Peninsula accommodation

•  Sorry we have no accommodation available in Karikari Peninsula at present.

 
Karikari Peninsula Population: 1,000
Region: Far North

The far north of New Zealand enjoys a sub-tropical climate and hundreds of kilometres of arguably the best beaches in the country.  The undeveloped coastline is a playground for boaties, fishermen, beach lovers and those who wish to enjoy the quiet life.  A typical kiwi summer holiday includes swimming at a pohutukawa fringed beach, catching fish for dinner, diving for crayfish, beach cricket, shellfish gathering at low tide and a barbecue and bonfire on the beach in the evening.  And a favourite place to do this is in the great sweep of Doubtless Bay on the Pacific Ocean.  The Karikari Peninsula juts out into the bay and is home to many of the best beaches.  Explore and enjoy this natural landscape, then fuel up at the most famous fish and chip shop in the country at Mangonui. 

History and Culture

 In Maori legend, the entire North Island is a giant fish, caught by the fishhook of Maui and his brothers from their canoe which was the South Island.  Stewart Island is the anchor stone for the craft.  The far north of the North Island has great spiritual significance for the Maori people.  They believe that the spirits of the departed travel to the tip of the island, Cape Reinga and leap from the northern most pohutukawa tree into the underworld.  Today many iwi (Maori tribes) trace their ancestry back to the legendary explorer, Kupe, who voyaged deep into the Southern Ocean.  Northland iwi claim the first landfall of Kupe’s waka (canoe) was on the shores of the Hokianga Harbour.  And so it is held that Northland gave birth to what is New Zealand today.

 

Sightseeing

• Cape Reinga day trip, self drive or take a guided tour along the sands with Fullers
• Golf at Carrington Resort’s tournament quality course
• Ninety Mile Beach 30 minutes drive away
• Wine tasting at Karikari Estate Winery
• Game fishing from Mangonui 30 minutes drive away
• Great swimming beaches Whatuwhiwhi, Tokerau, Taipa, Cable Bay & Coopers Beach 10-30 minutes drive away

"Maitai Bay, Karikari Penninsula"

 

Drive Times

Auckland – Karikari Peninsula 5 hours via SH1; 6.5 hours via Waipoua Forest

 Tip: Follow the Twin Coast Discovery Highway.  From Auckland, follow the East Coast route on the northbound trip, via Whangarei and Kerikeri (State Highways 1 and 10) and return by the West Coast via Kaitaia, Opononi and Dargaville (State Highways 1, 12 and 16) to enjoy the huge Kauri trees in the Waipoua Forest and the Hokianga Harbour.

 

For more information about The Far North and the region, click through to our Discover New Zealand Northland Region section