UPDATED FEB 2020. While you are on your New Zealand road trip, you can’t overlook the Northland region. In today’s post, I’m sharing a collection of tips and tips and recommendations on how to spend a weekend in Whangarei which is a great place to base yourself from. As always, I hope it can help take some of the stress out of travel planning for you.
How To Spend A Weekend In Whangarei On Your New Zealand Trip
Disclaimer
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Where to stay
I stayed at the Lupton Lodge which was one of my favorite accommodation spots on the whole trip – you know I love unique, boutique-style accommodations.
At this lodge, you get to stay in a historic building on a farm about 10 minutes outside of town.
The rooms were spacious, very comfortable, and had a rustic luxuriousness to them.
A delicious, freshly made breakfast was included with the room and they also offered dinner meals as well, though I didn’t try any of those.
The property also had a couple of common areas including one with a pool table, DVDs and books which you could borrow to watch in your room, and a pool.
What to see and do
I visited Whangarei over Easter weekend so many attractions were closed.
In any event, I was visiting to catch up with my beautiful aunty as the priority. As a result, this is a more ‘in a nutshell’ type guide with one day for a day trip and one day to explore around town.
If you would like any more advice than what is in this post, I definitely recommend asking the team at the lodge because they had a folder full of recommendations in the room and they were also always quick to offer help and advice.
If you end up staying somewhere else, I recommend visiting the Whangarei tourism website for more ideas.
Hundertwasser public toilets
I bet you’d never thought that you’d see public toilets listed as an attraction, but stay with me. These are public toilets that are worth seeing.
They were decorated by an Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser. His colorful work is made from things like tiles and recycled bottles and makes for probably the most interesting looking toilet building you’ll ever relieve yourself at.
There’s even a tree growing in the middle of it.
It’s worth heading out here to see the unique art and snap a pic, and, if you need to pee then you can kill two birds with one stone while you’re there.
You can combine this with a trip to the Paihia and Waitangi Treaty Grounds because it’s a quick stop.
Take a day trip to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds
The cultural and historical significance of this site makes it one of the most important places to visit during your road trip.
It’s about an hour’s drive away from Whangarei.
Here you will learn about Maori culture with exhibits around wood carving and even a show where you can see a welcoming ceremony and a haka.
Additionally, and more importantly, you will learn about the history of the relationship between New Zealanders and Europeans and the significance of the Waitangi Treaty in bringing them together.
The admission costs just over $30USD.
Visit Paihia
The Bay of Islands is a beautiful area to visit while you are out exploring on your day trip.
We went to Paihia and did a quick stop here to walk around, take some pictures, and get a coffee, before moving on to the Treaty Ground.
However, you could make this a longer stop and even a full day if you want to go to the beach, take a Parasailing or helicopter tour, or visit the sights like where the first cricket game was played in New Zealand.
There are lots of cafes, restaurants, and stores here as well.
While you are there you could also stop at Rainbow Falls and Haruru Falls.
Hit the beach
Alternatively, if the weather is warm, you could use the day trip for a beach day.
Explore the Tutukaka Coast and stop at beaches like Matapouri Bay, Whananaki South Beach, or Whale Bay. You could even go further south to Ocean Beach.
No matter which you choose, you’re in a good area to find beaches in a reasonable driving distance which makes it easy to head out for a day trip to experience them.
Things to do around town
Visit the Whangarei Falls
The Whangarei Falls are certainly a must-see while you are visiting.
You could take a picnic to make a longer outing of it, or simply see the falls from the viewing platform and be on the road again.
There are viewing areas just a short walk from the parking area at the top or if you plan to stretch your legs a little you can take the loop trail down to the bottom.
No matter which you choose, it’s a nice spot to enjoy some nature that is not too far out of town.
Explore the lodge
At the lodge I recommended staying at above, they have a farm you can walk through and I definitely recommend spending an hour walking through the orchard to check out the fruit and nut trees.
You can even try the produce fresh from the trees – I tried some Feijoas and they were so yum!
You can also walk the path to see the animals.
I did this to visit the cows, sheep, and chickens which was pretty fun. Like I said, you won’t need a lot of time to do this but it’s something fun to do.
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Check out the award-winning Opening Bridge
You just have to stop by Whangarei’s famous Te Matau a Pohebridge.
The impressive bridge can be raised to allow boats a passageway through and it has won international awards for design and engineering.
Walk the Hatea Loop
Walking along the Hatea Loop walkway is a good way to explore the town basin.
It is a 4.2km walkway where you can stop to see the 16 art sculptures of the Sculpture Trail along the way.
You can do the walk with stops as you go to cafes, art and craft galleries, the art museum, and whatever else you see.
See a Kiwi at the Kiwi North museum
If you’d like to see a cute Kiwi, head to the Kiwi North museum.
They have a nocturnal house where you can see one of the endangered birds.
While you are there, you can walk around the Heritage Park and learn about the natural history of the area in the other exhibits.
The entrance costs about $14USD.
Where to eat
I definitely recommend starting your day with breakfast at the lodge I recommended staying at.
The fresh spread of food will definitely have you fueled up for the day of adventures ahead, and it tastes delicious. You really can’t beat farm-fresh food.
My other big recommendation for your stay is to eat at Stumpys Fish and Chips.
You can get it takeaway and eat it outdoors somewhere scenic, or eat at their shop, but they have different types of fish as well as lots of sides to choose from to get your fish and chip fix.
In the food department, I don’t have as many suggestions compared to my other New Zealand road trip posts. You’ll have to do your own looking because I don’t think you can go to my aunty’s for a roast lamb like I did.
Other guides to help you plan your trip to New Zealand
How To Spend A Weekend In Gisborne On Your New Zealand Road Trip
How To Spend A Weekend In Rotorua On Your New Zealand Road Trip
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Loved the way you explained. Now, I want to explore New zealand. Every tip you gave is important, thanks for sharing this blog.
Thanks for reading!