For the Explorers

The village has a selection of cafes, bars, craft shops and art galleries (including our own gallery), a market, and a small working wharf all within an easy walk along the beautiful harbourside boardwalk. Continue your stroll through peaceful Mill Bay, past the village’s boat launch and the cruising club. 

Discover the historic Mangonui village with a leisurely walk on the Heritage Trail which takes you through historic sites and buildings, from the Old Oak (Stop number 13) throughout the village. Trail guides are available at reception. 

If you love to stroll on the beach, there are miles of unspoilt beaches in the area. Take a picnic and a book and go for a long walk on nearby Cooper’s Beach, or drive to the unbelievably long sandy beaches of the Karikari Peninsula where you can walk the shores of Doubtless Bay and the Pacific Ocean in one afternoon.

A must-do for any visitor is a day trip to Cape Reinga - Te Rerenga Wairua, New Zealand’s northernmost point, where you can watch the Tasman Sea meet the Pacific Ocean. Māori oral histories tell of the spirits of the deceased leaping from the old pohutukawa tree at the Cape into the ocean, returning to their ancestral homeland of Hawaiki. An interpretive trail guides you to the lighthouse and back.

On your drive up the Cape, enjoy coastal walks on some of the least crowded beaches in New Zealand. Be sure to stop at the enormous Te Paki sand dunes. If you are feeling brave, rent a surfboard and go sand surfing!

This trip will take the better part of a day, with time to stop and explore the sights. We recommend packing a lunch as there are few shops on the Cape. Don’t want to drive? Book a day tour and leave the driving to someone else. Arrangements can be made for pickup from The Old Oak Hotel – enquire with your hosts.

This is a wide, gently sloping beach on Doubtless Bay flanked by enormous pohutukawa trees. A popular place to spend the day swimming and lounging on the beach on a warm day, but never crowded. In all seasons this is a beautiful walking beach. A connecting track leads up to the summit of Rangikapiti Pa, where the views are absolutely stunning. On a warm clear day you might spot a whale!

Historic Cable Bay, also on the shores of Doubtless Bay, is where the trans-Pacific cable telegraph station was located in the early 1900s. Today, it is home to a popular café and ice cream shop, a sandy beachfront, and a small tidal pool perfect for swimmers of any ability.

A ten minute drive west is Taipa Point, which features a sandy beach facing Doubtless Bay and a variety of picnic areas. Walk around the point at low tide and check out the wide Taipa River flats and the popular boat launch. Nearby there is a small commercial area with shops, a petrol station, a pub, and a hotel with a restaurant.

Hihi is a small peninsula across the harbour from Mangonui, a short drive away and home to a small community and the Butler Point Whaling Museum. The museum and Captain Butler’s old house provide a fascinating look back in time to when Mangonui was a thriving port for the whaling industry. Stroll the grounds, take a picnic lunch, and have a magnificent time. Bookings are essential and can be done so here.

Photo: Captain William Butler’s 1840s House, courtesy of Butler Point Whaling Museum.

Not to be missed, Karikari has some wonderful gems that are off the well-travelled tourist track. Tokerau Beach is an 18 km expanse of wide sandy beach on the western shore of Doubtless Bay, backed by dunes that are crisscrossed with walking tracks. Near the end of the road is Matai Bay, one of the most stunning beaches in Northland, and a favorite snorkeling spot. Matai Bay is accessible from the adjacent Department of Conservation campground. And the northern beaches of Puheke / Karikari go for miles and miles along an ocean front that you might find all to yourselves.

Make it a day trip with lunch at the Carrington Estate winery and café, where you can also play a round of golf on their world-class course, or stop and get fish and chips in Whatuwhiwhi. Other sights include a visit to the Coca Cola Lake / Lake Rotopokaka, coloured brown by peat, a walk through the Ohia Lake Gumholes left by the sturdy men and women who dug for nuggets of kauri resin all over the Far North at turn of the 20th century.

Stunning sunsets and long walks on the southern end of 90 Mile Beach await you at Ahipara. Shipwreck Bay here is a world famous left-hand surf break, and the beach is also a popular surfcasting and shellfish gathering spot. For a unique romantic experience, take a guided sunset horse trek on the beach!

[Image: Gadfium, Wikimedia Commons]

A winding 20 minute drive from Mangonui is the lovely beach at Taupo Bay. This bay has a surf break, and the picnic area and wide sandy beachfront are flanked by picturesque high ridges to either side. The small community includes many holiday homes. Bring snacks or a picnic, as there are no shops, and spend an enjoyable day watching the clouds roll by.

Less than an hour away is the busy Bay of Islands, one of the most popular destinations in New Zealand known for its beauty, history, and many attractions. Helicopter tours, bay cruises on a historic tall ship, nature adventures to the predator-free islands filled with native birds, strolls around the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, the historical village of Russell, and the Stone Store in Kerikeri… so many interesting adventures!

Return in the evenings for a peaceful night’s sleep at the Old Oak - your base of operations for touring the Far North.

The Old Oak hotel has great access to the best of the courses in the Far North. Go golfing from the hotel in every direction for a great long weekend! 

• Whangaroa Golf Club (15 minute drive)
• Carrington Resort Golf Course (20 minute drive)
• 90 Mile Beach Golf Links (Ahipara, 45 minute drive)
• Kauri Cliffs (Matauri Bay, 45 minute drive)
• Bay of Islands Golf Club (Kerikeri, 50 minute drive)

[Image: Kauri Cliffs, courtesy of Tourism NZ]