For our final stop of this seven week journey on the north island we spent 4 days in the picturesque coastal village of Ngunguru, tucked away on the Tutukaka Coast, about 3 hours north of Auckland. It’s a place known for dramatic headlands and pristine beaches. We had great weather and enjoyed many bush walks and beach walks during our stay.
The Tutukaka Lighthouse Walkway begins with a scenic climb to the top of a cliff followed by 177 steps (yes, Blair counted every single one) down to a rocky gap over to Kukutauwhao Island where the lighthouse is located. We reached the gap just as the tide was rushing in, making the crossing to the island possible, but a return trip impossible until the next low tide. But with spectacular views along the trail we were not disappointed that we could not cross to the island.
Wellingtons Bay Beach, also known by its Māori name Whangaumu Bay, is a picturesque and family-friendly beach located on the Tutukaka Coast. It’s a favorite spot with calm, sheltered waters and a relaxed atmosphere compared to some of the more famous nearby surf beaches. At low tide it is possible to walk around the coast from Ngunguru to reach here.
Matapouri Beach is one of the most iconic coastal spots on the Tutukaka Coast, renowned for its stunning horseshoe shape, crystal-clear waters and brilliant white sand. At the north end of the beach is the starting point for the popular Whale Bay Headland walking track with elevated views of the coastline. The entire track is 2km long from the beach to Whale Bay but the last half is through forests with no views so we walked only as far as the viewpoint. The distance to the viewpoint was just over 1km but it was mostly uphill including more than 180 stairs! Ahhh, but the views were worth it 😊 After hiking the headland track we returned to Matapouri Beach for a beautiful walk along the flat beach.
Whangarei Falls loop is a short 1km loop around the waterfall, with yes, more stairs. The falls are 26-meters high and with all the recent rains the volume of waterflow was impressive. This scenic short loop features 2 viewing platforms a the top of the falls, a lower bridge viewpoint and shoreline access around the base of the falls. There is a metal grate bridge crossing the river just before the falls that was interesting to cross with no handrails. Anything more substantial would get washed away during a flood. As we were hiking the zig-zagging path up the cliffs on the other side of the river we both commented that nothing is flat around this part of New Zealand 😂 Well, except the beaches of course.
With near perfect weather, we have thoroughly enjoyed our final few days in New Zealand. I think we are in agreement that coming back for another long visit is in our future. We love the outdoor lifestyle and with extensive coastline there is much to see, plus if we want a city break, Auckland is a perfect choice. We did not visit the south island this time but we would love to return and hike the Abel Tasman trail again, and Christchurch is another great place for a city break.
We are sad to be leaving New Zealand, we love it here, however its time to explore the east coast of Australia. We were ‘stranded’ there, by choice, for 3 months at the start of covid shutdowns and our travels were restricted. This time we plan to venture much further north than we did in 2020.
First stop before heading north, the capital of Australia, Canberra…..