With slower road access from Auckland than the Bay of Islands, the Hokianga Harbour is relatively undeveloped and provides a real insight into Northland Maori life.

Sandboarding down the huge sand dunes at the mouth of the harbour is fun—but put away any ideas of surfing or swimming in the treacherous waters here. The kauri forests around the Hokianga were once logged extensively, but are now protected: in the Waipoua Forest, don’t miss Tane Mahuta, God of the Forest, believed to be between 1000 and 2000 years old. Trounson Kauri Park is just south of Waipoua.