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Things To Do In Far North

The northern most tip of New Zealand features many stunning attractions with the famous 90 Mile Beach, the legendary Cape Reinga - where the Pacific Ocean meets the Tasman Sea and is home to a giant swamp of Kauri trees thousands of years old. The whole region is lined with beautiful unspoiled white sandy beaches perfect to swim, snorkel and gat... Show More

Tourist Information About Far North

Top Attractions

Cape Reinga & Ninety Mile Beach

Cape Reinga & Nin...

Journey to the very tip of the North Island and uncover a region of rich Māori ......

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Tourist Information About Far North

The northern most tip of New Zealand features many stunning attractions with the famous 90 Mile Beach, the legendary Cape Reinga - where the Pacific Ocean meets the Tasman Sea and is home to a giant swamp of Kauri trees thousands of years old. The whole region is lined with beautiful unspoiled white sandy beaches perfect to swim, snorkel and gather shellfish. Being so unspoilt, the Far North has some of the best fishing and diving waters in the world. Guided tours depart from Paihia (Bay of Islands) and Kaitaia in the Far North daily and travel the popular 90 Mile Beach as well as the road north bringing the fascinating gumdigging, Maori and early European history to life. Beach activities range from surfing, surfcasting and swimming to bodyboarding down the sand dunes. Other points of interest are the views down to Cape Maria Van Diemen and the beautiful beach at stunning Tapotupotu Bay, a sandy beach that is nestled on the eastern side of Cape Reinga. For the tramper there are numerous walks from short or multi day walks staying at Department of Conservation camp sites.


Best attractions and things to do in the Far North



Experience 90 Mile Beach

1. Experience 90 Mile Beach

90 mile beach is a stunning attraction in the area regarded by many to be one of the best surfcasting beaches in the world. One of the best things to do is a bus tour, which will take you along the beach at low tide and drive you up the infamous quicksand stream where you can have fun sand boarding at the Giant Sand Dunes of Te Paki. Driving on the beach can be treacherous and has claimed many unfortunate vehicles in its unforgiving sands so a bus trip tour is ideal here. Ninety Mile Beach is on the western coast of the far north of the North Island of New Zealand. The beach is actually 88 kilometers long.

 
Sand Boarding

2. Sand Boarding

Sandboarding the Te Paki sand dunes is definitely a bucket list activity! Surfing down giant sand dunes towering well over 150 meters high in some parts is a highlight of any trip to the Far North. Remember to wear bare feet for your walk up the dune and also so you can dig your feet in as brakes on the way down, remove your jewelry, lie down on your board, keeping your elbows tucked in and slide straight on down the dune for a thrill seeking, adrenaline pumping rush! The Te Paki sand dunes don’t just attract the thrillseekers anxious to sand board. They are also a remarkable sight.

 
Visit Cape Reinga

3. Visit Cape Reinga

Te Rerenga Wairua (Cape Reinga), is an absolute must-do attraction in New Zealand. Uncover the wild beauty and rugged views of this vast and untouched region with amazing panoramic views where the clashing Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean meet. The main activity is to do the Cape lighthouse walk with the Iconic WWII Lighthouse, one of the most visited and photographed lighthouses in New Zealand. Cape Reinga is rich in Maori culture and legend. It is a sacred site for the Maori people who believe that at Cape Reinga, “the place of the leaping”, the spirits of the departed leap from an 800-year-old pohutukawa tree on the windswept cape to begin the voyage back to their final resting place in the ancestral homeland of Hawaiki. Take one of the most wanted photos at the international sign post. The 90 mile beach / Cape Reinga bus tours leave from Kaitaia and Paihia.

 
Rarawa Beach

4. Rarawa Beach

Visiting Rarawa Beach with its incredible squeaky white silicone sand is a great thing to do if you are self-driving up to Cape Reinga. It is a very isolated and unspoilt, completely white beach with perfectly crystal clear turquoise blue tropical looking water!

 
Ahipara

5. Ahipara

An excellent thing to do up here right near the main town of Kaitaia is to go to Ahipara and Shipwreck Bay. Well known for excellent surfing with big, long rides. Here you can enjoy many activities such as horse riding up the beach, sand surfing, 4WD treks, quad bike riding, blokarting, fishing from the beach, surfing and diving.

 
Visit ancient Kauri Trees

6. Visit ancient Kauri Trees

Visit a giant swamp of Kauri trees thousands of years old! Gumdiggers Park is an historic type activity showcasing an ancient buried Kauri forest and is situated just 20 minutes north of Kaitaia en route to Cape Reinga and 90 Mile Beach. You can touch and feel a giant tree that is more than 100,000 years old and step back in time and learn the history of Kauri Gum in this replica village.

 
Karikari Peninsula

7. Karikari Peninsula

Karikari Peninsula is filled with beautiful beaches. A major attraction particularly in the summer is the stunning beach of Matai Bay at the end of the Karikari Peninsula. Activities and things to do here are the award winning Karikari Estate Winery and the well-known Carrington Golf course and restaurant.