Hokianga: The untouched part of New Zealand you need to see – Stuff

A little corner of Northland is home to one of the last frontiers of tourism in New Zealand. It's a place few Kiwis or international visitors ever fully explore. It's wildly beautiful, charmingly rustic and steeped in fascinating history.

I'm talking about the magnificent Hokianga home to one of the largest harbours in New Zealand, yet firmly off the tourist trail for many.

The journey to this magical place begins in spectacular style. If you come from the south, as most visitors do, you first need to weave through the ancient world of the Waipoua Forest, which is home to the mighty Tne Mahuta.

After a magnificent drive through the kauri forest, you reach the golden sands of Hokianga heres what to do when you get there.

READ MORE:* New Zealand's most underrated tiny towns and what to do there* Where to find the secret spots of Northland * World Famous in New Zealand: pononi's Manea Footprints of Kupe Experience

Manea Footprints of Kupe/Supplied

Manea Footprints of Kupe uses a theatrical experience to tell the story of Kupe, with performers including Andee Bristow.

The Hokianga and surrounding region are hugely significant to Ngpuhi the largest iwi in New Zealand.

The Hokianga is said to be where the great navigator Kupe first landed his canoe, and a new $9.6 million cultural centre called Manea Footprints of Kupe brings the story to life.

The experience starts with a pwhiri before visitors experience a 4D theatre which includes live music and dance.

Youll leave with a new appreciation of the Hokiangas place in Aotearoas history, and be armed with knowledge to explore the area.

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Wairere Boulders is a geological gem.

One of the Hokianga's best-kept secrets is a little-known ancient lava valley millions of years in the making.

Wairere Boulders is a forest walkway with 22 bridges that weave through a labyrinth of enormous cracks and boulders.

The Jurassic valley began its formation 2.8 million years ago after a lava flow created a layer of basalt 15-30 metres thick. Over millions of years, the rock has eroded and slowly rolled down into a valley, where thousands of enormous multi-storey boulders now lie. You can explore it all in a series of walks.

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Rwene is one of New Zealands most beautiful tiny towns.

No visit to the Hokianga is complete without a stop in Rwene; this charming little seaside town is brimming with rustic charm colourful buildings even line the waterfront representing its own style of renaissance.

Don't miss lunch at the Boatshed Cafe, which sits out over the water and serves excellent food and coffee.

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Historic Kohukohu Villa is more than 160 years old.

While in Rwene, catch the vehicle ferry to the other side of the harbour and explore the quaint village of Kohukohu.

The village describes itself as being full of "musicians, artists, writers, forward thinkers, environmentalists, conservationists, craftspeople and gardeners". Its the kind of place you immediately relax on arrival; its a village of yesteryear and nobody is in a rush. I loved it.

Make a night of it by staying at the Historic Kohukohu Villa, one of the country's oldest homes.

The house was built sometime between 1840 and 1860 and started life as an office for a vast kauri mill that was once the centre of town.

The house has been meticulously restored by hosts Dee and Sean Morrissey, who will even cook a delicious meal in the evening probably the best food you'll find in all of the Hokianga.

Its one of the best bed and breakfast experiences weve had.

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The hidden side of the Rangi Point sand dunes reveal a remarkable landscape.

One of the Hokianga's most spectacular sites sits across the harbour: its magnificent sand dunes. These are most famous for sandboarding, where you can slide straight off the sand and into the water. But few people realise you can also take one of New Zealand's best short walks, and explore what feels like another planet.

Hokianga Express Charters will take you across the harbour to the dunes, before pointing out where to walk. It's then a 40-minute journey to the top, with incredible views of the harbour along the way.

The effort is worth it; what's revealed at the top is spectacular. You'll see a series of dramatic formations whipped up by the wind over thousands of years, together with sand canyons. You can explore these over a few hours, but be sure to leave only footprints: much of the area is considered sacred.

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Awesome Adventures runs a jet-ski tour.

The Hokianga Harbour is vast it's the fourth-largest in the country and the best way to get an appreciation of it is on a jet-ski safari with Awesome Adventures Hokianga.

Under the watchful eye of Lenny Naera, you'll be taught how to use a jet-ski before beginning your adventure. The trip starts with a journey to the entrance of the harbour to point out the place where legend states that Kupe first landed. You can then sandboard the dunes, or continue on a longer trip up to Rwene, where you jump off the jet-ski for a coffee stop.

Back on the water, you then explore the lesser-known parts of the Hokianga, such as winding waterways lined with mangroves. Along the way, Lenny will point out pieces of history that date back hundreds of years.

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Wild Forest Estate has an off-grid tree house.

On the way to Hokianga, stay the night in the trees at Wild Forest Estate. This new glamping retreat has a series of escapes hidden among 35 acres of bird-filled native bush, intersected by three rivers. It's found in Donnellys Crossing, just before you enter the Waipoua Forest.

The retreats include a tree house, Lotus Belle tent and a 'tin box' eco-escape made from a converted shipping container.

Our favourite was the tree house, which despite being off-grid, has a flush toilet and hot shower. There's also an outdoor forest bath and a large hammock over the deck to unwind in. If you need a place to forget the worries of the world for a night, this is it.

Getting there:

pononi, the heart of the Hokianga, is a four-hour drive from Auckland. You can also fly to Whngarei or Kerikeri with Air New Zealand, and drive across. See: airnz.co.nz

Playing there:

Hokianga Express Charters offers trips to the sand dunes for walks and to go sandboarding. Phone: 021 405872 or email hkexpress@xtra.co.nz

Wairere Boulders is $15 for adults, $5 for children or $35 for family. See: wairereboulders.co.nz

Manea Footprints of Kupe Experience is $65 for adults and $12 for children. See: maneafootprints.co.nz

Awesome Adventures Hokianga jet-ski trips from $299. See: aah.nz

Staying there:

Historic Kokukohu Villa from $250 per night, including breakfast. See: kohukohuvilla.com

Wild Forest Estate from $192 per night. See: wildforestestate.com

Carbon footprint: Flying generates carbon emissions. To reduce your impact, consider other ways of travelling, amalgamate your trips, and when you need to fly, consider offsetting emissions. To offset your carbon emissions, head to airnewzealand.co.nz/sustainability-customer-carbon-offset.

The author's trip was supported by NorthlandNZ. This story was produced as a part of an editorial partnership with Tourism New Zealand. Read more about our partnership content here.

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Hokianga: The untouched part of New Zealand you need to see - Stuff