The TSF Travel Tips Thread
-
Kaitaia is a shit hole. I would stay at the Top 10 Holiday Park on the Karikari peninsula (they have some cabins) if you're on a budget or at the Karikari Resort if you want to splurge. From there you can do the whole peninsula easily in a day including side diversions to all the bays. You have to go to Spirits Bay it is stunning.
Whanagaroa Harbour is OK basically everywhere on the East Coast is. We stayed at the Kingfisher Lodge (only accessible by boat) but sadly its gone under.
Russell is one of my favourite places on earth - go there at least once every year just to chill.
Kelly Tarltons has gone. TBH I can't find much nice to say about Paihia although I know people that love it. To me its boring full of cheap motels and whilst not big is too big if that makes sense. Very 80's ish. However if you have the cash a helicopter over the bay of islands is worth every cent - views are amazing.
I've spent weeks cruising up there when I had a yacht. I'd give the hole in the rock a miss. Seas can get quite a swell on and at the end of the day its a rocky island with a hole in it. Plenty of options to get out on the water without going that far. Urupukupuku has a bar and somewhere to eat.
If you have the time the East Coast Road to / from Russell is a very pleasant drive and doable from Auckland in a day. Im talking leaving SH1 at Warkworth up through Matakana. Leigh Pakiri Managawai Langs Beach Waipu back on to SH1 and then after Whangarei head out to Ngunguru Tutukaka Matapouri Whananaki Helena Bay Oakura Whangaruru and into Russell the back way through Rawhiti
West Coast doest have as much to recommend it. Hokianga is good - agree with Boo about ferry. I mean if time was no object I'd drive out to the coast at Mitimiti - that's like taking a time trip back 60 years but I'd only recommend it to someone who was spending 10 days up north. If you do drop in on Tanemahuta just south of there is a diversion to Trounson Kauri Park which I would thoroughly recommend. More Kauri than you see at Waipoua and more bird life too. After that there's no real highlights until you get back to Akl. I mean there's plenty of places you can divert to but not on a schedule The SH is boring.
All of the above is easily done in any bog standard car.
You can see everything in 5 biggish days - add on as much time as you want to stop and appreciate what is an under-rated part of Aotearoa
-
So they're talking a "travel bridge" to the islands of the realm I would be in like Flynn.
We normally take off overseas in Aug/Sept so would be starting to count down the days from about now. Was supposed to be 14 days in Sri Lanka sigh
Fucking phone will start sending me memory photos soon.
-
@Nepia said in The TSF Travel Tips Thread:
@Tim said in The TSF Travel Tips Thread:
@canefan Yeah, the main roads are pretty good. It's about 3 hours from Paihia. Google estimates 1h45min from Cooper's Beach. Think there's a Ramada resort in the next bay. Would be a lot nicer than Kaitia.
Roughly this time last year I was doing a Northland trip, we stayed at Mangonui (on the Coopers beach side), would definitely agree to stay there rather than Kaitaia @canefan
Have some of the famous fish and chips, they’re nice, but they’re overrated and more Aussie style than traditional NZ, but definitely a decent feed. There’s a good Indian place there too.
And a very good Thai restaurant.
-
@dogmeat said in The TSF Travel Tips Thread:
Russell is one of my favourite places on earth - go there at least once every year just to chill.
Kelly Tarltons has gone. TBH I can't find much nice to say about Paihia although I know people that love it. To me its boring full of cheap motels and whilst not big is too big if that makes sense. Very 80's ish.
Agree on Russell and Paihia. I used to spend a lot of time in Paihia during the 90's (I lived in Whangarei as a teenager) and most of the town has slowly degraded since then. The restaurants are hit and miss.. Russell has a small number of options but they are generally very good
To me the only advantage Paihia has over Russell is that it's slightly easier to get to
If you enjoy history I would recommend a trip out to Marsden cross. It has great views looking south back towards Russull etc
It was basically the first European settlement. The buildings are gone but you can still make out their foundations etc. They were protected by a local pa which looks down over the beach. If it's a fine day it's an amazing spot, the photo's don't do it justice.
The area was upgraded a few years ago, they did a really good job https://www.rangihouaheritage.co.nz/
@dogmeat said in The TSF Travel Tips Thread:
Kaitaia is a shit hole.
Correct
If you are in that area a trip to Ahipara is worth it. A great surf beach
-
@Duluth Thanks for the tip about rangihoua - I've sailed past and stayed close but never been. Something I will address next time we are up that way.
As an aside for anyone interested - there are scores of really amazing little BNB's to stay at in the north. We've stayed in converted caves, boatsheds, loads of funky places on, over and beside the water.
-
@Bovidae said in The TSF Travel Tips Thread:
@Nepia said in The TSF Travel Tips Thread:
@Tim said in The TSF Travel Tips Thread:
@canefan Yeah, the main roads are pretty good. It's about 3 hours from Paihia. Google estimates 1h45min from Cooper's Beach. Think there's a Ramada resort in the next bay. Would be a lot nicer than Kaitia.
Roughly this time last year I was doing a Northland trip, we stayed at Mangonui (on the Coopers beach side), would definitely agree to stay there rather than Kaitaia @canefan
Have some of the famous fish and chips, they’re nice, but they’re overrated and more Aussie style than traditional NZ, but definitely a decent feed. There’s a good Indian place there too.
And a very good Thai restaurant.
I lost the vote so we didn't try the Thai restaurant. One cafe was really good and one was average, but they've both blended in my mind.
-
@mariner4life said in The TSF Travel Tips Thread:
I got back from Europe on Saturday. Time of my life...
Get any good photos?
In a month I was supposed to do this:
I've decided to not bother given the uncertainty and Covid-19 impact on work.
-
@antipodean said in The TSF Travel Tips Thread:
@mariner4life said in The TSF Travel Tips Thread:
I got back from Europe on Saturday. Time of my life...
Get any good photos?
In a month I was supposed to do this:
I've decided to not bother given the uncertainty and Covid-19 impact on work.
We had to race a minivan across Aussie because it was transported in a herc to WA but when were supposed to come back, the herc was diverted so we had to drive the van back, essentially non stop. 6 pax all taking turns driving!! Did not take 85 hours
EDIT: Although it was Perth to Sydney without the add-ons you have in that map
-
-
@dogmeat said in The TSF Travel Tips Thread:
@Hooroo I worked with a guy who said he hitched from Perth to Sydney - got picked up just outside Perth by some mad truckie who did the whole trip non-stop inside two days. Popping pills the whole way with just fuel stops.
I would hate that!!! I'd be freaking out the whole time.
-
@dogmeat said in The TSF Travel Tips Thread:
@Hooroo I worked with a guy who said he hitched from Perth to Sydney - got picked up just outside Perth by some mad truckie who did the whole trip non-stop inside two days. Popping pills the whole way with just fuel stops.
I'd be spending two days crossing the Simpson Desert.
-
Update on our trip... Whangarei was fine, ended up having to go to Kaitaia via SH10 as SH1 was closed. Can confirm, Kaitaia is a hole. 90 Mile Beach and Cape Reinga were awesome. Got back down to Kerikeri yesterday with plans of Waitangi etc today and then onto Auckland, only for the Covid to drop last night... Did our Waitangi part of the trip as planned and then opted to drive on down to Whangarei instead of Auckland.
Not sure if we dodged a bullet or not, but we cancelled our Auckland plans and are now staying in Whangarei for the rest of the holiday unless the Auckland level 3 is only a few days. Given the rather improbable chance of that, I expect to be forking out to leave the rental car somewhere here (Whangarei) and fly home next week - just as well we booked flexi-flights and retained the ability to cancel the accommodation.
-
@booboo said in The TSF Travel Tips Thread:
@Godder said in The TSF Travel Tips Thread:
. Can confirm, Kaitaia is a hole.
Why so complimentary?
Wasn't worth the time to denounce it more.
@taniwharugby tomorrow is the wife's birthday but available over the weekend for a catch up (or at this rate, most of next week).
Any recommendations for a place in Whangarei for a birthday dinner? Somewhere with adequate vegetarian options would be useful...
-
@Godder hmmm, I'll have to think, vege option not something I think about, and i dont know any vegetarians
There is a good little shop in Kamo called Raw Cakes that does a great range of gluten and sugar free stuff as well, along with coffee roasted in Kerikeri.
edit - phoned a friend, The Quay down by the basin apparently has a good vegetarian menu, and a good spot too.
There is a good Thai restaurant in Kensington, who used to operate in Christchurch but bailed on the earthquakes and run a very successful restaurant up here now
-
@Godder oh, I can come in on the weekend for a coffee/beer, no plans this weekend.
With the Quay, there is another restaurant right next door, No. 8 (owned by same people) which is quite good too, they have a farm locally where they grow most of thier produce for these 2, plus one restaurant they have in Waipu and a cafe in Mangawhai
-
@taniwharugby said in The TSF Travel Tips Thread:
There is a good Thai restaurant in Kensington
Suk Jai? Been there - agree authentic.
-
Thanks for the recommendations everyone, much appreciated. She says it was a good birthday, so it was worth the effort. I even got her a cake...
@taniwharugby I'm probably on better terms with coffee than beer - any suggestions for a cafe, and day/time?
