Whangarei

Whangarei is the main city of the Northland region, in the North Island of New Zealand. It has a warm semi-tropical climate, with summer daytime temperatures around 24-26Β°C, regular rainy days year round and mild winters that rarely have frosts and are mild enough for the region to be described as "the winterless north". The city's population is 57,000.

Get in

By bus

InterCity coaches stop in Whangarei on trips between Auckland and Kaitaia. Travel time from Auckland is just under three hours.

By car

Whangarei is around two hours drive north of Auckland, one hour south of the Bay of Islands and one hour east of Dargaville.

By plane

Whangarei Airport (WRE  IATA) is in the suburb of Onerahi, ten minutes drive from the central city. Air New Zealand has several flights a day from Auckland; flight time is 30-40 min. Taxis and a shuttle service run from the airport to town, and rental cars are available at the airport.

Get around

By bus

The only public transport is Citylink, funded by the district and regional councils. It covers most of the suburbs and the inner city. Tickets are $2 for adults and can be purchased from the driver. Look for the Green Buses and timetables located at bus stops.

See
  • 🌍 Claphams National Clock Museum, Town Basin, Dent St, ☏ +64 9 438-3993. Daily 9AM–4:30PM (except 30 Jun & 25 Dec). One of the largest collections of clocks in the southern hemisphere. $10 adult, $4 child, senior citizen $8. (updated Jan 2024)
  • 🌍 Hundertwasser Art Centre, 81 Dent St. Daily 10AM–4PM. Designed by Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser and featuring his art. Also houses the Wairau Māori Art Gallery. Allow one to one and a half hours. Adult $25, locals, students & seniors $20, child $15. (updated Jan 2024)
  • 🌍 Kiwi North: Whangarei Museum, Kiwi House & Heritage Park, 500 State Highway 14, Maunu (on the road to Dargaville, 5 min from Whangarei city centre), ☏ +64 9 438-9630. Daily 10AM–4PM, closed 25 Dec. Museum with exhibits relating to Whangarei and Northland, a kiwi aviary and a heritage park of historic buildings. Adult $25, child 5–16 yr $10, child under 5 yr free. 
  • 🌍 Whangarei Falls, Tikipunga (5km north-east of the city). Known as the most photogenic waterfall in New Zealand, dropping 25 m into a beautiful bush-fringed pool. 
  • 🌍 Whangarei Quarry Gardens, 37A Russell Rd. Daily 9AM–5PM; Quail Cafe W–Su 9AM–3PM. Spectacular subtropical plantings in a terraced amphitheatre with a lake fed by two waterfalls. The cafe and its food is excellent too. Entry by donation. (updated Feb 2024)

Do
  • AE Fun Park, 203 Hayward Rd, Maungakaramea (15 min drive south of Whangarei), ☏ +64 9 432-3534, . Activity and events park. Paintball, Lasertag, archery, clay shooting, flying fox, target shooting, mini putt golf, BBQ and function area. Good for half-day outings and family fun. 
  • Walking. There are good opportunities for short and medium duration walks. Mair Park and the adjacent Parihaka Reserve near the centre of town straddle the Hatea river and are extremely popular (the latter has several glow-worm spots at night). Two tracks lead from the river up to the top of Parihaka, which has beautiful views over the city. The hike up the mountain from Mair Park takes around 30 minutes each way, although it is also possible to drive to the summit as there is a paved road and carpark. The A.H. Reed Memorial Kauri Walk. Whangarei Heads offers many opportunities for walkers of different capabilities. The rugged landscape fringed by beautiful bays and coves results in some wonderful panoramic views. (updated Apr 2022)
  • Beaches. In summer, and any time of the year for the hardy, the beaches in and around Whangarei are the place to head for. 
    • 🌍 Onerahi Beach. The closest beach and very popular with families for a swim at the weekend. Has a playground and toilets. (updated Feb 2022)
    • Ocean Beach (36 km from town centre), a lovely big white sand beach, normally with decent surf
    • Matapouri and Sandy Bay (36 km from town centre)
    • Ngunguru (25 km from town centre). On the edge of an estuary. Find the cafe and have a steak and cheese pie. One of the most beautiful places in New Zealand.
  • Whangarei Aquatic Centre, 52 Ewing Rd, ☏ +64 9 438-7957. The main public swimming pool is in the centre of town and has a wave pool as well as a regular lap pool, hydroslides, spa and a gym. 
  • Big game fishing. 

Buy

Eat

Around the Mall and Strand Arcade

Around the Town Basin

The locals refer to the area around the marina and Hundertwasser Art Centre as the "Town Basin". It is a pleasant place to stroll with nice restaurants, weekend craft markets, and yachts visiting from all over the world.

  • Mokaba, 6 Quayside, ☏ +64 9-438 7557. Good coffee, pleasant food. Shares a building with The Bach, an arts and crafts shop. 
  • Frings, 104 Lower Dent St, ☏ +64 9-438 4664. Woodfire pizza and beer. (updated Jun 2020)
  • 🌍 Sabio Coffee, 148 Lower Dent St, ☏ +6499889654. This cafe roasts their own beans and is known as the best coffee in town. (updated Dec 2022)

Drink

Most of the town's bars and clubs are located in the central city in or around Vine Street.

  • Bacio Bar & Cafe, 31 Bank St
  • The Butter Factory, 8 Butter Factory Lane
  • Grand Hotel, 2 Bank St
  • Pure Bar & Grill, 79 Cameron St
  • Split Bar & Restaurant, 16 Rathbone St

Sleep

Budget
  • 🌍 Whangarei Falls Holiday Park, 12 Ngunguru Rd, Glenbervie. Cabins, camp sites and 10-person backpackers dorm consisting of individual fixed bunk beds. The central area has table, chairs and fridge freezer. Two-minute walk to the waterfall. Dorm bed $32. 

Splurge
  • Kingsgate Hotel, 9 Riverside Dr (facing the town basin), toll-free: 0800 404 010. Has a fully licensed bar and restaurant along with a spa, sauna, gymnasium and indoor heated pool. 115 rooms with tea/coffee-making facilities, air-conditioning and Sky TV. 
  • Discovery Settlers Hotel, 61-69 Hatea Dr (near the town basin), toll-free: 0800 666 662. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 10AM. All 51 rooms with en suite bathrooms, SKY TV and tea/coffee making facilities & Wi-Fi. Other facilities include the Γ  la carte Parahaki Restaurant & Garden bar, which overlooks the banks of the Hatea river, guest laundry, outdoor pool and private spa. $104-200. 
  • Lodge Bordeaux, 361 Western Hills Dr, ☏ +64 9 438-0404. 15 studio, 1 and 2-bedroom apartments with a wide range of amenities from kitchen facilities to internet access, a heated swimming pool, and a BBQ area. $185-300. 

Go next
  • Poor Knights Islands – dive and snorkel by charter or by private boat. You must not land on the islands.
  • The Bay of Islands is 70 kilometres north.
  • Dargaville – to the west
  • Hokianga (90 minutes drive). You can go via the Bay of Islands, or go to Dargaville, then north through the kauri forests along the west coast.
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