South Island's Iconic Sheep and Cattle Stations

MCD writer Heather Whelan explores some of the South Island’s iconic sheep and cattle stations

The South Island is famous for its towering mountain ranges, sweeping plains, picturesque lakes and majestic fjords. Many beauty spots are justifiably well-known and, amazing though they are to visit, are often crowded with visitors.

Molesworth is New Zealand’s largest farm

When hubby Malcolm first suggested visiting some high country stations, I was a little anxious – after all, a glance at the map showed nothing but empty spaces. Some online research reassured me it was possible, in fact desirable, to drive through these remote stations and see for ourselves the little-known, wide expanses of wilderness that make up these gigantic farms.

MIGHTY MOLESWORTH

The historic Acheron Accommodation House is getting a facelift

Molesworth Station is open to the public over summer, and the 207km journey from Hanmer Springs to Blenheim through the station makes a great alternative route for campervans and vehicles under seven metres.

There are camping spots at the Acheron Accommodation House and Molesworth Cob Cottage, so there are options to break the trip and explore some of the walks along the route, or just park and admire the views.

The main road through Molesworth is the Acheron Road – other roads are 4WD only. Because our bus was too long, we left it parked at the NZMCA Park at Hanmer Springs and explored by car as a day trip. From Hanmer Springs the Clarence Valley Road leads north.

Cut into the side of a vertigo-inducing, steep hillside, this goes over Jacks Pass and into the station. At over 180,000 hectares, Molesworth is New Zealand’s largest farm and is administered by the Department of Conservation, with Landcorp Farming responsible for the station’s 10,000 head of beef cattle.

Driving through the station, it is hard to believe that 70 years ago the area was abandoned, the land untenable because of the destruction caused by thousands of sheep and millions of rabbits. Luckily, rabbit control, re-sowing and conservation practices have turned Molesworth around – now visitors can be awed by the beauty of the landscape. 

A welcome sight

The Acheron Accommodation House, built in 1862 as an overnight stop for stockmen and travellers, is the oldest building at Molesworth. Of cob construction, it has a roof of beech rafters, thatched with tussock.

I had been looking forward to seeing the historic buildings on the station and was sad to see that they had been damaged by the 2016 earthquake. However, despite red tape, the Accommodation House still looks picturesque and was no doubt a welcome sight for early travellers.

(Renovation of the house has recently begun, with contractors planning to retain as much as is possible of the original fabric of the building. Hopefully this summer’s visitors will be able to safely admire the house, inside and out.)

The Lower Acheron Suspension Bridge

The Accommodation House marks the start of 59km of road leading to the Molesworth Cob Cottage at the northern boundary of the station. This section of road can be driven in two hours but we took much longer as we lingered – to read information panels, at shelters, at suspension bridges and at every spot that called to be photographed.

Roadside shelters  provide information panels

Our first stops were by the river, where wooden suspension bridges span clear, fast-flowing water. On this quiet day, with only birds for company, it’s hard to imagine that once 15,000 sheep were driven over the river where the Lower Acheron Suspension Bridge now stands.

Further on we admired Pig Trough Suspension Bridge, named for the wild pigs living in a nearby gully. Both these bridges are relatively new, replacing earlier bridges washed away by floods.

Murder at Molesworth

Near the confluence of the Severn and Acheron Rivers is an area still called Red Gate, though the gate is long gone. A signboard tells the sad tale of Ivanhoe Augarde. The young man wrote a letter to his sweetheart and entrusted its delivery to a worker called German Charlie. Unfortunately, Charlie read the letter to other men as he travelled north.

When Ivanhoe discovered that he’d been the subject of ridicule he set off in pursuit of Charlie and killed him. He then returned to the Red Gate, where he turned the gun on himself. The tale is memorialised in the name of nearby Mount Augarde.

LAKES, VALLEYS AND MOUNTAINS

Lake Wakatipu

Our next station visit took us to Walter Peak, on the shores of Lake Wakatipu. Walter Peak is primarily a sheep station, founded in 1860 and still going strong. It runs around 18,000 sheep and 800 beef cows.

Small compared to Molesworth, the station still covers more than 25,000 hectares. There is no through route – the drive is around 90km each way, starting form a small turn-off on the Te Anau-Mossburn Highway, SH9.

With our usual number of photo stops, explorations and a relaxing break at Walter Peak Station, it took six hours for the round-trip. Mavora Lakes was our first stop. Situated in a mountainous landscape, surrounded by tussock grassland and beech forests, it is a magical place and was used by Sir Peter Jackson when filming The Lord of the Rings.

There are photo-worthy spots aplenty in Molesworth

The forests of South Mavora Lake became ‘Fangorn Forest’, while the Mararoa River became the ‘Silverlode’. Enthusiastic trampers can trek the 50km Mavora-Greenstone walkway starting here, but we just wandered around the lakeside and adjacent bush, imagining hobbits and elves behind every tree.

There is a DOC camping ground at the lakes, accessible to motorhomes and caravans, and the area is popular with those who love the outdoors. Many activities that are not normally allowed in national parks are permitted here, including 4WD driving (on tracks), hunting, water sports, horse trekking, trout fishing and mountain biking.

A glimpse of Lake Wakatipu at Walter Peak

It’s a great base for the drive to Lake Wakatipu. The road from Mavora Lakes to Walter Peak leads straight towards the horizon, with the high Eyre and Thomson mountain ranges on each side.

There are a couple of fords to negotiate and some narrow bridges that have fords beside them – so heavy vehicles can use the route. Suddenly, and unexpectedly, the valley was revealed to be a plateau. A lower valley appeared and the road dipped steeply into it.

The road to Walter Peak Station

Then it was on as before until we reached the shores of Lake Wakatipu, where there were views up the lake towards Glenorchy and across towards Queenstown. The road then skirted past Mt Nicholas Station, finally arriving at the lakeside at Walter Peak Station.

Picturesque Peak

Walter Peak is rich in colonial history

As a contrast to the empty, open drive, this felt like an oasis. There were old, white-painted buildings, including the Colonel’s Homestead – rebuilt on a grander scale after a fire in 1977–surrounded by English-style cottage gardens and lawns. There were jetties and a boat was pulled up on the beach.

There was also a hotel with a restaurant and a bar, where we gratefully ordered long cold drinks. On the drive we only passed one vehicle, a couple of cyclists and a posse of horse-trekkers, but the station buildings were busy – a group of tourists had come across earlier by boat, the Earnslaw, from Queenstown.

Shearing at Mesopotamia Station

As we sat enjoying the view they made their way to the shearing shed for an agricultural show and we had the place to ourselves. In the distance the TSS Earnslaw could be seen making her way back from Queenstown, across the blue waters of the lake.

Coal-fired passenger ship the TSS Earnslaw

Built in 1912, the picturesque Earnslaw is the last remaining coal-fired passenger vessel in the southern hemisphere. When the boat arrived to pick up the tourists for their return trip to Queenstown we decided it was time we left Walter Peak Station too, as it was now late afternoon and we had the return journey ahead.

The road to ‘Nowhere’

Mesopotamia is one of the country’s oldest high country stations

A later road trip took us to the curiously named Mesopotamia Station. We were exploring the Peel Forest area, near Geraldine, and realised that the station was only about an hour further on.

Mesopotamia means ‘the land between two rivers’, and originally referred to the area between the Tigris and Euphrates, in present-day Syria and Iraq. Mesopotamia Station was named by Samuel Butler, the English writer who established it in 1860, and it’s one of the country’s oldest high country stations.

Because the area is so isolated, Butler called the satirical novel he wrote there Erewhon – ‘nowhere’ spelled backwards. Our drive took us alongside the braided Rangitata River, and through the valley between the Rangitata and Forest Creek rivers.

At 6000 hectares, Mesopotamia is a comparatively small station but was equally as scenic as Molesworth and Walter Peak. The station has been owned by the Prouting family since 1945 and runs 11,000 sheep, 3000 deer and 500 cattle.

We pass several herds of deer, the stags proudly sporting massive antlers, but it’s sheep that are the main attraction. We saw sheep wandering in the road, sheep in paddocks and sheep being penned and shorn in a woolshed.

Mesopotamia wool is still baled with the stencilled candlestick logo used since the 1860s. We stopped at the end of the road to take photos at the station’s outbuildings. Mesopotamia certainly is in the middle of nowhere, a wide valley with a backdrop of snowy mountains.

As the crow flies, Fox Glacier is probably as close as Geraldine; just the impenetrable Southern Alps between us! But that’s the lure of these remote stations on less-travelled roads: New Zealand at its wildest and most picturesque.

Further Information

• Information about Molesworth Station, including a downloadable brochure, can be found at doc.govt.nz.
• The Acheron Road through Molesworth Station isn’t suitable for caravans or buses over seven metres long. Small campervans will have no problem. We left our bus parked and used the car for our station road trips.
• Access to Molesworth Station is seasonal. This year the road will be open from 7am to 7pm from Labour Weekend to Easter Monday (or the second Sunday of April, whichever is the later date).
• Access by road to Walter Peak Station is from SH94. Details of the boat trip can be found at queenstownnz.co.nz.
• It is 50km from Peel Forest to Mesopotamia Station, along unsealed Rangitata Gorge Road. The station’s website is mesopotamia.co.nz.

Whangarei's Hidden Delights

An article published in Motorhomes caravans and Destinations Magazine

Tucked away in Whangarei’s Western Hills are two hidden gems: old quarries given a new lease of life and linked by a pretty bush walk. Heather Whelan goes exploring.

Garden oasis

A fluttering flag at the roadside marked our turn from Western Hills Drive onto Russell Rd. A few twists and turns, then we saw a parking area (an overflow from the main car park and suitable for large motorhomes).

A short distance along a bush-lined driveway was Quarry Gardens, a subtropical oasis in what was once a stone quarry. Beside the main car park a modern building nestled into the foliage, its design echoing the industrial heritage of the site – many remnants of its stone-quarrying past are integrated into the gardens.

This building housed the Visitor’s Information Centre and Quail Cafe. Over a bridge and inside the building we were tempted to stop for a coffee but decided to explore the gardens first.

Signage outside the building explained some of the history of the gardens. We learned that in the 1940s the quarry was an industrial site and, after its closure in the ‘70s, the land became little more than an overgrown rubbish dump.

Twenty years later, a far-sighted local called Laughton King had the dream of establishing gardens there. The council, who owned the land, came on board and a group of volunteers began the task of clearing the site and establishing a garden.

Now the 24 hectare site is home to a variety of native and exotic plants and is bounded by native bush. As we gazed round we realised the gardens were landscaped within a natural amphitheatre: the hillsides rose steeply – with steps leading up in places to tracks that encircled the gardens.

The old stone quarry has been transformed

We wandered first through the ‘five senses garden’ where we were encouraged to smell, touch, listen and look at the mainly subtropical plants – but not to taste! We were asked to take photos instead.

Winding paths led us past a bromeliad area, studded with orchids, and on to a camellia collection. Many of the 115 varieties donated to the gardens, are unique to the Quarry Gardens, in that they are not to be found in other public gardens anywhere in the world. This must be a Mecca for camellia buffs.

Exotic fauna

We couldn’t help taking photo after photo of the strange and exotic plants. There was a tree with huge thorns growing from its bark. It was called the silk floss tree, which sounds much more benign than the sharp prickles would lead you to expect.

A native of tropical South American forests, it has a cotton-like fibre in its seed pods. Nearby an Australian Burrawang, a cycad dating back to dinosaur days, thrust palm-like leaves skywards, and a chili plant from the Andes came with a warning – its peppers are extremely hot.

Locals to the rescue

At the rear of the gardens a waterfall dropped 40 metres into a man-made, but natural-looking, lake. We took a track to the top of this waterfall and looked down at the gardens spread beneath us. From this vantage point we could fully appreciate the amount of work that has 

gone into establishing and maintaining the gardens. Whangarei Council passed responsibility for the gardens to the Whangarei Quarry Gardens Trust back in 2000 and volunteers meet weekly to tend the gardens and establish new areas.

The local community is justifiably proud of the gardens. This was demonstrated after an arsonist set fires on the hillside around the gardens in 2005. in just one day,10,000 native trees were planted by by 250 volunteers to help revegetate the slopes.

As we walked back down to the cafe for a welcome snack we noticed school children had left brightly painted, concrete-filled gumboots beside plantings of kauri trees that line one of the pathways. They had environmental messages written on them, illustrating that you are never too young to treasure your surroundings. 

Funky shapes

At the Sculpture Northland exhibition, Quarry Gardens

Near the cafe we stopped to admire a sculpture. Created by Chris Booth, the towering wood and stone ‘goddess’ named Varder V, has been designed to slowly decompose and alter over time.

On another occasion we visited the gardens to admire the varied works by local artists and sculptors as part of the Sculpture Northland exhibition. Tucked in among the plantings were everything from dragons to a feline ‘terracatta’ army.

A space for artists

The Quarry Arts Centre, further along the Western Hills, has been a hub for the art and craft community since the 1980s. We drove past a funky mosaic guardian sculpture at the entrance and parked outside the Quarry Cafe.

Unlike the popular Quail Cafe at the Quarry Gardens, this little cafe had a much more hippy vibe. With seating inside for four, while six can sit outside, it must be Whangarei’s tiniest cafe. 

The Arts Centre itself was the brainchild of the late potter Yvonne Rust, who founded the trust. A gallery was first opened in 1984. After a rebuild in 2011, it is now known as the Yvonne Rust Gallery and has regularly changing exhibitions.

We admired the quirky and curious creations in the Grate Plate display. Opposite the gallery we discovered the Quarry Craft Co-op Shop, where we browsed handmade treasures in glass, leather, pottery, greenstone and textiles.

I couldn’t resist some glass earrings, knowing they were unique. Dotted around the quarry were slightly ramshackle – almost organic – buildings: homes and workshops for the artisans who thrive at the Arts Centre.

Quirky sculptures, examples of the artists’ work, could be seen outside the buildings and in gardens. Seeing a sign advertising an upcoming market, we made a note to check it out.

This was an event not to be missed. Live jazz was issuing from the veranda outside the gallery and the area was crammed with stalls selling ceramics, glassware, garden art – there was something for everyone and the Arts Centre was the perfect backdrop.

A bush walk

The start of the walk through the Coronation Reserve

Behind one stall we spotted the start of a walkway and decided to investigate further. This was an entrance into the Coronation Reserve, a stand of native bush in the Western Hills, named to commemorate the coronation of King George V, and with tracks that link both quarries.

We couldn’t resist exploring, so set out from the Quarry Gardens one sunny morning a while later, and followed a track up and into the hills. A turn led into the Coronation Reserve where we walked along the Frank Holman Track, marveling that we were so close to the city yet deep in bush.

Before dropping down into the Quarry Arts Centre we took a side track for a look at a pa site. From here we could get peeks down into Whangarei. Then, after another look around the Quarry Arts Centre, we retraced our steps and rewarded ourselves with lunch at the Quarry Gardens.

Further information

• The Quarry Gardens are at 37A Russell Road, Whangarei. The gardens are open 7 days, 9am - 5pm. Quail Cafe is open Wednesday - Sunday, 9am - 3pm.
• The Quarry Arts Centre is at 21 Selwyn Avenue, Whangarei. The gallery is open Monday to Saturday, 9.30am - 4.30pm. The cafe is open Monday - Friday, 10am-2pm.
• Information about the tracks in the Coronation Scenic Reserve can be found at wdc.govt.nz. You can also find a downloadable and printable map on this website.

Exploring Auckland

This article featured in Motorhomes caravans & Destinations Magazine 

Lush parks, birdlife, nature walks and award-winning bike trails… it’s Auckland, but not as you know it, says Heather Whelan 

Auckland is New Zealand’s largest city and all too often we just want to drive through it, hoping there are no hold-ups on the motorway. However, there is always plenty to see and do in the City of Sails – and it isn’t all connected with boating.

Lately, we have made a point of stopping in Auckland to experience some of the city’s unique attractions. Downtown Auckland is easy to walk around. Last time we visited we wandered up Queen St to check out the Auckland Art Gallery.

From here we walked to the War Memorial Museum, through the Domain – though I admit we took the train back from Newmarket to Britomart, as it would have been quite a hike to walk both ways. Auckland is well served by public transport and, being gold card holders, we were able to use the buses, trains and ferries for free.

lava caves and ghosts

The historic Ferry Terminal building

The one ferry ride we did have to pay for was out to Rangitoto Island, as this was not a commuter trip. Nevertheless, it was well worth the price of the ticket. Rangitoto translates as ‘Bloody Sky’, named by Maori who saw the volcano that formed the island erupt about 600 years ago, and it is the dominating landmark of the Hauraki Gulf.

Rangitoto was created by a volcanic eruption 600 years ago

From the downtown Ferry Terminal, our boat trip took around 25 minutes, passing all manner of craft – from yachts to a Maori voyaging canoe. Disembarking at Rangitoto Wharf was like entering another world. The big city – out of sight here – seemed far away.

A glimpse of the city from the track to the summit

Black scoria rock littered the ground; a track of smaller pieces led off towards the summit. Rangitoto’s symmetrical cone towered 260 metres above us, its flanks clothed by the largest pohutukawa forest in the world. 

Before setting off to walk to Rangitoto’s summit I wanted to check out some of the baches scattered near the wharf. Mostly built in the 1920s and 30s, no-one lives in them now as the island is a scenic reserve, administered by the Department of Conservation.

In the distance, an old bach, a relic from the days when Rangitoto was inhabited

A few of these old homes remain, preserved to show visitors a snapshot of long-ago island life. As I peered in the windows of the ghost settlement I found it hard to imagine the island was once home to several hundred people.

There was even a prison here at one time – it was the convicts who formed the tracks that visitors use today. It took around an hour to reach Rangitoto’s high point, passing through the pohutukawa forest and bush that contained over 200 species of trees, flowers and fern.

This is amazing, given that there are no streams on the island and the plants rely on rainfall for moisture. DOC’s eradication programmes have been so successful that introduced creatures – such as possums and wallabies, as well as the usual deer, goats, stoats, rats, cats and mice – have all gone.

Rangitoto became pest free in 2011. There were seats and viewing platforms at the island’s summit, with great views of the island-studded Hauraki Gulf, and of Auckland in the distance.

Caves formed by molten lava

We could see the city’s other volcanic cones punctuating the cityscape, and right across to the Waitakere Ranges and the Manukau Harbour. After lunch on Rangitoto’s summit, we took a track that looped round to some lava caves.

These tubes were left behind when the molten lava of Rangitoto’s eruption hardened on the outside but still-liquid lava flowed through inside. The caves would have been fun to explore, but we didn’t have torches with us, so left that to some excited children and continued back to the main track and down to the wharf for our ferry.

cycling the rainbow

The rainbow section on the cycle trail

Another day a group of us grabbed our bikes and investigated part of the burgeoning network of urban cycle trails that link the suburbs and city centre. Auckland Transport produce a series of handy maps that show shared paths, protected cycle lanes, quiet routes and on-road cycleways.

We left from Avondale, taking the Waterview Path through a series of reserves to the Great North Road. A section of the cycle track was painted in rainbow stripes here, an unexpected sight that took our mind off the fact that we were going uphill.

Although we were soon nearing the city centre the route remained quiet, skirting first a golf course and then the fringes of villa-filled Kingsland streets. Finally we found ourselves on the famous pink Lightpath, Te Ara I Whiti, an award-winning structure that took us above busy streets and down to the Viaduct Harbour.

At the end of the Lightpath

After that exercise we felt justified in having lunch in one of the restaurants that line the watersides. Then it was back onto our bikes and we cycled along past the beautiful, yellow-hued Edwardian ferry building and into Britomart, where we loaded our bikes and ourselves onto a train back to Avondale.

There are several places for motorhomers to stay in Auckland city. NZMCA members can stay at Tui Glen in Henderson (right on another cycle trail) and there are motor camps in Avondale and Remuera, as well as the option of staying at clubs and Park Over Properties.

a bird lovers’ dream

Looking out at the Manukau Harbour from Ambury

One place we have stopped on a few occasions is Ambury – one of Auckland Regional Council’s parks – on the Manukau Harbour, with a campground area where self-contained vehicles can stay.

Self-contained vehicles can stay at Ambury

We enjoyed the walk along the harbour foreshore from the campground, an area popular with birdwatchers as it is a significant shorebird habitat. The big skies and expansive harbour views were stunning, and the walk was interesting even for those of us with limited ornithological knowledge as there were sign boards explaining local history along the way.

Another track of historical interest was the Lost Gardens Walk, where there are remnants of the stone mounds Maori used in their gardens. Further on, this links to a walking and cycling path leading to the Otuataua Stonefields and Mangere Mountain, one of Auckland’s largest volcanic cones.

Ambury is a farm park, with a variety of animals to admire. Along the 1km walk around the farm area visitors can see sheep, cows, goats, pigs, chickens, rabbits and peacocks. In spring visitors can check out the lambs and even feed them – great for children to experience.

Flora and Sculpture

A little further afield is the NZMCA Park at Ardmore Airport. Because it is close to Papakura Station we have taken the train into central Auckland and haven’t had to worry about parking.

Another advantage of staying at Ardmore is the proximity to Auckland Botanic Gardens. For years we had whizzed past the Botanic Gardens sign as we drove along the motorway, and talked about calling in there some day, but – after visiting the gardens the first time we stayed at Ardmore – it is now a place we visit frequently.

Bird lady sculpture near the visitor centre

Whatever the season, it is fantastic to wander through some of the 64 hectares of land, admiring the huge variety of plants. The gardens are arranged thematically so you can check out everything from the Edible Garden to the Gondwana Arboretum.

There are rose gardens, rock gardens, palm gardens, native forest, lakes, lawns and much more! We love coming upon sculpture. Sometimes it is tucked away within a garden area, at other times there are displays on the grassy area between the lakes and Huakaiwaka, the visitor centre.

Colourful sculpture at the Botanic Gardens

Huakaiwaka is a sculptural building itself, featuring a stone wall, water feature and tree-like columns that support a butterfly roof above the atrium. There’s also a really good cafe here, a great place to enjoy lunch while overlooking swathes of the gardens.

There’s such a lot to see and do in Auckland that we have only made a start on our bucket list. We won’t make the mistake of passing through our biggest city without stopping to explore again!

The Auckland Botanic Gardens is home to many intriguing sculptures – from the surreal to the colourful and playful

Further Information

• The NZMCA parks are at Tui Glen Reserve, Claude Brookes Drive, Henderson, and Ardmore Airfield, Harvard Lane, Ardmore.

• Information about Ambury Regional Park, and about staying in a motorhome at Auckland’s other regional parks, can be found on the council’s website: aucklandcouncil.govt.nz.

• Details regarding Auckland Transport’s Hop Card, giving free travel for gold card holders, visit at.govt.nz/bus-train-ferry/at-hop-card.

• We picked up our Auckland Cycle Network maps at the Britomart Transport Centre, but they can also be downloaded from at.govt.nz/cycling-walking/cycle-walking-maps.

• There is a wealth of ideas and information about what to see and do in Auckland at: aucklandnz.com/visit.

• Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki is at the corner of Kitchener and Wellesley St. More information on their website, aucklandartgallery.com.

• The Auckland War Memorial Museum is in the Auckland Domain, Parnell. For hours, exhibitions and other information see aucklandmuseum.com.

• Timetables and other details about the ferry to Rangitoto Island can be found at: fullers.co.nz. There are maps of the island on board the ferries. The walk to the summit is around one hour from Rangitoto Wharf and there are other tracks of varying lengths on the island.

• The Auckland Botanic Gardens are at 102, Hill Rd, Manurewa. For full details go to aucklandbotanicgardens.co.nz.

A magical History Tour

This is my latest article in Wilderness Magazine (July 2019 issue)....

A magical history tour

Wenderholm Regional Park has a fascinating history. The first people to enjoy the area were the Polynesian ancestors of Māori. Later, descendants of the Tainui and Moekaraka canoes explored the Puhoi and Waiwera Rivers, fished and built gardens. Little remains from those days except shell middens and place names – Wenderholm’s sandy spit is still called Te Akeake and the headland is Maungatauhoro. Wenderholm’s current name was bestowed on the area by a friend of Robert Graham, who bought the land in the 1840s, and means winter home in Swedish.

The Maungatauhoro Te Hikoi Track, starts near Couldrey House, an attractive, two-storey colonial house. Originally built by Robert Graham in 1857, it was added to by subsequent owners before becoming almost derelict. The Couldrey family restored the house during the 1960s and continued living there after selling Wenderholm to the Auckland Regional Authority in 1965. When they left in 1973, Couldrey House reverted to the council.

We left the quaint cottage garden and entered native bush beside a carved pouwhenua. The track leads fairly steeply up towards the cliffs of the headland and gives stunning views of the Te Akeake sand spit, the Puhoi River and the hills beyond. To the north are the headlands of Mahurangi Harbour and out to sea islands dot the ocean towards Kawau.

The sand spit is covered with gnarled pohutukawa, splashes of red visible from the track. These trees were planted over a century ago and form the largest grove of planted pohutukawa in the world.

The native bush that covers the headland is a typical mix of kahikatea, manuka, nikau, rimu and tree fern and we were lured into it along the Couldrey House Track by large numbers of kererū and tui flying around the treetops. We were hoping to see a North Island robin, re-introduced to the park in 1999, but didn’t spot any.

After about 15 minutes, there’s an open area where the Couldrey House Track joins the Puhoi Track, which is an alternative way back to the Maungatauhoro Te Hikoi Track. This is another good lookout place with more great views – we could see past the Whangaparāoa Peninsula to Rangitoto Island.

Wanting to complete the headland track, we retraced our steps and then continued around to the southern side of Maungatauhoro. The track leads down to a sheltered little beach at Kokoru Bay, which looks across the river to Waiwera. Māori originally named this place Waiwerawera, very hot water, and it has been a thermal resort since the mid-1800s. Unfortunately, both the hot pools and the adjacent water-bottling facility have been closed and their future is uncertain.

Photo: Heather Whelan

The final part of the loop track runs close beside the estuary and past a turn-off, which leads to the road beside the Waiwera River Bridge. Then the track curves northward and runs parallel to Schischka Road to the car park near Couldrey House.

The Winterless North

My latest story in Motorhomes, Caravans & Destinations Magazine

Heather Whelan checks out some great northern spots for motorhomers fleeing the cold

In the USA they call them ‘snowbirds’ – motorhomers who avoid the worst of the winter weather by driving south to Florida. In New Zealand, it is Northland that draws people to overwinter in its subtropical climate.

DOC campground, Tapotupotu Bay

Department of Conservation campsites

Whether visiting for a weekend or parking up for an extended period, there are a variety of places to spend time in the winterless north. For those who don’t need the facilities of a holiday park, DOC campsites must be top of the list.

There are 10 in Northland that are accessible to motorhomes. With beachside sites from Kapowairua (Spirits Bay) in the far north to Uretiti Beach south of Whangarei, ocean views are never hard to find.

When we visited Tapotupotu Bay, DOC’s most northerly campground, we loved the sense of being so far from the hustle and bustle of city life. Although it was close to Cape Reinga, the busloads of tourists who visited didn’t stay for long.

It was only those campers who, like us, enjoyed the remoteness of the site and the pristine natural beauty of the area who stayed overnight or longer. For us, one of the attractions of Tapotupotu Bay was the fact it was right on the Te Paki Coastal Track.

DOC campground, Tapotupotu Bay

We walked 5km along cliff tops to Sandy Bay and Cape Reinga, admiring the stunning views along the coast. Other campers were enjoying the surf. Matai Bay had a similar, remote vibe. We enjoyed more walks here, but it is also popular with boaties, fishermen and divers.

Uretiti Beach had the advantage of being close to the little town of Waipu. We loved fossicking in the antique and second-hand shops here and spent an hour or so investigating the Waipu Museum.

This told us the story of a tight-knit band of Scots who made their way to Waipu, via Nova Scotia, and settled under the autocratic leadership of their minister, Rev McLeod. 

Bush-lovers can park in DOC’s Northland campgrounds in Trounson Kauri Park, Puketi Forest and Raetea North Side campsites. We found Puketi Forest DOC campground almost deserted when we visited out of season.

DOC campsite, Puketi Forest

There were several short walks here that took us right among giant kauri trees. The Omahuta Kauri Sanctuary Walk and the Manginangina Kiwi Walk took between 15 and 30 minutes to complete, but there were longer walks, up to two days, for keen trampers to experience. 

The forest also had mountain bike trails and we hopped on our bikes to explore some of the tracks. DOC camp fees are reasonable – and stays are even cheaper for those NZMCA members who have the DOC/NZMCA campsite pass, valid at nine of Northland’s DOC campgrounds.

NZMCA Parks

Rainbow Falls, beside the NZMCA park at Kerikeri

The NZMCA has four parks in the region: Dargaville, Manganese Point (Whangarei), Kerikeri and Tokerau Beach. Members pay only $3 per person, per night, and can stay 21 days in a 60-day period at two of these sites.

The parks are safe and secure, the gates having a code known to members. Another positive feature of NZMCA parks is that they are often very social spots; someone is sure to invite you to happy hour.

We return time and time again to the Kerikeri NZMCA Park. Adjacent to Rainbow Falls, it is such a beautiful spot – and we’re always drawn along the track to the Kerikeri Basin.

NZMCA Park, Kerikeri

Some of New Zealand’s oldest buildings, the Stone Store and Kemp House, can be visited here, and one of the two cafes can usually tempt us to have a coffee before heading back. Dargaville’s NZMCA Park is just a few minutes’ walk from the town centre.

The riverside parking area is on the site of a historic boatyard and a couple of the old buildings remain. Dargaville is handily positioned for exploring the Kaipara area, Waipoua Forest and westcoast beaches. 

Holiday parks

Because Northland is a popular destination in summer, the area has an abundance of holiday parks and motor camps. In winter most offer low-season rates that are considerably less than charges in summer.

Some holiday parks offer discounts for NZMCA members who stay between April and November. We couldn’t resist staying at the Tauranga Bay Holiday Park because of its absolute waterfront location.

From the immaculately mowed grass at our door we could see up and down the coast – and the beach was just a few steps away. Out of season, we were the only campers.

Motorhome Friendly Towns

Freedom parking spot beside the Hatea River, Whangarei

Northland has two towns, Whangarei and Kaikohe, that actively welcome visitors in motorhomes. Whangarei has freedom camping spots close to the town basin and adjacent to the popular Hatea Loop Walkway.

Freedom camping is permitted in many other places in the Whangarei District, from Ruakaka Beach to the Tutukaka Coast. There are some amazing sites beside the Whangarei Harbour, including Parua Bay and Mount Manaia.

Freedom camping on the Tutukaka Coast

A benefit of visiting in winter is that sometimes you can have the stunning views all to yourself. Kaikohe advertises itself as the ‘gateway to the Hokianga Harbour’ and is within easy reach of the beaches at Opononi and Omapere, and of Rawene, where there is a vehicle ferry to the north side of the harbour.

Kaikohe is centrally placed on the Twin Coast Cycle Trail, which takes riders from Opua in the Bay of Islands to Horeke on the Hokianga.

Clubs and POPs

Many clubs, RSAs, museums and businesses welcome overnight parking. NZMCA members have many of these listed in the travel directory, along with Park Over Properties (POPs).

POPs are private properties owned by club members and set up for other NZMCA members to visit, usually free of charge. A benefit of staying at a POP or a club is the local knowledge your hosts can provide. No matter how you spend your time, there is something for everyone in Northland.

The ‘winterless north’ offers camping opportunities for fishermen and boaties, cyclists and walkers. For those who like to explore new towns there are plenty of museums, friendly pubs and trendy cafes to visit. And the best thing about the area? Its sub-tropical climate.

Further information

• Full details of Department of Conservation sites suitable for motorhomes can be found at doc.govt.nz
• For information about joining the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association and details of membership benefits see nzmca.org.nz
• Freedom camping details for visitors to the Whangarei district are at wdc.govt.nz
• Information regarding freedom camping and dump sites, including a map showing free camping sites in the far north, can be found on the Far North District Council’s website, fndc.govt.nz