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My Trip
Feb 6 - Feb 12
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Northern excursion
 
3
DAYS
Destination(s):
Auckland 
Author: aucklander
Kate has lived, worked, and studied in Auckland for many years, and enjoys getting out and about exploring the many outdoor opportunities on offer in the wider Auckland area.
This trip encompa**es all that is good about the beautiful coa*tline north of Auckland. Day 1 explores Devonport/Takapuna, and day 2 takes in a trip to the wildlife sanctuary of Tiritiri Matangi Island. Day 3 explores the more rural townships further north, ending with a trip to the hot springs at Waiwera.
Day 1 - Auckland
 Day Note

Enjoy the atmosphere of Devonport/Takapuna - cla**y cafes, shopping, a walk on the beach and superb views of the Hauraki Gulf.
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The Devonport Stone Oven Bakery has been a fixture in the area for about twenty years and specialises in authentic traditional sourdough. They bake 30 varieties of bread daily, all fat free and naturally fermented without chemicals. Also served are delicious gateaux, pastries, pies, soup and lots of great counter food, along with tea and coffee. The atmosphere is bustling throughout breakfast and lunch. The café is licensed and you can sit inside watching the bakers, or outside observing the passing traffic.
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Devonport Information Centre
 Type: Visitor Center
Just a short stroll from the ferry building you will find this information centre full of free brochures, maps, public transport timetables, accommodation information, and a small range of souvenirs. The whole country is covered, but Auckland information is prominent. Bookings can be made for the ferry and coaches, attractions and activities, and accommodation. The staff are friendly and helpful. The library is just next door, and the shops are just across the road. Feeling energetic? Try climbing nearby Mount Victoria for panoramic views of the city.
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R'Toto Pub & Café
 Cuisine: Seafood, American
R'Toto has a great atmosphere and ambience and brews excellent beer on site. Lava Lager is the most popular, with a clean crisp taste. Crater Ale is a bit heavier and more colourful, while Black Rat Dark Ale provides the full-bodied taste and texture one would expect from the name. They also brew a Raspberry Rat and a Lava Lite as well as other speciality beers. The bistro-styled food is equally excellent and imaginative, from the seafood pizza to market fresh fish of the day in hollandaise, pesto or apricot dipping sauce.
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Old Devonport Walk (The)
 Type: Outdoors: Hike/Walk
The route is laid out in 'The Old Devonport Walk' brochure, available from the Information Centre, Windsor Reserve, Devonport. The first Tainui canoe landed on the foreshore about 1350AD, followed by the British Navy in 1840. The route passes historic monuments, churches, fine old houses, the cemetery, the ferry wharf, volcanic cones and lava flows. The Devonport Museum organises regular conducted tours around this route. A number of the buildings are privately owned and not open to the public.
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Chelsea Sugar Refinery Park
 Type: Picnics, Parks & Gardens
Visitors are able to enjoy this beautiful park area of mature trees and fish-filled lakes around the private industrial estate of the New Zealand Sugar Refinery. There are pleasant walks to be had through regenerating kanuka groves, and tracks connect with Kauri Point Park and Chatswood Reserve. The Refinery has been sited here in Chelsea Bay since 1883, originally chosen for its deep water access and plentiful fresh water supply. It was isolated in the early days, and had to create its own self sufficient little township. Some of the original brick Edwardian houses still stand in excellent restored condition.
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Mount Victoria
 Type: Outdoors: Other
Mount Victoria, at 87 metres, is a 10-15 minute walk from the Devonport ferry terminal. Maori fortifications can still be seen--Takarunga, "the hill above", was an important Maori Pa or fortress site. French navigator Dumont D'Urville recognised the strategic importance of the scoria cone and climbed to the top in 1827. Later it was the site of a signal station for shipping. Today Mount Victoria rewards visitors with a splendid view of the harbour and city as well as well-tended gardens and trees.
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North Head
 Type: Outdoors: Hike/Walk
North Head is important strategically, as it stands at the entrance to the inner harbour and looks out over the Hauraki Gulf. It is covered with military remains dating from pre-European times to the World War II era. Tunnels link many of the gun emplacements built during World War II. A few big guns still remain. Allow a couple of hours to walk from the Devonport ferry landing to the top of North Head and enjoy the panoramic vista.
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Takapuna Beach
 Type: Beach
Takapuna Beach is just a few steps from the bustling but laid-back shopping centre of Takapuna. It not only offers beautiful views across the harbour, fine white sand and safe swimming but also some excellent examples of lava-encased fossilised trees--covered by one of Auckland's many volcanic eruptions, 150,000 years ago. From Takapuna Beach you can walk south to Narrow Neck Beach or North to Milford Beach. Both walks are best done at low tide.
Day 2 - Auckland
 Day Note

A day trip to Tiritiri Matangi Island, New Zealand's number one spot to see rare and endangered wildlife.
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Long Bay Restaurant
 Cuisine: Seafood
This restaurant perched upon the sand dunes overlooks beautiful Long Bay Beach. French doors open onto beachside decks for al fresco dining, or close tight against inclement weather. The restaurant accepts bookings for private parties, including weddings. The restaurant's interior features wooden beams and pitched ceiling; windows dominate the seaward aspect. Tables are simply adorned in white linen. The atmosphere is warm and casual.
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Whangaparaoa Peninsula
 Type: Outdoors: Other
Whangaparaoa is fast becoming urbanised--many residents commute to Auckland central on a daily basis. At the tip of the peninsula is the Shakespear Regional Park with facilities including swimming, bush walks, fishing and camping and the Gulf Harbour Country Club. Meaning "Bay of Whales", Whangaparaoa was initially settled by the Ngati Kahu tribe and did not see European settlement until the 1850s. Today the still undeveloped parts of the peninsula feature regenerating forests of puriri, taraire, kowhai and karaka. Native birds are much in evidence as well. Sandstone cliffs separate sandy beaches (with safe swimming) and make for interesting walks.
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Tiritiri Matangi Island
 Type: Recreation & Nature Area
This island in the Hauraki Gulf is a haven for endangered native birds such as Takahe, Silvereye and Kokako. Managed by the Department of Conservation, their staff is available for guided walks. Access to the island is limited, and ferry bookings are essential. In the summer, Hobb's Beach provides the opportunity for swimming and picnicking. Walks are easy to moderate in difficulty and range from 10 minutes to 4 hours. There are extensive sea views from the Tiritiri lighthouse - once the most powerful in the Southern Hemisphere, and a souvenir shop for a memento of your visit. Ferries to the island start from Auckland at 9a (sailings subject to weather change).
Day 3 - Auckland
 Day Note

Enjoy the good food and wine that the villages of Matakana and Puhoi have to offer further north. End the trip with a relaxing visit to the hot springs at Waiwera.
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Matakana
 Type: Winery
Matakana is a fast-developing region rich in history, wine and recreational activities. Warkworth, a venerable port on the Mahurangi River, has interesting art, craft and antique shops. Northeast, you come to the delightful old river town of Matakana. Here new wineries, olive groves and kiwi fruit farms are developing. Cafés such as the one at Morris and James Pottery Tileworks dot the landscape. At Omaha there is a beautiful white sand beach. Past the fishing village of Leigh, is Goat Island Marine Reserve for snorkelling and scuba diving. During the summer take a Glass Bottom Boat trip.
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Morris and James produce beautiful handcrafted and glazed terracotta plant pots for indoor and outdoor use. They are all shapes, sizes and beautiful colors. They also produce gorgeous tiles, plaques and wall art. These pieces make wonderful, lasting souvenirs and shipping can be arranged. Free pottery tours take place on weekdays from 11.30am. Their fully licensed courtyard cafe and bar provides another reason to make the trip. A full selection of local Matakana wines is also available.
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Just a few minutes north of Orewa is the fantastic Waiwera Thermal Resort, a hot springs complex with pools of various temperatures and depths as well as exciting water slides and private pools. Waiwera is a great family destination with good facilities and plenty of food and refreshments available. Water park admission: Adults NZD21; children NZD11; pre-schoolers NZD6; seniors NZD9; family NZD53. Further to the north is the beautiful Wenderholm Regional Park.
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Glass Bottom Boat - Aquador
 Type: Outdoors: Boating
Less than 11/2 hours drive north of Auckland is the Goat Island marine reserve. The driest way to see some of the 55 species of marine life which inhabit the area, such as snapper, moki, mao-mao to name but a few, is aboard the Glass Bottom Boat. It operates year-round (weather permitting) and can cater for up to 18 adults, or 25 children at once. The most popular trip,(around the island) takes about 45 minutes, a 30 minute trip is also available. It is recommended to contact them for weather conditions first.
Unscheduled items
Auckland

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Orewa Beach
 Type: Beach
Orewa is a fast-growing tourist destination featuring a beautiful beach, cafés and restaurants and a beach-front holiday park. On windy days watch for sand yachts whizzing up and down the beach. It is officially classified as a public thoroughfare and can be driven upon at low tide. The Orewa Beach Lookout, located just north of Orewa on the eastern side of State Highway One, provides a spellbinding vista of the entire sweep of Orewa Beach as well as the Hauraki Gulf islands.