We love getting away with the family and for this long weekend we choose to head 2 hours north of Auckland to the beautiful Whangarei. It was the perfect destination – it’s not to far from Auckland yet offered a good family getaway. And with so many fun and outdoorsy things to do in Whangarei, the kids will never get bored!
Day 1
We packed everything into the car the night before ad left before the sun came up to beat the traffic leaving Auckland – it was a public holiday/long weekend which meant everyone was going away.
Piroa Falls
After nearly two hours in the car this was our first stop. We’d driven past the sign so many times before but decided it was time to go check these waterfalls out!
The kids hopped out and enjoy the little 5-minute walk down. They played by the creek then climbed the rocks to see how close they could get to the waterfalls. The water was freezing but we enjoyed the time outside, the kids gathered some leaves and raced them down the flowing water.
Waipu Beach
Waipu Beach was beautiful, we started out at the southern end, had a picnic by the stream then headed to a spot where the stream meets the sea. They enjoyed boogie boarding on the waves and swinging on the swing that had been tied to a tree near the stream.
Further along the beach there were lifeguards, where we headed to later on to enjoy riding along the bigger waves.
Pancake Rocks, Waipu
The pancake rocks were incredible. After a google search, I wasn’t able to find too much information or photos of them so we didn’t really know what to expect!
There was no signage, but after going to Waipu we kind of stumbled along the track.
It was about a ten-minute walk beside the coast, the boys left their boogie boards on the grass (we couldn’t be bothered walking all the way back to the car) and did it barefoot and though it was a hot day, the kids loved the adventure.
We had to walk across the creek to access the track but because it was high tide the water was waist deep. The kids didn’t mind though because they had been playing in the water and were wet already.
The kids were in absolute awe at the pancake rocks and immediately started spotting out all of the caves and crevices. We spent a good hour here, exploring – the boys didn’t want to leave!
Whangarei Falls
It’s funny, because the first time I came here Sam and I were quickly stopping in on our way up north. We checked out the two platforms above the falls and were then on our way, without really taking anything in.
The second time we came, we had the kids with us and we took the time to really enjoy each part of the journey to the bottom of the waterfalls (I guess that’s what you can expect with kids – they make everything so much more exciting!) and we thoroughly enjoyed our time. Not only did we enjoy the scenery but we also bonded as a family. More on that later!
The thing we loved best about this place was of course, exploration and adventure. What I didn’t know was that you can walk along the rocks and try get as close as you can to the bottom of the falls. We saw a guy do it, while his friends stayed back, cheered him on and took photos. We knew we had to do it for ourselves too. So I set out, on an adventure unknown, my two little kiddies in tow. There were lots of cool photo opportunities along the way. A few meters before the falls it got really mossy and slippery. As we hung onto the rocks tightly and inched ourselves slowly closer, it felt amazing being right there, so close to the falls that we could feel the gentle spray of the water. It was an amazing experience and one I was glad to be able to do with my kids. Me and Ash decided to do the other side as well together and I loved spending that one on one time with him doing something that was pretty cool.
Both sides are amazing and we loved the adventure and thrill of doing something like this. Being under such powerful waterfalls is pretty amazing. I would recommend these falls, they’re beautiful and even better is making special memories.
Day 2
It’s a gorgeous, sunny day just as we hoped it would be. We’ve got a lot of relaxing and swimming planned for the day!
Matapouri Beach
Matapouri is a beautiful beach with clear water and beautiful surroundings. There’s plenty of people around, lazing on the beach and cooling off in the clear water. We walk along the beach and want to join in but we’re headed somewhere else today.
Mermaid Pools, Matapouri
We really enjoyed doing this with the kids. We hadn’t done anything like this with them before and it was a bit of an adventure for all of us. To our surprise, there were quite a few other young kids there and even a baby made it and enjoyed floating in the water. Whangarei, you are beautiful!
Whale Bay, Matapouri
A beautiful but small beach and incredibly popular. We went during a long weekend and the car park and beach was packed. It’s a small walk to the beach so we don’t bring much even though the boys want to bring their boogie boards. Not this time, boys. I ain’t hauling all of that back up. We have a good time anyway. We rest under the Pohutakawa trees, it’s shady and the perfect spot to unwind before until we’re back in the water again.
Before heading back to camp we stop in at the local dairy for an ice cream. Yumm.
Day 3
Rise and shine. The day is gloomy and the idea is to head out to Ocean Beach, then do some climbing at the Adventure Forest (which we didn’t end up doing because we were low on time) and on the way back home, drop in at the Waipu Caves.
We pack up and head out.
Ocean Beach
We knew we couldn’t visit Whangarei and not stop in at one of their beaches. And we were not disappointed.
It’s a bit of a drive out of Whangarei town (35min), but it’s a stunner. If we had been more prepared and brought food we could have easily stayed longer and explored more of this 5km wild, big, open beach.
I know that the kids wanted to check out the big sand dunes that are on one side of the beach but we just hadn’t come prepared to stay that long. They did, however, boogie board along the waves.
It was a cold day, too cold for me so instead, I went for a little walk to the top of a hill and the views were breathtaking.
Waipu Caves
We stopped in quickly on our way home, we were kind of ‘um’ing and ah-ing’ about this one because we really didn’t want to get stuck in traffic on the way back to Auckland but we’re glad we did, it was a great adventure to end off our trip.
The kids loved wandering through this cave, viewing the glowworms and venturing around the next corner – it’s definitely the longest cave they’ve been in so far.
It’s huge. There are many sections to it, we couldn’t explore them all. We were able to spot some glow worms along the way, they got better the further we went in.
We were so happy to have discovered this but wish we had been more prepared. We also had a time limit and wish we had more time to explore this place. This is Northland’s largest cave passage and something you have to do when you’re in Whangarei!
Where we stayed
We camped at Whangarei Top 10 Holiday Park. The thing I love about campsites is how easily the kids can make friends. Whatever campsite we go to, they always make at least one friend – and that’s all they need. They can spend hours playing while you can relax or do some washing or meal prep.
This particular campsite had a little playground, trampoline and a small games room which was plenty enough for them. It is quite a small site, you can easily keep an eye on them and call them in whenever need be.
The one thing I didn’t like about it was that it didn’t have a large enough kitchen and bench space to cook in. If it’s just you – great. But as soon as 3 or more couples or families get in there it becomes chaotic real quick and it seems that everyone has dinner at the exact same time. Other than that, we were happy campers.
Tips for next time
Though we were pretty happy with our little weekend getaway, next time we would:
Spend a day in Waipu instead of just stopping in. There are so many lovely beaches to discover.
Spend more time exploring the Tutukaka peninsula. This place is the perfect summer destination.
Conclusion
This little getaway was the perfect place to end the summer and we enjoyed every second. There’s just so many things to check out and see, it’ll just have you wanting to come back for more. And being just 2 hours away from Auckland it makes it the perfect spot for Aucklanders who want to slow down the pace.
