Whāngarei District
Whangārei Te Terenga Pararoa – meaning ‘The Gathering Place of the Whales’ is Northland’s only city that combines both coastal and rural land of rare beauty.
The hub of Northland Region, it achieved its city status in 1965, driven by the kauri-gum trade, limestone quarrying at Hikurangi and being a main transport link connecting Auckland and Far North.
Includes 1/5th of the Northalnd’s region, it spreads all the way from Bream Bay to Whangaruru and includes Hen and Chicken Islands.
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About Whangarei Disctrict
Whangarei District holds a special place within the Northland region, enchanting visitors and locals alike with its breathtaking landscapes, rich cultural heritage, vibrant markets, and a warm sense of community that makes every visit truly memorable.
Subtropical Whangarei is a thriving busy city with a vibrant and unique arts community. Having an oceanic climate, with 30 C in summer and plenty of rain throughout the year.
Stats provided by climate-data.org
The Whangārei City
The Whangārei City offers a wide range of activities of any taste. The city is compact with a flat land, everything is within the easy walking distance. Markets, museum, art galleries, parks, port, falls and more, Whangarei has something for everyone.
Panoramic view of the Whāngarei City
Town Basin of Whāngarei
The Town Basin is an international yachting community hub, located in the city centre and in a sheltered area, safe from hurricanes. It often hosts diverse events, markets, as well as has a huge range of nice cafes, restaurants, kids playgrounds, and is simply a joyful place to walk around.
Town Basin Track
The 4.2km loop track ‘Hatea Loop Huarahi o te Whai harbourside walkway’ begins at the Town basin and carries on along the waterfront’s Sculpture trails featuring sculpture art from local Māori artists and info-boards with history info. Passes by the elegant walking bridge known as ‘Kotuitui Whitinga’ where you can witness the impressive opening bridge ‘Te Matau a Pohe’.
Must-see places in Whāngarei District – Outdoors, Heritage
These activities offer a mix of outdoor adventures, cultural experiences, and family-friendly attractions to enjoy in the Whangarei District.
Walks, Tracks, Outings
Explore Whangarei falls – a picturesque 26m high waterfall with native forest, short walks and picnic area. Located just a short drive from the city center. It can be a short walk with picnic escape, or a half-day outing if to walk the Hatea River walkway that takes you from falls to the town basin. Explore a huge selectrion of other walkways and tracks in Whangarei.
Walk Whangarei Heads area – spectacular coastal views and historic sights that relate to WWII and Māori culture.
Climb Mt Manaia: Embark on a hike up Mount Manaia for breathtaking panoramic views of the Whangarei Heads and the surrounding area. The trail offers a good mix of challenge and reward!
Visit the Whangarei Quarry Gardens: Discover the beautiful gardens built in an old quarry. Take a leisurely stroll through the landscaped gardens, admire the plant life, and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere.
Discover the Town Basin: Visit the Town Basin area, known for its marina, art galleries, cafes, and boutique shops. Take a walk along the waterfront, enjoy the view, and browse the local art scene.
Experience Kiwi North: Visit Kiwi North, a unique attraction featuring a museum, nocturnal kiwi house, and heritage park. Learn about New Zealand’s natural and cultural history and catch a glimpse of the iconic kiwi bird.
Enjoy Bream Head Coast Walks: Take on the Te Whara Track, offering stunning coastal views and a chance to experience native flora and fauna. This is a great option for nature enthusiasts and hikers. Follow in the footsteps of Northland’s Māori ancestors and enjoy a spectacular 360-degree panorama. It’s one of our best day hikes.
Explore Abbey Caves: Venture into the limestone caves of Abbey Caves Reserve. Take a guided tour or explore on your own to see impressive stalactites and stalagmites.
Travel to Waipu caves with glow worms shinning 24/7 and walk in the native bush around the cave!
Must-See Beaches
Take a trip to Tutukaka: Head to Tutukaka, a scenic coastal village known for its beautiful beaches and the gateway to the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve. Enjoy swimming, snorkeling, diving, or simply relaxing on the beach.
Magical Mangawhai – the name says it all! Enjoy a spectacular cliff walkway along the Doc track, walk along the beach, swim in the pacific ocean and spend a whole day out there. It is also known for its surfing waves at Mangawhai Surf beach. In summer enjoy hand-made strawberry ice-cream and fresh-brew coffee. Paradise!
Waipu Cove beach will leave you speechless with its amazing coastal walks, white-sands and great swimming area.
Uretiti Doc campground – Camp behind the sand dunes and surf all day long!
Art, Craft & Heritage
- Whangarei Art Museum – see city’s main art collection, featuring heritage and contemporary art. The museum often hosts exhibitions and events showcasing local and national artists.
- Fall in love with the Hundertwasse Art Centre! Hundertwasser Art Centre with Wairau Māori Art Gallery is an original Hundertwasser architecture project. Ecological sustainability is a central tenet of the construction, which alongside enduring new materials from New Zealand and Europe, uses 40,000 recycled bricks, 1600 cubic metres of recycled native timber of the original building, 5,000 recycled pavers and 3,000m2 of locally crafted tiles.
- Claphams Clock Museum with 2100 clocks! Take a walk through the history of time, from ancient sun, sand and water clocks to the rare antique and unusual exhibits.
- Explore street art, local authentic boutiques, art & craft studios thorughout the towns of Waipu, Whanagarei and Mangawhai as you walk along the main streets.
Local Markets
Experience a variety of markets around Whangarei District area. Delve into antique fairs and discover the unique offerings of local artisans, who showcase their local produce, craft, services, make connections, as locals love to do networking!
- Artisan Fair Market in Whangarei runs every Saturday and takes place at the Canopy Bridge, Whangarei Town Basin. This market is being main Whangarei’s premium Arts, Craft & Food market – it support and encourages the thriving creativity in Northland’s artistic community!
*3pm to 7pm, Saturdays from Labour Weekend through summer - The Whangarei Growers Market – started by growers in 1998 to sell fresh, local produce direct to the public. Everyone will find something local and special here.
*6am to 10am, every Saturday morning, all year on Water Street carpark, Water Street, Whangārei. - Waipu Boutique Sunday Market is considered to be simply the best art & craft market in the beautiful Northland town of Waipu. It is held on the 2nd Sunday of every month inside the Coronation Hall in the centre of Waipu.
- Waipu street market – is apopular street market that is held on Sundays of the long National holiday weekends : Anniversary, Easter, Queen’s birthday and Labour weekend. The market runs from 9am till 1pm.
It holds more than 100 stalls, featuring family entertainment of a Bouncy castle, Live Music, food stalls and displays. - Matakana Village Farmers Market. Located in a charming village setting, this market offers a diverse selection of fresh produce, organic foods, specialty goods, local wines, and artisanal products. It also features live music and a friendly atmosphere.
*Runs every Saturday 8am – 1pm
- The Canopy Night Market in Whangārei – The ever popular Canopy Night Market is held monthly through the summer months and brings together incredible street food vendors from both Whangārei and all across the Northland region.
*The Canopy Night Market will return on Labour Weekend. - Tikipunga Market – Small local marlet at Tikipunga Tavern Carpark, corner of Wanaka Street and Denby Crescent. *6.30am to 11am, every Sunday.
- Tutukākā Markets – Located at the Northern end of the Tutukaka Green with the beautiful Tutukaka Marina as a backdrop this twilight summer market will feature Live Music, Food, Northland artists, artisans, service providers and curators.
More up to date info on current market events in the area here on Whangareinz website.
Usefull Links
- Whangarei’s most popular walks – PDF (features The Hatea Loop, Waimahanga walkway and Abbey Caves walk info and maps).
DOC tracks and activities in Whangarei. Includes important updates and alerts in the area.
3km loop Taheke waterfall track – explore kauri forest and enjoy waterfall views!
- Going on the beach? Check the Whangarei tides here
- Explore the future festivals and events in Whangarei
