In the Maori tradition, Northland is said to be the tail of the fish Maui caught when he went to sea to prove to his brothers he was a great fisherman. The whole north island is this fish, and the South Island is the canoe he was fishing from. The whole area is rich in Maori history and culture, so we tried to keep our eyes wide open. We head north from Auckland taking the western route through rolling green hills, rich kauri forests and an occasional glimpse of the sea. We had a great lunch at the Blah Blah Blah Cafe in Dargaville, center for kumara, a sweet potato (which, incidentally, some historians believe is proof early Polynesians travelled as far as the coasts of Central and South America!).

The Waipoua Forest is about an hour north, and is home to some of the largest and oldest living kauri trees left after the logging and gum industries took their tolls. We chose a couple of walks through the forest, and were accompanied by the sounds of very melodic birds along the way. We also saw the majestic Tane Mahuta (Lord of the Forest) and Te Matua Ngahare (Father of the Forest).

We spent the night at a place called Endless Summer in Ahipara overlooking the bay. This bug house has stunning, polished wood everywhere, fresh flowers in the rooms, and clean, fresh linen on the beds. What a treat! After a long beach walk, we were rewarded with a gorgeous sunset–pink and orange with navy blue clouds puffed up into dramatic shapes over the sea.

For more North Island photos click here