Dome Forest Loop

Tuatara

When you travel the loop around Dome Forest in Northland, New Zealand, you’ll find forest hiking paths, working farms, and a marine sanctuary. At Warkworth, where we left off on our tour up SH1, take a scenic loop around Dome Forest. You’ll end up back on SH1 near Wellsford. You’re still not far from Auckland, so this makes a good day trip if you’re stuck in Auckland on business and want to see more of New Zealand than just city traffic.

In Dome Forest, you’ll find a hiking trail that leads to a viewing platform. It’s about a 20 minute, fairly easy hike to the viewing platform. Then, if you’d like to view Taranga Island of the Hens and Chickens, climb through the rocks to Dome Summit. The descent through a Kauri grove is easier. The trail crosses land sacred to local Maori, so keep on the trail.

A side road to Tawharanui Regional Park drops down to the right off this loop around Dome Forest not far from Sandspit—where the boat leaves for Kawau Island. The park road winds through farmland and ends in a gravel section. Once a private farm, the park, with its long sandy beach and grassy pohutakawa shaded areas, covers the end of the peninsula that pokes out into the Pacific Ocean just north of Kawau Island. There’s also a good walking trail that starts near a protected area of New Zealand dotterel birds, continues up the beach, then climbs across farmland to a forest. Points of interest along the trail are marked and trail guides are available for the longer trails. Tent camping sites are available, but book in advance in summer months.

Goat Island

Photo By:

Piotr Zurek

New Zealand’s marine reserve, Goat Island , spreads between Cape Rodney and Okakari Point. This is an excellent area to enjoy tide pools at low tide, snorkel, or dive. Although fishing is not allowed in the reserve, boats can launch in Leigh cove. There’s a five knot speed limit within 200 meters of shore or a dive flag and you’re reminded to anchor carefully so you don’t destroy the marine environment. Dive and snorkeling gear can be rented. If you’re not anxious to get wet, try a glass-bottom boat or you can explore the reserve with a PADI certified guide.

You might find your best chance to see a tuatara up close in the reptile park at Ti Point.

If you’d like to spend time on an isolated working farm, ride horseback along the beach and sanddunes, or pack into high country forest for a night or two, Pakiri Beach Horse Rides is just north of Goat Island marine reserve. The first road at Pakiri goes to the beach, the next road brings you to the 2000 acre family farm of Laly and Sharley Haddon. Beach cabins and river cabins are available as well as a beach house on the dunes that sleeps eight. Rides are from one hour along the beach to several days meandering through high country, farmlands and forests with views of the Hauraki Gulf. At night guests sleep along the trail in farm and beach houses– including the ancestral house of the Ngati Wai, while learning about Maori history and legends.

The loop around Dome Forest brings you back to SH1 just 19 km north at Wellsford. The road as far as Cape Rodney is in good shape. Beyond Pakiri, it’s windy, in poor condition, and no towing is allowed. If you’re not in the mood for a windy, dirty, road, just backtrack to Warkworth– or spend the night at Pakiri Beach Holiday Park and return the next day.

Lyn Harris

RV in NZ: How to Spend Your Winters South in New Zealand

Kawau Island

Pohutakawa Tree

by

Jonathan

Kawau Island in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand which I posted about in the Kowai Coast is a good place to see birds up close. Catch a boat from Sandspit Wharf near Warkworth to Kawau Island. The Island has kiwi birds and also two thirds of the North Island wekas. Another chunky flightless land birds, wekas have reddish brown feathers and walk with a flicking tail. Wekas are nosey, so it’s not too hard to spot one. The wekas and birds in For the Birds are all native birds.

New Zealand has a lot of tourist over-stayers– people that like New Zealand so much they hang around after their visas expire. They also have many feathered and furred tourist over-stayers. When the Maori arrived from the Society Islands in the 14th century to escape food shortages and war, they found plenty of food, though not much good red meat. Other than two species of bat, there were no land mammals. The flightless Kiwi birds and wekas dug around on the forest floor for their dinner.

In 1862, Sir George Grey, Governor of New Zealand, bought Kawau Island and remodeled the existing mine manager’s house into the Mansion House and surrounded it with botanical gardens and a zoological park. Grey also brought in five species of wallabies. Cute little pests, they tore up the native vegetation along with the not so cute possums, another pest. The wallabies destroyed baby pohutakawa trees so there can never be any mature trees. In many areas, the ground is also often bare, leaving the birds without food or shelter. Even the surrounding marine water has silt carried across the bare ground by rainwater.

Pohutakawa Blossum

By

Webmink

Pohutakawa Trust New Zealand is an attempt by the private landowners to reverse the damage by reducing the number of wallabies and possums so more native birds can survive. Pohutakawa’s, which the trust is attempting to save on Kawau are the bright red "New Zealand Christmas Trees" you’ll see in bloom if you visit New Zealand in the holiday season.

Lyn Harris

RV in NZ: How to Spend Your Winters South in New Zealand

The Kowhai Coast

Mansion House

on

Kawau Island

Photo By:

Dunk the Funk

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In New Zealand, just a little north of Orewa on SH1, Waiwera is also a good place to stop if you’re RVing and want to relax in the mineral pools. Next door to the Wairewa Thermal Pools, a Holiday Park has campsites, chalets and cabins. If you’re traveling by auto and want to save a little on lodging, these campgrounds are ideal– remember to bring your own bedding for a reduced rate. Since you’re still fairly close to Auckland, the Thermal Resort with its 26 mineral pools and water slides is crowded in New Zealand’s summer– particularly on the weekends.

If you’re looking for something lower priced and lower paced,

Wenderholm Regional Park is nearby. Tent camping sites are available and there are a few sites for RVs. Both Orewa and Wenderholm Regional Park are on the Hauraki Gulf if you like sand and sea.

In the middle of the Kowhai Coast, Warkworth is about 1 l/2 hours north of Auckland on SH1. Warkworth is a town of a little over 3,000– not counting tourists. The Mahurangi River runs through Warkworth and drains into Mahurangi Harbour on the Gulf. The river is the home to many, many ducks. If you’re hiking along the river– watch where you step.

If you’re not rushing through the Kowhai Coast, spend a day on

Kawau Island– catch a small boat from Sandspit Wharf. The Maori lived on Kawau at one time. In the 1840's a manganese mine was established. Later copper was discovered and the partial ruins of the old copper mine are still on the island.

In 1862 Sir George Grey, one of New Zealand’s first governors, bought the island and turned the mine manager’s home into a mansion He also imported many plants and animals– including five species of wallabies. The wallabies still roam the island damaging the native vegetation. 10% of the island, including the Mansion House, are owned by the Department of Conservation (DOC). There are many native birds including wekas, bellbirds and Kiwis.

If you charter a sailboat in Auckland, you’ll probably visit the Kawau Island Yacht Club. If you’d like to spend a quiet night, bachs, holiday flats and bed and breakfast accommodations are available. Most are located on the water. The majority of the island has no roads. Book ahead in the summer season as this is a popular tourist area.

Lyn Harris

RV in NZ: How to Spend Your Winters South in New Zealand