Holidays in small towns like Rāwene offer something larger towns can't.
Holidays in small towns like Rāwene offer something larger towns can't.
There are no traffic jams, crowded malls or endless queues. The harbours are calm, the nights are quiet and the residents are happy to point visitors in the right direction.
Wharves become unofficial diving boards, kids wander in parks and the loudest sounds come from cicadas in the pōhutukawa trees.
Often overlooked in travel brochures, Northland’s small towns still deliver the kind of Kiwi summer many of us grew up with.
Hokianga Tourism Association chairwoman Delvene Morrissey-Butler said small-town holidays offered something bigger destinations couldn’t, and more people should experience them.
“It’s an opportunity to really take a deep breath and take it all in and experience the real Kiwi experience.
“Big cities are rushed and anonymous, small towns are more personable, and it’s slower and quieter.”
Morrissey-Butler said the Hokianga epitomised everything special about the Far North and had “the best authentic Kiwi experiences”.
Those included everything from the history embedded in the land and harbour, with places like Manea Footprints of Kupe and iconic kauri Tane Mahuta, to the stunning beaches.
“We are waterfront as all of our region is around the harbour,” Morrissey-Butler said.
“We have history, both culturally as the birthplace of Aotearoa and colonial, with the early settlers to the region and the milling.”
People often stumbled into Northland without realising how much there was to explore, Morrissey-Butler said.
“I frequently come across travellers who are driving through from other places and are surprised at the natural beauty here and how quiet it is, and they wish they’d planned a longer time to stop and explore.”
The Boatshed Cafe is a fixture of the historic Rāwene township. Photo / Jenny Ling
Morrissey-Butler said what made small-town summers in Northland the perfect alternative to big-city holidays was that people could truly unplug and relax.
“Unplugging and doing some technology detoxing is always good for humans and this is one way to achieve that, going to out-of-the-way places to restore yourselves.”
Morrissey-Butler said while tourism was important, small towns wanted to maintain their “uniqueness and tranquillity”.
For Rāwene resident Erina Williams, the simplicity of summers in the small town is unforgettable.
But she conceded she wished for more when growing up in Rāwene.
Rāwene resident Erina Williams says the town has more to offer now than when she was a child growing up in the town. Photo / Yolisa Tswanya
“There wasn’t much for youth. We’d go out for walks, jumping off the wharf was also a big thing.”
