Danielle Wright and family don't let the rain put them off Sandspit.

The township of Warkworth's community feeling is what makes it so special, Darryl Soljan tells Rebecca Kamm.

Usually, a crowded bar is a good sign, but this turned out to be a different story at Matakana House.

Cate Foster puts flowers in her hair and follows the hippie trail to the pukeko bridge and the charming Northland town of Kaiwaka.

Looking for somewhere to eat? Check out nzherald.co.nz's new restaurant reviews map.

Warm in winter, cool in summer, this Warkworth home has land to graze the kids' ponies on and its own bush reserve.

Just north of Auckland is a cluster of our best vineyards, discovers Susan Edmunds.

This sunny and spacious ranch-style property blends charisma with every modern comfort

This luxurious and sun-soaked property converted two certified city slickers to the good life

A man been jailed for twice raiding a fruit business' honesty box at Warkworth to pay gang associates who were threatening him.

In a grand hall in the riverside town of Warkworth where they once printed the news, men in grey T-shirts and dusty Oracle Racing caps are making news of their own.

You don't have to go far to get up close with creatures great and small, discovers Bronwyn Sell.

Strolling, floating, or cruising, here are some laid-back ways to make the most of the city.

Follow the wildlife to Tawharanui Regional Park near Matakana, New Zealand's first integrated open sanctuary. It's not just for the birds, as Danielle Wright discovers.

Queues of New Year's Eve traffic are beginning to build around the country.

The deaths of a teen riding on the back of a truck and a motorcylist this afternoon have brought the holiday road toll to five, while a serious crash stalled holiday traffic through Warkworth, north of Auckland.

In her work as an event stylist, Sonia Couling can let her imagination run wild, and that approach has helped her when it comes to decorating her Warkworth home.

For years, families have dropped off chickens that no longer lay or are no longer loved at the State Highway 1 carpark. Now, cars are pulling up for another reason: to kidnap the wild chooks.

A shortened trip between Auckland and Warkworth makes the stop at Plume all the more worthwhile.