Northland: Escape to Whananaki

Don't expect much to be going on at Whananaki - that's the beauty of the place. Photo / Photonewzealand

This isolated Northland community is an ideal spot for a weekend break, writes Holly Jean Brooker.

It was late on a Thursday afternoon and we were on the road, heading for a long weekend escape in Northland. Friends were visiting from America with a new babe in tow, so what better way to give the ultimate Kiwi experience than a bunch of us (15 in fact) loading bags, babies, buggies and food into cars and heading up north to the isolated seaside community of Whananaki.

The drive into Whananaki is one I dread, with its seemingly endless winding roads that dip and turn and lunge and leer, but it's really only about 20km, and the destination is well worth the effort. If car sickness is your unwelcome companion, you can take the Whananaki South route instead, but as it isn't fully tarsealed it will add another 10-15 mins to the trip.

The arrival is breathtaking. As we stepped out of the car with just enough light left to admire the scene, we each took a deep breath of fresh sea air while gazing out at the beautiful sandy estuary across the road, while I fist-pumped about our epic accommodation.

We had booked the Mini Whananaki bach (which sleeps 16 at $750-$1000 per night), happily splitting the cost among friends for a few nights of luxury. But there are plenty of more affordable options in the area we have enjoyed too: Motutara Farm is always a winner for camping, with generous sites overlooking surf beaches and comfortable, if basic, facilities, and there are classic Kiwi baches available for hire.

Don't expect much to be going on at Whananaki - and that's the beauty of the place.

It's a small, friendly community, with a chilled-out, slow vibe. There's an inlet on one side looking out at Whananaki South, and farmland with the odd bach on the other. This is the perfect spot for young kids, with hours of fun to be had building sandcastles, throwing stones and general splashing and water play.

The active members of our crew enjoyed paddle boarding on the estuary in the welcome afternoon sun - and it's a hot spot for fishermen, too.

A few minutes up the hill is the Department of Conservation campsite and surf beach at Otamure Bay, and nearby are Tauwhara Bay and Moureeses Bay, for the surfers.

Enjoying the sunny weather we camped out under a bunch of trees at Moureeses with food, towels, umbrellas and kids while some of our bunch took to the waves.

After our morning at the beach, a short 10-minute walk from our bach to the local dairy for icecream was followed by a jaunt to the neighbouring primary school for some playground action. At the back of the school an unobtrusive wooden bridge - said to be the longest footbridge in the Southern Hemisphere - leads across the estuary to Whananaki South, which is great for a change of scenery and more of those beautiful views.

Or you can take the walk around the inlet at Whananaki North (via Wharf Rd), which leads up on to Barons Farm. This requires comfy walking shoes (and frontpacks instead of prams) but has astonishing, 360-degree views of the peninsula - well worth the effort and ideal for burning off icecream.

The Whananaki Beach Store is bustling every day during summer, but in winter/autumn it slows down somewhat, closing by 5.30pm.

We struck it lucky on a Saturday evening as the takeaway joint was open for business (Thursday-Sunday outside summer) so could indulge in a feast of fish, chips and hot dogs whipped up by Joy, the owner.

It was a beautiful, still evening, so we walked to the grassed area nearby looking out to Whananaki estuary for a real al-fresco dining experience.

On the two-hour drive back to Auckland we quietly planned our return for another break from the city.

NEED TO KNOW

Accommodation: Try Motutara Farm or check Bookabach for a variety of options.