Travelling from East to West Coast in North Island, New Zealand ?
1 Answer
Departing from Auckland, heading north along the east coast, south along the west coast, passing through Whangarei to admire the beautiful New Zealand coast, shuttling through the archipelago-dotted bays, all the way to the northernmost end of the road, Cape Reinga, to feel the dual shock of land and sea. Finally, on the return journey from the west coast, admire New Zealand's oldest kauri forest, and finally return to Auckland.Day 1 AucklandAuckland-Mangawhai-WhangareiTransportation: Rental car / Set Mangawhai Heads as the GPS address, drive about 100 kilometers along Highway 1 from Auckland.Mangawhai HeadsMangawhai Heads, 100 kilometers from Auckland, is a long white sandy beach coast. It takes about 80 minutes to drive down the highway, and the north end is a surfing beach. The sand dunes on the beach are home to a variety of rare flora and fauna, yet the beach is still a safe area, suitable for swimming, surfing, kayaking, and paragliding. Mangawhai is one of New Zealand's top ten most beautiful towns, and it is also a paradise for artists to create and exhibit. Take a stroll on the beach and enjoy the charm of the beach.Transportation: Rental car / Set Mt Manaia as the GPS address, depart from Mangawhai and drive about 1 hour and 50 minutes along Highway 1 to reach. Then walk to the mountaintop.Mount ManaiaDrive along Highway 1, park the car in the underground parking lot of the Manaia Club, and the trailhead is right on the ground. The 420-meter high peak overlooks the entire Whangarei Heads, Bream Bay, and Hauraki Gulf. It takes about two hours to hike up the 3.5-kilometer trail.Transportation: Rental car walk / Set Little Earth Lodge as the GPS address.Abbey CavesStay at Little Earth Lodge, change into durable shoes, raincoats, rent helmets and headlamps. Go to Abbey Caves before dark. The development of Abbey Caves is relatively low, consisting of three large caves connected together, and you can see the cave ceiling arranged by fireflies at night, like a sky full of stars.Day 2 AucklandWhangarei-Bay of IslandsTransportation: Rental car / Set Marsden Rd & Willians Rd as the GPS address.Bay of IslandsA top tourist destination in New Zealand, you must take a small boat to wander in the pure sea and shuttle between more than 150 scattered small islands. Here, not only are there beautiful scenery, but also has profound historical significance. The founding document of New Zealand, the Treaty of Waitangi, was drafted here.Transportation: Boat / Set Marsden Rd & Willians Rd as the GPS address.Explore NZDepart from Whangarei for about 1 hour, set Marsden Rd & Willians Rd as the GPS address, and arrive at the Bay of Islands Explore NZ ticket office. Choose to take the Swim with the Dolphins Cruise at 8 am from Paihia, a 4-hour journey to admire the scattered islands in the Pacific Ocean and have the opportunity to swim with dolphins. Ticket price: Adults: 95 NZD; Children: 50 NZD. From May to October, you can swim with dolphins for an additional 15 NZD in cash.Transportation: Rental car / Road trip route, set 1 Tau Henare Dr as the GPS address. After admiring the beautiful Bay of Islands, drive for half an hour to reach the signing site.Signing SiteAfter admiring the beautiful Bay of Islands, drive for half an hour to reach the signing site. Open from 9:00-17:00 from April to September, and from 9:00-19:00 from October to March of the following year. Entrance fee: 25 NZD; Guided & cultural tour: 18 NZD; Ultimate Waitangi Experience: 30 NZD. The signing site of the Treaty of Waitangi is the most important place in New Zealand's history. On February 6, 1840, 43 Maori chiefs decided to sign the Treaty of Waitangi with the British royal family after discussion, which led to the establishment of the British legal system in New Zealand and confirmed the Maori people's ownership of their land and culture. The treaty is recognized as the founding document of New Zealand and is still in force. This is a place to understand Maori culture and the historical site related to the signing of the treaty. Visitors can visit the treaty house, admire replicas of the original treaty, and the house is decorated with various Maori handicrafts. Inside the house is also the largest Maori war canoe in New Zealand.Day 3 AucklandWaitangi-Cape Reinga-Ninety Mile BeachTransportation: Rental car / Road trip route, set Cape Reinga as the GPS address.Cape ReingaThis is the end of the road at the northern tip of New Zealand. Its unique geographical location makes it a good place to watch the sunrise and sunset. Here, the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean meet, creating spectacular ocean currents and whirlpools. At the northernmost tip of the cape is an 800-year-old, sturdy Christmas tree. Legend has it that the souls of the deceased Maori people jump into the sea from this tree to return to their ancestors' homeland.Transportation: Walking / Walk 1 kilometer from the parking lot.Cape Reinga LighthouseThe lighthouse at Cape Reinga is a symbol of New Zealand's scenery, built in 1941 to replace the lighthouse next to Motuparara Island. The lighthouse's light flashes every 12 seconds and can be seen from 19 miles away. This is a landmark building that every tourist traveling to the North Island of New Zealand wants to reach. In front is the boundless South Pacific, and behind is the entire land of New Zealand. Standing here, watching the swirling sea water, is very shocking.Transportation: Rental car / Depart from Cape Reinga, take Highway 1, enter Taylors Rd, continue, and drive 2 kilometers to No.3 Arterial Rd.Ninety Mile BeachDepart from Cape Reinga and arrive at Ninety Mile Beach to play on the beach and enjoy the sunset. Although called Ninety Mile Beach, the actual length of the beach is only 56 miles, about 90 kilometers. However, even with only half the length of its reputation, it is enough to make you unable to see the end. Here you can sandboard, ride a motorcycle, and drive a jeep. The huge sand dunes on Ninety Mile Beach can be slid down with a thick cardboard, sandboarding. Friendly reminder: Car rental companies do not allow cars to drive on Ninety Mile Beach, and accidents are not covered by insurance.Day 4 AucklandNinety Mile Beach-Waipoua Forest-AucklandTransportation: Rental car / Road trip route, set 1 Waipoua River Rd as the GPS address. Takes about 3-4 hours.Waipoua ForestThe 42,000-acre Waipoua Forest is the largest remaining native forest on the North Island, filled with a variety of tall trees, lush and dense, looking up and unable to see the sky, walking in it is like being in a forest fairyland. The oldest tree here is over 1200 years old, 170 feet tall, and 45.8 feet in circumference. It is known as the