Lindy Laird considered where in the world to go for an affordable summer holiday but decided you can't get better than your own backyard. Take a look at just a few of the options offered in Northland's public domain by the Department of Conservation.
We are used to seeing New Zealand's culturally, scenic and ecologically significant northern tip in images of Cape Reinga and its lighthouse.
Here, says the legend, is where tangata whenua take their last journey in Aotearoa. Having walked the Te Ara Wairua (the spiritual pathway along east or west coasts), their spirits leap from an ancient pohutukawa at the cape and are carried by the wake of ancestors to their people's islands of origin, Hawaiki-Nui.
It is here visitors stand at what feels like the end of the Earth and see two of the world's great bodies of water meet in front of them. The line of white water beyond where the cape's bony spine ends is not the wake of a hidden reef, but is the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea coming together.
Generations of New Zealanders and tourists have made the pilgrimage up the long road to Reinga; that once famously dusty road now sealed, the destination respectfully welcoming and presented in a way fit for the tapu and unique place it is.
But the beauty, legends and rich ecology of this country's most northern realm go far beyond Te Rerenga Wairua (Cape Reinga) and nearby visitor-friendly stopping over places, campgrounds managed by Department of Conservation.
This is Te Paki Ecological District. From Ninety Mile Beach and the swathe of capes, coast, dunelands, freshwater wetlands, gumlands and forest across to North Cape, the 30,917 hectare Te Paki wonderland contains numerous archaeological sites from the earliest periods of human occupation and a highly valued store of geography and wildlife found nowhere else on New Zealand's mainland.
From Cape Reinga the track follows a ridge to lovely Sandy Bay. Te Paki Coastal Trail.
What a diverse playground it offers - camping, tramping, water play, discovery - for people who want to camp in one of the country's most beautiful, remote and valuable places, courtesy of Department of Conservation (DoC).
And, it's only one of many beautiful Northland DoC camping grounds or day trip sites. We've highlight a few here, just a taste of what sits on our own doorstep, and some of the loveliest holiday spots anywhere in the world.
Kapowairua - Spirits Bay Remote and picturesque, with a white-sand beach that has one of the Far North's renowned surf breaks in the right swell, it has a lagoon and a creek perfect for little kids to play in.
Access is by car and amenities include 45 non-powered tent sites. At this site, bookings are not required; it's first come, first served. The ground is located in Te Paki Reserve and on the 48 kilometre Te Paki Coastal Track.
From the campground, the track offers a day walk to historical Te Rerenga Wairua (Cape Reinga), skirting the coast and a manuka forest.
Another camp accessible only by walking Te Paki track is the basic Pandora site, offering a real wilderness experience set on a stunningly remote headland with idyllic beaches.
Nearer Cape Reinga and looking toward that famous pohutukawa tree is Tapotupotu, New Zealand's northern most campsite. Also on the Te Paki Coastal Track, Tapotupotu is only a five-minute drive or a three-hour walk from the cape and famous lighthouse.
Twilight Campsite is a very basic camp an hour's walk to the west coast off State Highway 1, on Te Paki's four-day walk/trail.
Rarawa Beach A campground at Rarawa Beach, on the Aupouri Peninsula's eastern coast, is another first-come, first-served site. Here, what visitors first notice when they cross the dunes from the parking area to the beach is the pure white silica sand fringing a turquoise coloured sea. The 65 non-powered camp sites are set along a river bank and nestled amongst trees. At high tide, a lagoon makes for great water play and swimming, but caution is called on the exposed ocean beach at times.
Matai Bay At the eastern end of Karikari Peninsula, north east of Kaitaia, Matai Bay's campground has 100 non-powered sites nestled among pohutukawa right by the sheltered bay.
It's popular with families, snorkellers, fishers and boaties. Visitors should keep an eye out for endangered bird species like dotterel and oystercatchers.
PICTURE PERFECT: Northland's Maitai Bay has been considered one of the top-three beaches in the country in an AA poll.
Mangamuka Gorge People choosing to camp in a Far North lowland forest can do so at Raetea North Side Campsite in the Mangamuka Gorge, south of Kaitaia. The basic campground has 65 non-powered sites and is a great base for trampers walking the nine- to 10-hour Mangamuka track.
Swimming holes and picnic spots make it a popular day destination, too. Walkers must stay on the forest tracks to help prevent spreading kauri dieback disease.
Another forest option is Trounson Kauri Park, "a mainland island" notable for the number of kauri trees and clean streams. A successful restoration project at the once-milled 586 hectare reserve and adjacent farmland allows visitors a close-up view of the rich native biodiversity the forest once boasted. The family-friendly campground has 12 non-powered tent sites and eight powered ones.
As well as an easy loop track that takes 40 minutes, night walks offer the chance to see - or at least hear - one of the area's many kiwi.
Mimiwhangata Mimiwhangata is another coastal paradise, with surf beaches and quiet bays, headlands, farmland and, reflecting its long history of Maori population and then private ownership before becoming public domain, at least 100 archeological sites.
About an hour's drive north east from Whangarei, the last stretch of the road, after Teal Bay, road is unsealed, narrow and winding and unsuitable for towing caravans.
As well as campsites, Mimiwhangata has cabins, cottages and a well-appointed lodge where rich and famous folk, including Queen Elizabeth II, have been known to visit discreetly.
An idyllic beach at Mimiwhangata, about 25km north-east of Whangarei, on Northland's east coast.
Luckily, plans to develop a mini-Surfer's Paradise strip of motels and associated play-facilities by former owners, New Zealand Breweries Ltd (later Lion Nathan), who purchased the farm in 1963, fell apart. The Crown purchased the property in the early 1990s.
People can boat into Waikahoa Bay where there is a 35-site, non-powered campground, or walk a short distance across farmland from the parking area.
The small peninsula and its twin coasts offer great kayaking, swimming, snorkelling, diving, walking or relaxing. There are good fishing spots, but check the regulations in this Marine Park.
Mimiwhangata is good for bird-watching and as well as the endangered brown teal, or pateke, is home to kiwi and a variety a shorebirds.
Bookings are necessary for all huts, with DoC fees based on the category of hut and facilities.
Campers' Guide: There are some key messages for anyone wanting to stay at campgrounds or use other facilities in the public conservation estate managed by Department of Conservation.
DoC's Far North media liaison officer, Ana Mules, says people should check in advance in case bookings are required for camp sites (check out DoC's website).
Campers must take responsibility for the care of the environment. That care means taking their rubbish away with them, keeping to water and fire restrictions, respecting other campers and checking they are not carrying in unwanted pests on their gear.
They must take care not to disturb protected wildlife, including shore or forest birds and sea animals such as dolphins. No domestic animals are allowed in reserves and campgrounds.
With kauri a feature of many DoC camps, reserves and tracks, the public should also be alert to the danger of inadvertently spreading the kauri dieback disease.
People must stay on walking tracks and before going into wilderness areas, check shoes, camping gear and other equipment to ensure they are not hosting spores of the disease.
