Explore Hokianga by cycling, sandboarding, fishing, kayaking, swimming, horse riding and walking or just kick back and enjoy the views and a slower pace of life

You will soon feel relaxed in the small, friendly communities dotted throughout the area. Birthplace of the late Ralph Hotere, many artists and artisans live in or visit Hokianga showcasing their work in the local galleries. The cafes, restaurants and takeaways are all located in the most perfect, scenic spots ensuring you will always get the best views with your meal.

Hokianga offers an incredible choice of accomodation options. From great campsites and backpackers to self catering baches, B&B’s, motels, hotels and award winning five star luxury lodges you can rest assured that whatever your style and budget we have something for you.

Hokianga is ideally located as your base to explore the Far North

We are about an hour’s drive west of Kerikeri and Bay of Islands / south of NinetyMile Beach, Ahipara and Kaitaia / north of Kai Iwi Lakes, Dargaville.

Scenic driving routes / suggested itineraries are:

Twin Coast Discovery Highway - 8OO kms circular driving route around Northland - from Auckland to the Cape and back via the East and West coasts

Te Ara Coast to Coast - Historic road trip between Hokianga and Bay of Islands

Ancient Kauri Trail between Maungaturoto and Hokianga

Visit the Itineries page on our website for many more suggested trips.

Hokianga Harbour is the start/end point for the Far North Cycleway between Cape Reinga and Kohukohu and the start/end point for Pou Herenga Tai – Twin Coast Cycle Trail between Horeke and Opua.

Ranui is the cycle trail ferry link across the top of the harbour offering cyclists and their bikes the opportunity to connect up these two cycle trails.

A car ferry Kohu Ra Tua Rua connects the north and south sides of the harbour and SH12 TCDH between Rawene and the Narrows at Kohukohu. For ferry sailing times and costs click here.

Te Hokianga – nui-a-Kupe

Te Hokianga - a harbour with a history; guarded at the sea by sandbars and solid rock; a seascape of luminous dunes and tides.

It is a beautiful place. If you come by SH 12 from the south you travel through the ancient kauri forest of Waipoua, a stunning reminder of the depth and dignity of Northland’s native bush.

Hokianga was named after the celebrated Polynesian navigator Kupe, the founding father of Maori lore and leaver of legends and landscapes bearing names. The harbour starts at Arai Te Uru, ancestral mother of eleven sons, each a valley leading to the tidal stream, a gathering of rivers merging as a sweep of currents and flows of colour and form.

Over time, the Tangata Whenua, the ‘people of the land’, shaped the surrounding hills with pa sites and gardens creating a vast homeland reaching into the mountainous heart of Northland.

It was a haven fiercely protected, yet shared amongst generations of Maori for centuries, until the first Europeans were welcomed for barter and trade in the early 1800’s. It is a long time since fleets of waka stirred the water; the sailing ships are well and truly gone; but the Hokianga ferry still makes her graceful way across the tides, showing off the handsome harbour for all to see.

These days, along the waterfronts and hidden in the hills, small towns and communities offer the traveller insights into the quieter side of life. It is a glimpse of something precious; a living past, splendid in a wilderness of great beauty.

Lindsay Charman