New Zealand's majestic mountains, white sandy beaches, an ancient kaui forest and picturesque towns and villages -- every turn unfolds another magnificent view on a round-trip itinerary to the amazing Bay of Islands from Auckland, following the Pacific coast one way and the Tasman Sea the other.

Total drive approx: 824 kms

Day 1. Depart: Auckland   O/night:  Whangarei   Approx: 176 kms

New Zealand is blessed with marvellous scenery and your journey up to the Bay of Islands is no exception. But which route do you choose? Do you take the east or west coast route? Do you drive straight to Bay of Islands, or stop a night (or two) along the way? And where would you stay, the old port city of Whangarei or a surf beach along the Tutukaka Coast? At the Bay of Islands do you stay in Paihia or the more sedate Russell, and if you choose Russell, do you take the ferry from Opua or drive the scenic Old Russell Road? Whichever you choose, you’ll be faced with superb views all the way.

The journey to Whangarei takes about two-and-a-half hours, depending on traffic: avoid the tolls and take State Highway 1. You’ll drive over Auckland Harbour Bridge (a favourite with climbers and bungee jumpers) to leave the city. It’s the longest bridge on New Zealand’s North Island, but remember not to compare it with Sydney Harbour Bridge when talking to locals.

About thirty kilometres north of Auckland (shortly after crossing the Orewa River), turn right off State Highway 1 and follow Grand Drive for a detour along the Hibiscus Coast Highway: it runs for about eight kilometres before rejoining the State Highway.

The Hibiscus Coast is known for its beaches and is a favourite playground for Aucklanders. It doesn’t end with beaches -- the area is also home to year round skiing at Snow Planet, the thrill of high speed sled riding at Silverdale Luge, the soothing hot springs at Weiwera and the Tiritiri Matangi Island wildlife reserve with its rare native birdlife (a popular ferry day trip from Auckland).

Orewa is another Hibiscus attraction with a golden sandy beach that stretches for three kilometres. Thrill seekers will enjoy the local kitesurfing, while those with more thought for food will be interested to hear that Orewa prides itself on its fish and chips (pronounced ‘fush and chups’ in this part of the world) – New Zealand’s national fast food.

From the Hibiscus Coast, it’s less than a couple of hours drive to Whangarei. If you decide to travel on to Tutukaka, add thirty minutes or so.

As you reach the outskirts of Whangarei, you see the massive hills called Whangarei Heads jutting out into the blue waters of the Pacific like a south seas island postcard – the scenery keeps on coming.

One of the major draw cards of Whangarei is its waterfall: the cascading Whangarei Falls has to be the most photographed waterfall in New Zealand. Its ease of access, natural bush surround and guaranteed 365 days a year flow makes it a visitor ‘must’.

Whangarei Falls is located just five kilometres from the city centre on the road to the Tutukaka Coast – so if you are driving on to Tutukaka, it makes a good stop for a picnic lunch along the way.

For the more energetic there’s an open grassland walking route to the white, sandy beach at Smugglers Cove. The view from the cove to the offshore islands alone is worth the walk, and there are also excellent fishing, diving and swimming opportunities. It’s an easy twenty minute walk from Woolshed Bay car park.

Also in the area, Kiwi North is home of Whangarei’s Museum, Kiwi House & Heritage Park. Situated on an historic farm in the hilly outer suburbs of Whangarei at Maunu and overlooking the harbour, it is actually three attractions in one.

The favourite with many visitors is the Kiwi House, where you’ll see a kiwi foraging for food just as it would in the wild. The Kiwi is a nocturnal animal and the Kiwi House is kept dark so that visitors can see the bird in its natural environment.

The Kiwi House also houses New Zealand’s native owl, the ruru, and various species of gecko, which is unfortunate for the gecko as both the kiwi and the ruru enjoy the gecko as a delicacy.

The museum has a collection of significant taonga (Maori treasure) and early settler displays. The Heritage Park is the location of several historic buildings demonstrating Northland’s early colonial architectural history, including a homestead, a school and a chapel (made from a single Kauri log and believed to be New Zealand’s smallest church).

Golfers will want to play a round at Whangarei Golf Club – it has come a long way since its beginning in 1907 when the course was so wet, players wore gumboots. The seventeenth hole today is considered to be one of the best in the country, and the present course is said by many golfers to be the best in the Northland region (you’ll get the chance to judge for yourself on this road trip).

Follow the blue road signs if you decide to continue on to the Tutukaku coast from Whangarei. Tutukaka is also well signposted from State Highway 1. When you come off the highway, you’ll pass through the village of Ngunguru to reach Tutukaka.

Just as Whangarei has its attractions for golfers, Tutukaka is a magnet for divers – it’s the jump off point for the Poor Knights Islands, rated by Jacques Cousteau as one of the world’s ten best dive sites. Twenty three kilometres off the Tutukaka Coast, washed by warm currents swept south from the Coral Sea, the Poor Knights Islands offer a wealth of spectacular drop offs, walls, caves, arches and tunnels; all inhabited by an amazing array of underwater life.

The islands are also a breeding ground for a variety of rare and endangered birds, but do not expect to land there, as they form a protected, pristine nature reserve and is a place of significant historic importance for Maori. There are boat trips around the islands. The Poor Knights Islands boat experience includes sight-seeing, kayaking, cave explorations, snorkeling, swimming, sea mammal-spotting and a buffet lunch. The tours leave Tutukaka daily from the beginning of November until the first day of May.

Accommodation options. Flames International Hotel, Lodge Bordeaux, Cheviot Park Motor Lodge in Whangarei. Pacific Rendezvous, Oceans Resort Hotel in Tutukaka.

Day 2  Depart: Whangarei  O/night: Russell (or Paihia) 85 kms 

Continue on to the Bay of Islands, with a choice of two routes and two overnight destinations. For old world charm head for Russell: for somewhere a little livelier and a wider choice of restaurants and bars, make for Paihia (you can always do a day trip to Russell on the passenger ferry from Paihia).

If you choose Russell, you again have choices, to drive to Opua and take the car ferry over to Russell, or go for the back road route – the most scenic of options.

At Kawakawa (about 45 minutes north of Whangarei) take State Highway 11. Continue about twenty kilometres and look for the Opua ferry turn-off on the right. The road then winds gradually down to the ferry ramp at Opua harbour (this is where you get your first glimpse over the bay).

The Russell car ferry (it is often referred to as the 'Opua car ferry' or  'Fullers car ferry') departs every twenty minutes or so from 07.00 to 21.00, seven days a week. It takes the ferry ten minutes to cross the harbour. Bookings are not required and you pay on board. The ferry costs NZ$10 one way per car/driver, plus an extra dollar for each passenger. Make sure you have cash as credit cards are not accepted.

Once on the other side in Okiato keep following the main road for about seven kilometres to Russell.

For a more scenic journey, take the Old Russell Road, which turns right off State Highway 1 at Whakapara, about twenty minutes north of Whangarei. Follow the signs for Oakura. The Old Russell Road twists and turns around the coast, and there are several places along the way to stop for a leisurely break.

Russell, formerly known by its Maori name, Kororareka, was New Zealand’s first permanent European settlement and sea port, and was discovered by Captain Cook. Later, in the 1800s, American whalers started putting into the bay to trade for supplies, do repairs, and to give their men some shore-time.

When the whalers came, Kororareka the neighbourhood went downhill, degenerating into a rough, tough and rowdy spot known as the Hellhole of the Pacific – hard to believe when you arrive in Russell today. For all its rip-roaring past, the town is also home to New Zealand’s oldest church.

For nature lovers there are half a dozen different scenic bush and beach tracks to be walked on Russell. For foodies there are one or two good restaurants, but they tend to close fairly early. When it comes to accommodation, Russell has several excellent chintz-and-charm bed and breakfast establishments: the historic Duke of Marlborough, the oldest licensed pub in New Zealand, also has rooms.

If you decide on Paihia for logistical reasons (no need for the car ferry, for one), there is another scenic detour you could make before you arrive -- a loop that takes you off State Highway 1 and on to Old Russell Road just before you get to Whakapara (about 24 kilometres north of Whangarei) and leads you through beautiful Helena Bay and Oakura.

From Oakura, continue along the Old Russell Road until you reach the junction with Waikare Road to your left (a little more than 30 kilometres). It will wind you back through the impressive Russell Forest down to State Highway 1 where you turn right and continue on up to Paihia.

Paihia is a well-developed resort town with a wide choice of hotels and motor inns, restaurants and shops. A number of scenic cruises and water-based activities operate from Paihia, including swimming with dolphins, big game fishing, sea kayaking, diving and a day’s sailing aboard an ocean racing sloop.

The number one ‘must do’ for most people while visiting the Bay of Islands is Cape Reinga and its Ninety Mile Beach, which sit at New Zealand’s northernmost tip. You can drive there from Paihia, but it’s best to take one of the local and specially equipped tour buses that run full day packages.

The advantage of a bus tour is that you can enjoy the drive along Ninety Mile Beach (a highlight of the Bay of Islands). Try it with a car and you run the risk of getting bogged down. Rental car agencies have ‘don’t do’ clauses for Ninety Mile Beach, which could cost you a fortune if you ignore and your car gets sucked into the sands – and it happens fairly regularly.

Along the way you’ll visit the Puketi Kauri Forest, and as you travel further north you’ll cross the coast that divides the Tasman Sea and the Pacific four times: this area of Northland is one giant reclaimed sandspit just twelve kilometres wide. Look out for the herds of wild horses that roam the area, descendants of horses left behind by the British army in the 19th century.

The coach tour will include a visit to Cape Reinga lighthouse, with its impressive sea views, before the drive along the beach. You also get the chance to do some sandboarding down huge sand dunes. To get on to the beach means navigating a treacherous quicksand stream (another good reason for not driving yourself).

An alternative to the long day tour of around eleven hours is a spectacular helicopter trip, which gives you time on the beach. The round trip sightseeing flight to Cape Reinga from Paihia needs a fairly healthy piece of plastic, but it's a great way to see the tip of Northland.

Tips for thrill seekers: if you are driving a 4X4, have the necessary insurance coverage and decide to drive along Ninety Mile Beach, be sure to check the tide timetable and only travel the beach three hours after the high tide. Slow down as you cross streams flowing across the beach. Follow the tour buses, or the tracks they create. Do not leave your vehicle unattended on the beach, and avoid driving on it at night.

The other ‘must’ while in Paihia is Waitangi, where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840, generally considered to be the founding document of New Zealand as a nation. The treaty between the Maori people and what was then the British Empire gave the British governing rights over New Zealand in exchange for the tribes receiving protection, though to this day it remains the subject of much controversy.

The majestic Waitangi Treaty Grounds have sweeping views over the Bay of Islands. The grounds are home to the Waitangi Treaty House, a carved Maori meeting house, one of the world's largest ceremonial war canoes, a gift shop and extensive walking tracks. Activities at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds include daily Maori cultural performances and tours of the grounds led by local Maori. Self-guided discovery tours also allow you to explore the grounds and nature trail at your leisure: you’ll want at least half a day to absorb it all. And if you happen to be in the area on Waitangi Day (February 6), you'll enjoy the bonus of seeing the haka performed with passion

Accommodation options. Bounty Inn Motel, Outrigger Motel, Anchorage Motel in Paihia. Eagles Nest, Wainui Lodge, Motel Russell in Russell.

Day 3. Depart Paihia  O/night Doubtless Bay  Approx: 125 kms

An easy start to the day and then travel west from Paihia, passing through Hururu and on to the junction with State Highway 10, where you head north until you come to the exit for Kerikeri.

A remarkable little town steeped in history, Kerikeri was once the home of Hongi Hika, a fearsome Maori chief who during the 1800s fought in hundreds of battles known as the Musket Wars. It was the Musket Wars that led to the British annexing New Zealand and the subsequent Treaty of Waitangi.

There was another side to Hongi Hika: he encouraged European settlement, introduced Western agriculture and befriended the first missionaries to arrive in New Zealand. He even travelled to England and met King George IV – but evidently traded many of the presents he had been given by the king for more muskets during a stop in Australia on his return voyage.

The Kerikeri Mission House dating back to 1821 is New Zealand’s oldest house, and the Mission's store dating from 1832 is the country’s oldest stone building. A replica pre-European Maori fishing settlement is located nearby.

Kerikeri boasts a lively café scene, and has several good restaurants and gourmet food shops – try the locally produced cheeses and the macadamia liqueur. The cheese factory and shop at Mahoe Farm on State Highway 10 at nearby Oromahoe (just south of Puketona Junction) is a foodie favourite with its selection of Dutch-style cheeses, though stringent New Zealand health regulations do not allow factory tours.

Golfers will want to play the eighteen holes at the Bay of Islands Golf Club, also known as the Kerikeri Golf Club. And if you enjoyed a late start out of Paihia, stop by for a lunch at the Marsden Estate Winery (it also serves up a full breakfast until mid-day).

From Kerikeri return to State Highway 10 at Waipapa and drive north for a little less than thirteen kilometres until you reach Matauri Bay Road to your right. This will lead you to the bay, the home of one of New Zealand’s most popular wreck dives: the Rainbow Warrior.

French saboteurs sank Greenpeace’s Rainbow Warrior in Auckland Harbour in 1985 while it was on its way to protest France’s nuclear testing in the South Pacific. Greenpeace later gifted Rainbow Warrior to the sea and it now lies as an artificial reef in the Cavalli Island group just off Matauri Bay, a refuge for a huge variety marine life. Paihia Dive takes divers down to view Rainbow Warrior.

The scenic drive along the coastline brings you to Whangaroa. Fishing is something of a religion around these parts and there is an array of charter boats, fishing charters and yacht charters operating from Whangaroa Harbour. Whangaroa is known as the Marlin Capital of New Zealand. The marlin season runs from November to July, but there is other fishing year round.

As Whangaroa is only 40 minutes drive north of the Bay of Islands and 30 minutes drive south of Doubtless Bay, it makes a good alternative base for discovering the region: keen anglers driving this route will definitely want to stay for a day or two in Whangaroa. Foodies will enjoy the plentiful scallops and oysters brought in from the harbour, and the crayfish that comes from a little further out – you cannot get any fresher.

From Whangaroa it’s a short drive on to Mangonui, which was a whaling station back in the 1800s, and is still a busy port and base for a commercial fishing fleet.

Foodies won’t want to miss the Mangonui Fish Shop, which sits over the water looking out over Mangonui Harbour and Doubtless Bay – it’s said by many to serve the best fish and chips (fush and chups, remember) in New Zealand. It’s open seven days a week year round for lunch and dinner and apart from its fish and chips also offers a range of locally caught fresh seafood and smoked fish.

The other main settlements in Doubtless Bay are Coopers Beach, Taipa and Cable Bay. Stay a night (or two) in any one of them before you start the journey down the west coast of Northland on your journey back to Auckland. If you did not make the trip up to Ninety Mile Beach while in Paihia, there is a 4WD tour that runs from Mangonui.

Accommodation options: Mill Bay Suites Motel (Mangonui), Beach Lodge (Coopers Beach), Taipa Bay Beach Resort (Taipa).

Day 4. Depart: Doubtless Bay   O/night: Opononi  Approx 135 kms

Today you start the leisurely return journey to Auckland, travelling down the rugged west coast of Northland. You could make the journey in less than six hours, but that would not give you time to make an exciting discovery detour or two.

Travel west on State Highway 10 to Kaitaia. Along the way you’ll pass Lake Ohia, except it has not been a lake for many years; the area was dredged by gum diggers. In the late19th century, large armies of diggers settled in this part of the world to seek their fortunes from kauri gum. The resin from fossilised kauri trees fetched a very good price in those days and was used in varnish manufacturing.

A short detour off the main road will take you to the former lakebed, showing the ancient remains of a once thriving kauri forest. Most of the remaining gumlands are centred around Kaitaia or Kaikohe.

Classified as a gum-field wetland, what remains of Lake Ohia now provides important habitat for rare ferns, mosses and orchids. The surrounding swamps and shrub land contain threatened freshwater black mudfish and are home to many bird species.

You’ll be a little surprised when you arrive in Kaitaia to find a large welcome sign in English, Maori and a language most will not recognise – ‘dobro dosli’. It’s Croatian for welcome and pays tribute to the many Croats from Dalmatia who made their way to New Zealand and the gum fields at a time when Croatia was still part of the Austro-Hungarian empire.

There may not be a lot to make you want to spend much time in Kaitaia, but there are some interesting attractions nearby.

A fifteen-minute detour south-west of Kaiaita brings you to Ahipara and the southern tip of Ninety Mile Beach. The area is home to massive gum fields that were once worked by a couple of thousand diggers. The diggers have long gone and now it’s adventure seekers who head this way to enjoy tobogganing, kite surfing and quad bike riding among the huge sand dunes. To top it all, Ahipara is one of New Zealand's greatest surfing spots, and home to several championships.

Kaitaia Golf Club's 90 Mile Beach Links course is situated at Ahipara, the most northerly eighteen-hole course in New Zealand. It’s a scenic course that runs parallel to Ninety Mile Beach and has wonderful views out over the Tasman Sea and the enormous sand dunes at Reef Point to the south.

Wine lovers will want to stop by at nearby Okahu Estate. It has been winning awards regularly at home and abroad since kicking off in 1990 and has a reputation for consistent quality wines. Okahu Estate is a little less than four kilometres from Kaitaia on Awarora Road, the road to Ahipara, with its cellar door offering free tasting. Home-stay accommodation  is also available at the vineyard.

Leave Ahipara on Roma Road, and after a couple of kilometres turn right onto Kaitaia-Awaroa Road, winding south through a corridor of towering kauri trees, with Herekino Forest to your left and the Ahipara Gumfields Historic Reserve to your right.

From Herekino you head east on Kaitaia-Awaroa Road, which with a couple of name changes along the way will bring you to Kohukohu Road. The road from Herekino twists and turns for a little less than 80 kilometres through time-warped countryside before it reaches the historic timber mill town of Kohukohu, and then the Rawene Narrows, where you take the ferry across Hokianga Harbour.

Fjord-like Hokianga Harbour has an important meaning for Maori, who call it Te Kohanga o Te Tai Tokerau. Most Maori trace their ancestry to the discovery and settlement of this harbour. It is well worth reading up on the fascinating history of Maori as you make this journey.

The story goes that Kupe, the legendary Polynesian explorer, landed in Hokianga more than a thousand years ago, and his grandson later settled there. Some five hundred years later the great chief Puhi landed just south of the Bay of Islands, and his tribe slowly extended westwards to colonise Hokianga, now considered to be one of the oldest Maori settlements.

Missionaries later made their own discovery of Hokianga and its tall forests. Their reports  reached merchant captains in the Bay of Islands, and very soon deforestation of Hokianga began, and carried on until the end of the 19th century.

At any one time, as many as twenty ships could be seen loading Hokianga timber. Whole hillsides, suddenly bared of vegetation, began to slip into the harbour choking its tributaries with mud.

By 1900, the bulk of the forest had been chopped down and shipped out, and the little topsoil that remained was turned to dairy farming for butter production. And that’s the way it has continued.

The vehicle ferry Kohu Ra Tuarua takes up to 21 cars and departs every hour from the Narrows to Rawene. (In summer months there may be more crossings). Tickets are purchased on board the ferry. Payment can be made in cash or by using the on-board ATM machine; which accepts Visa and MasterCard, but does not dispense cash.

Rawene was New Zealand’s third European settlement and there are still one or two old buildings from those days to visit. The shallow waters around Rawene become mud flats at low tide to reveal the mangrove wetland habitat, and you can explore them along a boardwalk.

Golfers may want to step back in time at the very rural Rawene Golf Club, a challenging nine-hole course. But remember -- it’s only open in the summer, no club hire, no carts, no resident pro, or caddies available. Green fees are ten dollars (NZD) a day per player and you put your money in the clubroom honesty box. Yes, it’s that rural.

From Rawene you take State Highway 12 to Opononi, passing through tiny Whirinaki and even tinier Pakanae along the way

Whirinaki has a population of about two hundred people, mostly Maori. You might want take a kayak tour with a Maori guide down the Whirinaki River into the historic Hokianga Harbour where you will plant a tree to preserve this beautiful harbour. The journey can be tailored to suit individual needs according to experience and fitness. There are single and double kayaks to choose from. You have to book in advance as the tours are subject to tide times.

The two converging villages of Opononi and Omapere are dominated by massive sand dunes that rise to a height of a hundred metres. Little has changed in the village since a baby bottlenose dolphin named Opo gave Opononi its Andy Warhol-style ‘ten minutes of fame’ more than half a century ago.

Opo was a wild baby dolphin who started following fishing boats around Opononi in early 1955. She enjoyed human company, and would perform stunts for locals and allow children to swim alongside her. News of her antics soon spread and were even featured on television, which attracted visitors from around the country.

Footage of Opo 'in action' still exists, and gives a good insight into what tourism was like in those days -- and how the English language has changed: Opo's antics had the local's talking about 'our gay dolphin'.

The celebrity status ended when Opo was killed with a stick of gelignite being used by local fishermen. Times have changed -- but there’s a prominent statue to mark Opo’s visit to Opononi and locals of a certain age group still talk fondly about ‘their’ friendly dolphin.

Accommodation options: Opononi Hotel, Dolphin Lodge, Lighthouse Motel

Day 5. Depart: Opononi   Arrive: Auckland   Approx: 275 kms

A good reason to stay the night in Opononi is that it means you can get off to an early start to drive through the spectacular Waipoua Kauri Forest – before other visitors hit the road. From Opononi you continue south on State Highway 12.

Waipoua Kauri Forest is the largest remaining tract of native forest in the Northland region, and the highway that leads you through it is lined with huge kauri trees and fringed with massive, colourful ferns. This forest is the home of the famous Tane Mahuta (Maori for the ‘Lord of the Forest’), the largest kauri tree to be found in New Zealand -- almost eighteen metres to the first branch and more than four metres in diameter.

Tane Mahuta is more than twelve hundred years old and still growing. But it is not the oldest kaui in Waipoua Kauri Forest -- Te Matua Ngahere, or Father of the Forest, is estimated to be two thousand years old.

Several excellent short walking tracks provide easy access to the most spectacular attractions of Waipoua Kaui Forest, including Tane Mahuta and Te Matua Ngahere. There are longer hiking tracks for those who want to trek deeper into the forest, especially into the high plateau and ranges; as well as several coastal walks with awesome sand dune views.

As there are one or two small detour roads to be explored it’s best to buy a map of Waipoua Kauri Forest while you are in the area. For those with a budget that spells ‘style’ Waipoua Lodge is located at the southern end of the forest – a good base to explore the area.

From Waipoua Kauri Forest the highway lead further south to Dargaville, the Kumara Capital of New Zealand, a small rural town nestled beside the Northern Wairoa River famous for its sweet potatoes.

Kauri logging, gum digging, shipbuilding and shipwrecks are Dargaville’s heritage, and this can be explored at Dargaville Museum, where you’ll find relics from many of the area's shipwrecks.

Tokatoka Peak (the core of a volcano 180 metres high) is situated just south of Dargaville and is a twenty-minute climb. For the more adventurous there is Maungaraho Rock. Allow 30 minutes for the climb to the summit, which is 221 metres high.

Travelling further on State Highway 12 your next stop should be the Kauri Museum at Matakohe. It tells the story of the mighty kauri tree, its fascinating gum and pioneering past. For those who appreciate antiques, the museum houses a collection of old kauri-made furniture. And it's a great place to find that last souvenir of your tour around Northland.

From Matakohe it’s about 90 minutes drive south back to Auckland.