Roadtripping New Zealand’s North Island
We flew out of Nelson on the South Island to kick off the North Island leg of our journey, and right off the bat, my mind was completely blown. There was absolutely none, nada, zilch security screening on our flight to Auckland. That was a first for me in all of our global travels. Even a tiny, shit-ass airport in the backwoods of Myanmar does some sort of screening on your bags prior to boarding. It sure was nice to relive the innocent, good old days of “Trust” that still somehow exists in New Zealand.
Auckland:
We booked a five-night stay in a condo downtown near the newly developed Britomart area, which made it easy to visit all the city attractions. One of our absolute favorite nights was catching a local rugby match. We grabbed some amazing tasting stadium sausage dogs, blended in with the local fans decked out in their team colors, and watched the chaos of a rugby match unfold.
Rugby players literally kick the absolute shit out of each other—and they do it with zero pads or helmets. These guys are built like brick shit houses and are tough as nails. The last time I saw legs as thick as these guys was back in the day watching Earl Campbell. Amazingly, the players rarely go down with injuries. They just play right through them like old-time hockey. We bet $20 on the Blues at the TAB betting parlor before kickoff, but unfortunately, the home team came up a bit short.
Here’s some straight talk: if you’re visiting New Zealand and you’re pressed for time, you can completely skip Auckland. In my opinion, it’s best to preserve your days because there are far better, wilder places in New Zealand to spend your valuable time.
If you do elect to experience Auckland’s city life and you happen to be a hardcore ice cream lover, then a visit—or multiple visits—to Giapo is mandatory. It is the best and most expensive ice cream I have ever had. Be prepared to queue unless you hit it at a weird, off-peak hour. But yes, it is 100% worth the wait. The flavors are right on the money.
Whangarei:
From Auckland, we drove our rental car north toward the Bay of Islands. Our first stop was Whangarei, which looked like a decent area to stay before pushing deeper north. I wasn’t exactly super impressed with the town itself, but the real treasures here lie entirely outside the city limits. The region is loaded with killer walks—rural tracks, bush trails, and rugged coastal paths.
We started with the river walk from AH Reed Park to Whangarei Falls, which is easily one of the most scenic, picture-postcard waterfalls in all of New Zealand. After that, it was time to drive up the coast. We’d been told the North Island was home to some of the finest white sand beaches in the country, so we headed out of town to get our first taste.
The coastline is packed with more than 100 bays and beaches. Driving through sweeping, rolling green hills and deep valleys on one side of the car, with the turquoise ocean on the opposite side, felt like navigating a fairy tale.
If someone asked me to describe New Zealand in just one word, I’d say: “Green.”
It doesn’t matter where you look; you are getting amazing views of the green ocean. The drive up the eastern coast looks like one massive, perfectly manicured golf course. Honestly, they should just rename the North Island the Northland Golf & Country Club. I figure they could convert the entire countryside into a massive 18-hole course, using lambs and cows as obstacles instead of sand traps. Each hole could be a par 1,000+, taking about six months to play the full round.
Pro Tip: To get the absolute best perspective of the scenery, ignore the main highway. Get off the beaten track and drive along the smaller, winding side roads that hug the bays along the northeast coast.
Deep Thoughts and Terrapin Station Loops
The best piece of advice I can dole out for the North Island is simple: get in your car, drive, drive some more, and just keep driving. Just when you think you’ve seen every ounce of beauty the country has to offer, another mind-blowing landscape hits you right around the corner.
Barbie and I put on a continuous, repeat loop of the Grateful Dead’s Terrapin Station (because the standard 16-minute version was just not sufficient for this scenery) and we were good to go. Cruising through that unreal landscape, a few very deep thoughts and burning questions continually crossed my mind:
- The After-Life Blueprint: This has got to be exactly what heaven looks like. Everything is just too damn perfect.
- The Tool-Proof Landscape: The countryside is so stunningly beautiful and serene that not even a total tool like Donald Trump could possibly find a way to fuck up a place like this.
- The Cow Conundrum: Whenever we pulled over to check out the cows, they stared back at us in total bewilderment. It made me wonder: are these cows grazing in the fields actually tripping their asses off on magic mushrooms growing right there in their own poo?
- The Sheep Lifestyle: I kept thinking about how great the sheep have it, just hanging out in paradise, grazing all day long. They look so incredibly content and at peace. Sure, it’s a short life prior to getting turned into lamb chops, but those first few years hanging in these rolling green fields with all their buddies look like a pretty sweet gig.
Tutukaka Coast: First Rate Beaches
Our first official beach stop was the super impressive Whale Bay on the Tutukaka Coast, located in the town of Matapouri.
[Tutukaka Coast Beach Hierarchy]
1. Whale Bay 👑 (The Undisputed King - Big Doug Top 10 Global Beach)
2. Ocean Beach 🌊 (Killer Waves & Unspoiled Backdrop)
3. Matapouri Bay 👍
4. Sandy Bay / Wooleys Bay 🏖️
Whale Bay must go down as one of my absolute favorite Kiwi beaches of all time. In fact, I’m ready to officially induct Whale Bay into my personal Top 10 beaches spanning the globe. It is spectacular. There are a bunch of other beaches adjacent to it skirting the Tutukaka Coast—like Matapouri Bay, Wooleys Bay, and Sandy Bay—but Whale Bay is the undisputed king of the coast.
Next, we set out to explore the Whangarei Heads. We’d heard great things about Ocean Beach sitting right at the edge of the heads, and it did not disappoint. Ocean Beach is another absolute “must-see” stretch of sand, packing massive waves and a completely unspoiled, wild backdrop.
VIDEO – BEST BEACHES & SWIMMING HOLES (NEW ZEALAND)
The Bay of Islands: Heading Deep North
Pushing even further north up the coast brings you right into the heart of the Bay of Islands. We chose to stay in Paihia, a touristy, bustling little seaside town that serves as the main hub for checking out the area. Just a quick five-minute ferry ride across the water sits Russell, which is a much more upscale, quaint spot to base yourself if you want to dodge the main tourist strip. Russell is also home to the famed historic restaurant, The Duke of Marlborough, which, if I’m being totally honest, was just “aight.”
The bay itself is an absolute playground made up of 144 unique islands, and every little town scattered around the edges serves up its own distinct vibe. If you want to actually see this place properly, there is only one option: you have to get on a boat. A mother-fucking boat.
We spent an incredibly relaxing day just chillin’ out at Otehei Bay over on Urupukapuka Island. While out on the water, we watched a parade of yachts, sailboats, and pods of dolphins putting on a show across the bay. If you are into sailing and boating, this entire northeastern slice of New Zealand is your absolute slice of heaven on Earth. There are just so many epic pockets and hidden coves to explore. Channeling my inner Captain Cook out here was a blast.
Matakana:
On our way back down the island toward the coast, we decided to break up the long drive by booking a three-day pitstop in Matakana. This place has evolved into a trendy, artsy weekend getaway for Auckland locals escaping the city, and it is packed to the gills with great boutique wineries, cafes, and art galleries. We spent an afternoon at the Sawmill Cafe & Microbrewery, which is a cool spot to grab a premium pint.
For outdoor action, we visited Omaha Beach and there is good snorkeling over at the Goat Island Marine Reserve. But if you want a sneak preview of what it’s like to die and go straight to heaven, do yourself a favor and pay a visit to Tawharanui Regional Park and Anchor Bay. The second you lay eyes on it, you will completely understand.
Raglan: Barefoot Surfers and Hippy Colony
We spent a few days in Raglan, a small, sleepy surf town located about two hours south of Auckland. You’ll know you’re in a true surf town the second you stroll down the main street and notice that mostly everyone is walking around completely barefoot.
The transport of choice in town is a beat-up campervan, which pulls quadruple duty as a home, daytime hangout, kitchen, and ride to the nearest surf break. The sweeping Ngarunui Beach, with its scenic farmland rolling right into the background, is an amazing black sand surfing beach. It’s ideal for jumping waves and is a perfect place to learn how to surf, so the young surfers were out in full force.
Raglan is a mellow place; it sort of reminded me of Byron Bay, Australia. Some say Raglan sunsets are the absolute best in all of New Zealand, and both myself and Shep Proudfoot can officially vouch for that.
For a unique lunch with and real nice view, get yourself over to Solscape Eco Retreat, a place that kinda looked like a full-blown hippie colony. It has a sweet location high on the hillside overlooking the ocean. We ordered an amazing salad where 100% of the ingredients were grown right on the property garden.
Coromandel Peninsula:
The Coromandel Peninsula is another stunning area filled with white sand beaches, green rolling hills, and scenic bays. The drive along the narrow road that skirts the ocean from Thames to Coromandel is easily one of the top drives in New Zealand.
Just before you hit the town of Coromandel, there is a mandatory lunch stop at the Coromandel Oyster Company. Barbie swore by the fresh oysters, and I will personally swear by the Smoked Fish Chowder. Man, that was good. It puts Legal Seafoods to shame. To get from Coromandel over to Hahei, we took the scenic Bypass Road 309. Barbie got to feed a literal gang of wild pigs on the way, and after feeding those stinky pigs, taking a swim in the beautiful Waiau Falls right off the road is a nice touch.
We based ourselves in two different beach towns: the busier Whitianga, and the more serene town of Hahei. While staying in both is a solid strategy, Hahei easily takes the prize. I hate to sound like a broken record, but the beaches in this neck of the woods were outstanding. I have to add both Hahei Beach and Cathedral Cove to the growing list of amazing beaches in New Zealand and the world. Cooks Beach, Otama Beach, and Opito Beach are also incredibly solid and must-visits.
What I find absolutely baffling is that all of these beaches are some of the prettiest in the world, yet half the time Barbie and I would be the only ones standing on the sand. I could not get a grasp on why they were empty, but we will certainly take it.
[Coromandel Action Plan]
1. Coromandel Oyster Co. ──> Fuel up on Smoked Fish Chowder
2. Road 309 Bypass ──> Feed the stinky wild pigs & swim at Waiau Falls
3. Hot Water Beach ──> Dig a trench (Watch out for the scalding MF water)
4. Cathedral Cove ──> Hit the scenic trail & drop your jaw
A visit to the Coromandel wouldn’t be complete without checking out the two most visited attractions: Cathedral Cove and Hot Water Beach. An important note, both need to be timed precisely within two hours of low tide.
We went to Hot Water Beach with sand shovels in hand, and it was so much fun. You can dig your own hot spring right in the sand and bathe in your very own DIY hot tub. You just gotta be careful because some of the water brewing under certain patches of sand is mother-fucking scalding.
The 20-minute walk from the car park to Cathedral Cove is incredibly scenic. Along the track, you have the option to branch off and visit Stingray Bay and Gemstone Bay. Upon arrival at Cathedral Cove itself, both of our jaws just dropped in pure awe. We had discovered paradise. The Coromandel Peninsula was a killer place. Word of warning, though: once you get here, you may not want to leave. Fortunately, we managed to extend our four-day stay to six days. I’m so glad we included it on our itinerary because it was one of the absolute highlights of all of New Zealand.
Thru the Binocs:
The big question everyone asks when visiting New Zealand: Which island is better, the North Island or the South Island?
The South Island has the dramatic mountains and the pure adventure, while the North Island is blessed with the epic beaches. In my opinion, if you only have two to three weeks to travel around New Zealand, you’re best off choosing just one island. Trying to visit both in a short window will result in you constantly rushing from one place to the next without effectively soaking in all the goodness on tap at a relaxed pace.
If you’re in a position that allows you five or more weeks off—or if you are lucky enough to temporarily drop out of society like us—you then have the time to properly see a good chunk of both islands. So, which island is it if you’re forced to choose only one? Both islands are stunning, but my choice in a super tight, nostril-hair photo finish would be the South Island. But honestly, finding the time to see both islands will allow you to experience the trip of a lifetime, as the entire country is over-the-top spectacular. One of the first questions people ask me about our travels is, “Which country did you like best?” New Zealand will definitely be sitting towards the top of that list.
We now move on to our next destination: French Polynesia. It will be refreshing to settle down into a slow-paced island lifestyle after being constantly on the move and partaking in an endless amount of physical activities here in New Zealand. We look forward to continuing on our journey, discovering new experiences, and meeting interesting people as we travel the world.
The Official Big Doug Loose Stools Index
🚽 Loose Stools Index: 8.5/10 (The Chowder Stability)
The gut is holding remarkably strong as we wrap up our time in New Zealand. A steady rotation of meat pies has kept things moving smoothly without throwing up any red flags. The plumbing is stable and fully prepared for the upcoming transition to the tropical waters of French Polynesia.
Big Doug & Barbie Drop Out of Society 
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