Tourist In My Own Country /// Hokianga Harbour

With the Tourist In My Own Country series, we hope to inspire travel within God's own, by delivering a regular feature where we invite guest contributors to offer their own experiences of some of New Zealand's best getaways, with the hope of driving some inspiration and ideas for getting away more closer to home. With this in mind, we decided to hit the road North in seek of a gay dolphin, a great Kauri tree named Tane and ultimately a relaxing retreat in the Harbour known as the Hokianga.

WHERE DID WE GO?

The idea of Tourist In My Own Country came about during this trip, as I had never been to the Hokianga Harbour. A 3.5 hour drive north west of Auckland, we head through Dargaville and found ourselves driving through the stunning Waipoua Forest and reaching our final destination of Omapere, situated at the sheltered entrance of the Hokianga Harbour.

WHERE DID WE STAY?

Without a doubt the highlight of the trip was our accommodation at the Kokohuia Lodge. What a find. We found ourselves off-grid (producing its own solar powered electricity and water), but without the reduced comfort you would come to expect with living off the grid. Designed to be 100% sustainable, and perched in native bush overlooking the sand dunes and the entrance of the Hokianga Harbour, I never thought I would come to say this, but an exuberant egg-shaped bath tub located in the bedroom is now an absolute necessity.

Owners Suzanne and Steve, originally from Auckland, made us feel absolutely welcome. Breakfast was included in modest night rate of $250 per night (off peak), which consisted of a healthy choice of homegrown and locally produced menu options. First day we went for a bagel, free-farmed bacon (of course) and avocado with freshly squeezed orange juice and finished the final day with the mushroom omelette with sausages. Both meals were delicious, amplified by the fact that we were enjoying our breakfast on an elevated deck overlooking the impressive vista consisting of forest, sand dunes and ocean. Each morning we also woke up to deliciously fresh muesli and yoghurt in our fridge.

An ultimate getaway location, you can't help but feel at one with mother earth, without entering into the hippie lifestyle that is often associated with it. The Kokohuia Lodge provided us with the perfect platform to relax and retreat from the busy Auckland lifestyle.

For further information on Kokohuia Lodge, click here.

WHAT DID WE DO?

To sum up our trip, we did not really do that much, considering how much was on offer. But that was exactly what we had in mind. You would really need to spend a few days in the Hokianga to cover off the options and have the intention to do so. Admittedly, the weather wasn't conducive to exploring, as we did have intentions to go sand-duning, but the weather was our excuse to avoid self harm there. My surfboard was also in the car, but 8ft swells also saw me cowering away from the extreme sports.

Boxes were ticked however, and they consisted of viewing the headlands of the Hokianga Harbour, visiting the township of Rawene and beers and a gamble at the Opononi Pub. I was also looking forward to the much anticipated meet and greet of Opo, New Zealand's most infamous dolphin. The summer of 1956 saw the world decend on Opononi, as their cheeky gay dolphin brought much joy to the settlement of Hokianga, New Zealand and the world. Unfortunately, our meeting was not to be, as the memorial of Opo was off for restoration, though I'm in no doubt we will meet eventually.

Upon our return back to Auckland, our adventure didn't end there. Another Hokianga legend in the form of Tane Mahuta was awaiting. As you drove through the Waipoua Forest, the Kauri trees stand out like rock stars. The sheer size of Tane was mind-blowing, and to think he has been standing there for over 2000 years, you couldn't help but feel small and non-existant.

Other highlights on the road trip back to Auckland consisted of Bayly's Beach and the Kai Iwi lakes. All fascinating landmarks in their own rights and well worth another trip during the summer months.

WHERE DID WE EAT?

Apart from breakfast that was included at the Kokohuia Lodge, and Fish and Chips in Opononi, which is a must when visiting any coastal town, we snuck inland to Rawere (inner coastal village situated 20mins from Omapere), to a cute little cafe called The Boatshed. Situated over the water, looking at the Car ferry to Kohukohu, this place had a distinct feeling to it. Albeit a little over priced, the character wins you over as well as they make a pretty darn good coffee.

WHAT DID IT COST?

Make no excuses, this was a romantic getaway, and with only two of us, it made for a more expensive excursion. However, we managed to fit in all of the above for $750.00 all up. Two nights accommodation, a tank of gas, breakfast, lunch and dinner and a cultural dip into the past of one of New Zealand's hidden secrets. Well worth the mission.