Warkworth

Introducing Warkworth

River-hugging Warkworth makes for a pleasant pit stop, its dinky main street retaining a village atmosphere. Grab a free Heritage Trail brochure from the Warkworth i-SITE (09-425 9081; www.warkworthnz.com; 1 Baxter St; 8.30am-5pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-3pm Sat, 8.30am-noon Sun) if you’ve got some time to kill.

Just south of town, the 8.5-hectare Parry Kauri Park has short walks and a couple of giant kauri trees, including the 800-year-old McKinney kauri (girth 7.6m). Also at the park, the small Warkworth & District Museum (09-425 7093; www.wwmuseum.orcon.net.nz; Tudor Collins Dr; adult/child $6/1; 9am-3pm) features pioneer-era exhibits.

About 5km south of Warkworth, the Honey Centre (09-425 8003; www.honeycentre.co.nz; SH1; 8.30am-5pm) has a café, free honey tasting and glass-fronted hives. The shop sells all sorts of bee-related products, from candles to mead.

Nearby, Ransom Wines (09-425 8862; www.ransomwines.co.nz; Valerie Close; 10am-5pm Tue-Sun) produces great food wines and showcases them with matching tapas ($14 for five) and tasting platters ($18).

Sheepworld (09-425 7444; www.sheepworldfarm.co.nz; SH1; adult/child $9/5, incl sheep & dog show $18/8; 9am-5pm), 4km north of Warkworth, offers farm experiences for city slickers (kids’ pony rides, lamb feeding) and the ubiquitous sheep and dog show, including a shearing demonstration (showtimes 11am and 2pm). If you’re considering a woolly souvenir in the gift shop, check the label to make sure it’s actually made in NZ. The Black Sheep Café (mains $7-16) serves delicious home baking and a mean coffee. In late September Sheepworld hosts the eccentric two-week Warkworth Scarecrow Festival, raising money for charity.

Two kilometres further north, a walkway leads from SH1 through the regenerating Dome Forest to the Dome summit (336m). On a fine day you can see the Sky Tower from a lookout near the top. The summit walk takes about 1½ hours return, or you can continue for a gruelling five-hour one-way tramp through the Totora Peak Scenic Reserve, exiting on Govan Wilson Rd.

Bridge House Lodge & Shark Bar (09-425 8351; www.bridgehouse.co.nz; 16 Elizabeth St; tw $75, d $85-100, tr $100-125) has a riverside location and a mixed bag of rooms – some newer and nicer than others but all clean enough. The refurbished bar (open 11am to 1am) is downright swanky, dishing up fancy pub grub including chorizo burgers and pizzas (mains $14 to $28).

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009