Hokianga

Introducing Hokianga

The Hokianga Harbour stretches out its skinny tentacles to become the fourth- biggest in the country. Its ruggedly beautiful landscape is painted in every shade of green and brown. The water itself is rendered the colour of ginger ale from the bush streams that feed it.

Of all the remote parts of Northland, this is the pocket that feels the most removed from the mainstream. Pretension has no place here. Isolated, predominantly Maori communities nestle around the harbour’s many inlets as they have done for centuries. Discovered by legendary explorer Kupe, it’s been settled by Ngapuhi since the 14th century. Hippies settled in the late 1960s and their legacy is a thriving little artistic scene.

Many of the roads remain unsealed and in poor repair after decades of neglect from government bodies. Tourism dollars are channelled eastward to the Bay of Islands, leaving this truly fascinating corner of the country remarkably undeveloped, which is the way many of the locals like it.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009