Kauri forests covered this area for 100,000 years, leaving ancient logs and the much-prized gum (used for making varnish and linoleum) buried beneath. Digging it out was the region’s main industry from the 1870s to the 1920s. In 1900 around 7000 gumdiggers were digging holes all over Northland, including at this site. Start with the 15-minute video, and then walk on the bush tracks, leading past gumdiggers’ huts, ancient kauri stumps, huge preserved logs and holes left by the diggers.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Te Ahu Centre

10.96 MILES

This civic and community centre features a cinema, a theatre, a tourist information centre, a gallery and the Te Ahu Heritage exhibits of the Far North…

2. Te Ahu Heritage

10.97 MILES

The eclectic exhibits of the Far North Regional Museum feature natural history and local cultural stories. Artefacts include kauri gum, carved greenstone…

3. Okahu Estate Winery

12.34 MILES

Just south of town, off the road to Ahipara, Kaitaia's only winery offers free tastings and sells local produce, including the famous Kaitaia Fire chilli…

4. Karikari Estate

12.56 MILES

Part of the Carrington Resort complex, Karikari Estate produces wines of all hues and has a cafe attached. While the wine tastings are shamelessly…

5. Shipwreck Bay

15.47 MILES

The best surfing is at this small cove at Ahipara's western edge, so named for shipwrecks still visible at low tide.

6. Ahipara Viewpoint

15.59 MILES

This spectacular lookout on the bluff behind Ahipara is reached by an extremely rough road leading off the unsealed Gumfields Rd, which starts at the…

7. Butler Point Whaling Museum

18.78 MILES

This small private museum is set in lovely gardens at Hihi, 15km northeast of Mangonui. The centrepiece is a still-lived-in Victorian homestead built by…

8. Great Exhibition Bay

25.21 MILES

On the east coast, Great Exhibition Bay has dazzling snow-white silica dunes. There’s no public road access, but some tours pay a koha (donation) to cross…