Caravanning in Northland

If the caravan comes with cooking utensils, then hopefully it will have BBQ tools if you plan on doing some self catering.
And what about towells, linen and bedding, is all that supplied.
If you're planning on self catering I'd do some shopping at Whangerei as it will be cheaper with a greater range, and if you take SH10, that's a far better drive with a caravan than SH1 which has some extremely windy and steep sections in it, and it comes out on to SH1 north of Kaitaia and so if you already have done your tucker/grog shopping etc., you do not need to double back into Kaitaia.

One of the best camping grounds going up in that neck of the woods is HouHora(sp.) Heads before you get to Pukenui, and do not be surprised if you have it all to yourself - I was there in January one year and there's all these vans parked up as in storage I assume but not a soul to be seen and it is such a delightful spot.
There's a little shop complex at Pukenui, only a couple of kilometres up the road that includes a little tavern and then about another ten kilometres you have the HouHora pub I think it is called and that's NewZealand's most northern pub.

But HouHora heads is one of those delightful spots that will remain in your mind forever, and seeing as it is your first caravanning venture, you're probably better off to park it up in the one stop and get the feel of caravanning.
You're not all that far away from Doubtless Bay and the small villages back along SH10 that you could not make day trips out of them, and make sure to have a look at the Kauri Mill back down near where you come on to SH1 - superb it is.

Thanks, sounds fantastic!

Hi,
I drove from Brisbane to Cairns in a week.
Stayed at Caravan parks which all had showers and cooking facilities.
TV is some as well.
I would rent a car and stay in motels or cabins next time.
Van is to expensive for what you get.

I have had some great camping experiences in Northland - most camping facilities are fairly basic but the spots are fantastic and will be pretty much deserted in Feb as NZers have returned to work after the summer break. Try Rarawa Beach, Spirits Bay (both Dept of Conservation campsites), Tapotupotu, Ahipara (end of 90 Mile Beach) or Matai Bay if you like great beaches if you are up the far north. Langs Cove south of Whangarei is also fantastic.

One precaution - take insect repellant, especially in Taputopotu and Spirits Bay, as both are notorious for mozzies. Keep the camper door closed once lights are on!!

Hi South of 60, I can see your point but we will be using our own car and the caravan was $180 for the week. Do you think cabins would be cheaper?

Missed this post. I'm spending my own summer in the Far North and so should be able to give far more detailed info when I've done that than I can right now. I'll be returning early-mid January. I did spend 20+ years up there, but its been more than ten years and I never went caravvanning. One place I do suggest very strongly, either for your first or last night (because it is close to Whangarei) is to head out to Tutukaka. There's a camping/caravan park right there. There's a pretty good listing of commercial operators here. In a week, you're still only scratching the surface - it could easily take a week just to get to Houhora, and another week to explore the west side (the Hokianga is fantastic and, despite being on the coast, a very different experience from the east coast). People can and go to where I spent my childhood Pouto Point, on the north head of the Kaipara) and happily spend a week there. The road is a bit rumpety but not too horrible.

As for the costs: cabin fees can be quite reasonable, as in commercial sites they seem to sting you quite well for the costs of the 'van and its occupants. If you can park away from commercial sites, then the 'van will come into its own. DOC has several "conservation campsites" - most/all have showers (cold!) and toilets. If you're going to eschew campsites altogether, not impossible, be sure you have some sort of facilities for carrying away your waste.

Hi. We stay at DOC campsites in our caravan. We just take a solar shower with us and boil up about 4-5 litres of hot water on the gas cooker and add to the 15 litres of cold water in the solar shower, this gives 2 people a quick warm shower. Cost for solar bag shower $10 to $20 depending on where you buy it from. We allso carry a porta potty. But this rearly gets used. Doc camps will cost $5- $8 a night compared to camping grounds. My friend carry's an empty paint bucket with two lids, 1 lid has a circle about 4-5 inch across cut out of it, its used as a potty for her kids at night, then other lid put back on for travel or takeing to be emptyed and rinsed out. Hope that some of the above may be of use to you. Cheers Heather

I would also recommend Matai Bay (DOC) camp. It has showers and toilets available, and two sandy beaches (KareKare and Matai) which are safe for children to swim or paddle in. If you are sick of camp food by then just down the road is Carrington Country Club where you can get meals; or over the road from the Country Club is the vineyard with a cafe/wine outlet. There is a small shop at Tokerau Beach (closest shop to Matai Bay) and a laundromat. Rangiputa Beach is on the same peninsula; also lovely white sand beach, with a campground.
Agree with previous answers regarding further north, the DOC grounds at Tapotupotu; Spirits Bay and Ahipara are the place to stay. Fantastic Beaches and stunning scenery and ferocious mozzies (at T and SB).
Pouto Point on the North Kaipara peninsula has a great campground, with showers and toilets and flat ground!!! Quiet and isolated as you could get. And CHEAP. About $7.00/night for a campervan/tent (per group not per person. Got to take all supplies though as no shop or gas station. Fab fishing and beaches...myshkin is right, it is a rumpty road for the last few miles but its been re-graded in the last month or so... so the potholes are not tourist traps. Kelly's Bay is also close, also a traditional NZ Beach camp, nice beach and facilities...with shop but no gas.
Doubtless Bay is beautiful (I'm biased) but hard to find a place to stay now. If my place had water other than just the river you could stay there! Further around at Matauri Bay (Whangaroa) there is a camp ground, stunning beach and good facilities, but go this summer because by next summer there will be a huge subdivision up and running next door. Kind of ruins the ambience somewhat.
Lots of choices. Have a wonderful time.

Hah! It is not often I run into someone who knows Pouto exists, let alone knows anything about the place, or current road conditions!

They've gone all urban at the point, opened the Lighthouse Lodge (at $600 a night, that is so not where we are staying at Christmas - we've hired the Memorial Hall) and the people who run that have a little dairy running now.

Is the Matauri Bay development a definite? Sad.