Northland

In an attempt to woo the interest of passers by, small towns all around the country are reinventing themselves. One of them is Kawakawa in the Far North.

We don't attend lot of rallies but this summer we were cajoled into joining a small gathering on the beach at North Pataua. I am very pleased we relented because we discovered a striking bit of the north that we might never have otherwise encountered.

It possibly began with the quirky, Hundertwasser-designed public toilets in the northern town of Kawakawa, where attending to one's bodily functions has become an intriguing, somewhat psychedelic experience.

Dargaville was once the country's busiest trading port. Peta Stavelli looks into the region's history at Dargaville Museum.

Peta Stavelli took shelter from the storm, undercover at Northland's magnificent Kauri Museum.

Great outcomes are often the result of the several ideas clicking into place at the right time. And so it was for the Hylands of Kerikeri, the family who started The Old Packhouse Market.

Among the features that characterise the Far North of New Zealand are the many small historic and charming churches that dot the landscape. Pakaraka Anglican Church of the Holy Trinity is one of the loveliest.

Mangawhai has always been beautiful. Now, with great walks, fine food and art, it's interesting as well. Check out these highlights.

Peta Stavelli finds a high speed sand safari to Pouto Lighthouse exhilarating in the extreme…

It had taken me a few failed attempts but I finally made it to Butler Point and can now attest to it being one of the most interesting places in Northland, Jill Malcolm writes.

Just a few hours north of Auckland, Peta Stavelli takes a road trip through mid-Northland in a two-berth Mercedes Sprinter…

Peta Stavelli finds history hard to ignore — and easy to absorb — during a wonderful winter break, with a Waitangi refresher in the Bay of Islands.