Whangārei Travel Guide 2026 – Best Things to See & Do

Whangarei Falls is one of the most accessible and photographically rewarding waterfalls in Northland — a 26-metre curtain of water plunging from a basalt cliff edge into a deep pool surrounded by lush native bush, located just 5 kilometres northeast of the city centre in the Tikipunga suburb. The falls are within the Whangarei Falls Scenic Reserve and are reached by a short, well-formed loop track that circles the falls and takes approximately 20 minutes to complete.

The track descends from the upper viewpoint (which provides the classic postcard perspective on the falls from above) through native bush to the pool at the base, where the mist from the falls creates a microclimate of extraordinary lushness. Native birds — including tūī, fantail (pīwakawaka), and the occasional native pigeon (kererū) — are abundant in the reserve. The falls are fed by the Hatea River and are at their most impressive after rain. The reserve has a picnic area at the top and the entire circuit, including the falls viewpoint from both above and below, can be completed in under an hour. Entry is free.

The Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve, located 24 kilometres offshore from the Tutukaka Coast northeast of Whangārei, was rated by the late Jacques Cousteau as one of the world's top ten dive sites. The islands themselves are a raised volcanic plateau, now uninhabited and access-restricted to protect their extraordinary ecological value, but their underwater world is accessible to divers and snorkellers year-round.

The marine reserve's exceptional quality stems from several factors: the islands sit at the confluence of warm subtropical and cooler temperate currents, creating extraordinary biodiversity; the water clarity regularly exceeds 30 metres; and the dramatic underwater topography — caves, arches, tunnels, and walls — provides habitat for an enormous range of species. Lord Howe coralfish, Garibaldi damselfish (at the southernmost extent of their range), large kingfish, blue maomao schools in the thousands, and occasional visiting whale sharks and manta rays make every dive here genuinely memorable. Dive operators depart from Tutukaka Marina, 25 kilometres northeast of Whangārei, with trips running daily weather permitting. Snorkelling trips are also available for non-divers.

The Town Basin is the revitalised heart of Whangārei's waterfront — a precinct of restaurants, cafés, galleries, and craft studios arranged around the marina that serves as the social centre of the city. The area has been developing since the 1990s and now hosts over 20 galleries and studios that make up the Whangarei Arts Trail, covering ceramics, jewellery, painting, sculpture, and glasswork by local and regional artists.

The famous Claphams Clocks Museum in the Town Basin houses the most extensive collection of clocks in the Southern Hemisphere — over 1,400 timepieces including tall case clocks, automata, cuckoo clocks, and marine chronometers. The collection is both eccentric and genuinely impressive. Alongside the museum, the outdoor Sculpture Walk follows the Hatea River from the Town Basin upstream through native plantings, with significant commissioned works placed throughout. The Town Basin also hosts regular markets and waterfront events throughout summer. Evening dining at the waterfront restaurants, watching the yachts in the marina as the sun goes down over the harbour, is one of Whangārei's uncomplicated pleasures.

Abbey Caves, 4 kilometres east of the city centre, are a network of three large limestone caves containing active glowworm populations — an accessible alternative to the more famous Waitomo Caves with a very different, more self-guided character. The caves (named Organ, Middle, and Ivy) are open during daylight hours and require no guide — you explore with a torch (bring your own or hire from the small kiosk) at your own pace through passages of varying complexity.

The glowworm population in the caves is substantial, particularly in the Organ Cave, which has a large chamber with a high ceiling that comes alive with blue-green bioluminescent dots in the dark. The caves also contain small streams that you must wade through in places, stalactites and stalagmites in varying degrees of development, and, on occasion, cave wetas (the large, prehistoric-looking native cricket). Gumboots and torches are recommended; the caves can be muddy after rain. The surrounding reserve has short walking tracks through native bush. Abbey Caves offer a refreshingly self-directed alternative to the commercial cave tour experience and are popular with local families.

The Tutukaka Coast stretches northeast of Whangārei for approximately 50 kilometres, encompassing a series of sheltered coves, rocky headlands, and golden sand beaches that are collectively one of the finest coastal destinations in Northland. The coast road from Ngunguru through Tutukaka and up to the lighthouse at the head of the coast provides one of the most scenic short drives in the region.

Tutukaka itself is the base for the Poor Knights Islands dive operations and has a pleasant marina, a good café, and the sense of a serious diving village rather than a generic tourist destination. Matapouri Beach — a sheltered bay accessed by a short walk from the road — is one of the most beautiful swimming beaches in Northland, protected from the prevailing swell with remarkably clear water. Whale Bay, a further short walk from Matapouri, is even more secluded and beautiful. The Tutukaka headland has a coastal walk that provides views out to the Poor Knights on the horizon and back along the coast toward Whangārei Heads. Swimming, snorkelling, and kayaking in the sheltered bays are excellent from November through March.