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Opononi, Hokianga, Northland.
Only a 3 hour 20 minute drive north from Auckland brings you to Opononi - a coastal settlement steeped in history lying just inside the entrance to the Hokianga Harbour. It became famous in New Zealand in the summer of 1955 when "Opo, the dolphin" delighted locals and tourists. White Sandy Beaches... views... time to holiday... Doug & Jan Hanna fell in love with Opononi's amazing landscape, views, forests, beautiful white sandy beaches and the very friendly people. As a largely undiscovered, quiet, and secluded part of New Zealand - it is the ideal spot for a holiday home!
A House Big Enough for 2+ families! The Hanna holiday house was completed in 2004 and is unusual in that it can accommodate 2-3 families holidaying together. It is huge with 6 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms, a massive deck with amazing views plus two lounge areas so the kids can escape their own lounge downstairs leaving parents to relax in peace. The weather... According to Doug, "Summer time is awesome with sunny white sandy beaches, turquoise water and hot temperatures. In winter Opononi benefits from being the far north; it is always warm, even in the middle of winter it gives respite from the cool of Auckland with temperatures about 3-5 degrees warmer". Out & About Opononi... Opononi has many differing activities that you can do and many services available. - South Head is an amazing place to visit with unusual windswept limestone outcrops, native grasses and shrubs and a rugged seascape view of the wild west coast that extends to the horizon.
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- Explore the giant Northern Sand Dunes - thousands of acres of sand dunes lie across on the northern side of the harbour that you can water-taxi across to climb, explore, run and slide down on boogie boards. - Tane Mahuta - the largest living kauri tree is only a 20 minute drive away. There are many amazing kauri tree bush walks in the Waipoua Kauri Forest and a fascinating forest information centre. - Opononi boasts it's own official tourist Information Centre and Museum where you can find out all about local highlights, book activities and watch videos of Opo the dolphin - a "must see" in the museum. - Walk along Opononi and Omapere beaches. You can walk along the beaches for about 3 kilometres. - Fish off the beach or wharf. - Swim off the Opononi wharf. Kids love jumping, diving and generally frolicking with friends on the wharf. - Kayak - Doug Hanna have 4 kayaks for guest use. Many people kayak across the harbour to explore the amazing sand dunes. - Dine out at the Omapere tourist resort (fine dining or bistro), the Opononi pub café or get takeaways from one of several recommended shops.
A Hanna Family Favourite... We always visit Tane Mahuta either on the way up or on the way home to experience the spirit of being in the presence of this huge tree. Going to South Head and walking through the wild terrain and have a meal with locals at the Omapere tourist resort are must do's. Our teenage boys love the giant sand dunes which are like a "magnet" to kids of all ages. Another favourite has to be long walks along the beaches, and watching the amazing sun sets over the ocean. Best Spot... - For teenagers to swim is off the Opononi wharf where they can jump, dive, splash and have a whale of a time. |
- For picnics... take the water taxi over to the northern sand dunes. - For fishing... is a couple of hundred metres west of the wharf where in 20 minutes you can catch a feed of kahwai right off the beach! - For exploring and pure wilderness... South Head is a must do - it only takes 5 minutes by car to get there and the vegetation, terrain, and views will knock your socks off.
Dining out... Doug's favourite place to dine is outdoors at the Omapere Tourist Resort. Here you can order from the bistro menu and eat at a table out on the large expansive decks. Don't miss a visit to? Wairere boulders is a NZ Nature Park that is well worth a visit. The length of the rock amassments on the valley floor is 1 1/2 km. There are thousands of boulders stacked on top of each other, some around 30 m high. They look like a stream of rocks and boulders flowing down towards the Hokianga Harbour.
Fondest Bach memories... The many barbeque meals we've had out on the deck with good friends, while the sun sets over the water in the west. Rainy dayz? Luckily our bach is huge, with three large lounges so parents can escape the kids, and get some peace. We have Fooze Ball, DVD and TV, board games and a downstairs and upstairs stereo for great music. If you need to escape the house there are two pubs, restaurants, the museum and various cafes to shelter in peace. Free Family Fun? Build sand castles, dam the stream, swim, rock hop, kayak, play in the sand dunes, jump or dive off one of the wharves. "Our boys love summer at Opononi, especially holidaying with their mates, running wild over the Sand Dunes, jumping off the wharf and exploring South Head." If you would like to book this bach or find out more, you can view the listing here. |
