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Drive north on State Highway 1 to the historic village at Silverdale, explore the Whangaparaoa Peninsula with its sheltered bays and sandy beaches and enjoy a soak in the hotpools at Waiwera. You can go kayaking on the river between Wenderholm and Puhoi and soak up the atmosphere in one of New Zealand's classic historic pubs. To the north lies the beautiful township of Warkworth.
The Hibiscus Coast on the east coast north of Auckland, has long been a weekend playground for Aucklanders, with the numerous holiday batches springing up on and around the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, eventually being replaced by larger homes as Auckland city spread northward. The settlements at Orewa and Puhoi were originally serviced by sea, with surf boats landing people and supplies ashore at Orewa and steamships later calling in to Waiwera, bringing visitors to the hot pools. Orewa has grown considerably, but just to the north, the small township of Puhoi has retained its country charm while further north the much larger township of Warkworth still hosts a fleet of restored and replica steamships that operate out of the Mahurangi River. Purchased in 1843 by a settler named John Anderson Brown, Warkworth was named after his birthplace in Northumberland and by the early 19th Century, the area with its readily accessible supply of kauri timber, was flourishing as a centre for shipbuilding. Located 15 km from the coast beside the Puhinui Falls on the Mahurangi River, the township has retained most of its beautifully restored historic buildings.
Auckland harbour bridge.
1AUCKLAND'S HARBOUR BRIDGE
This tour starts on SH 1 from Auckland's harbour bridge.
As early as 1860, farmers living on Auckland’s North Shore were calling for the construction of a bridge so they could herd their animals to market in Auckland. For years the ferries were the main way to get across the harbour and by the 1950s, when plans to build a bridge were finally underway, the North Shore was still a rural area with only about 50,000 people. The construction of the bridge changed all that, turning the area into a burgeoning suburban metropolis, eliminating the 50 km drive around the north harbour and allowing the North Shores’ residents to make the much shorter crossing over the bridge to work in the city. Opened in 1959, the bridge took over 200 workers, 4 years to build. Made with 6500 tonnes of concrete and nearly 6000 tonnes of steel, the original four-lanes were expanded to eight lanes in 1969 with the addition of what became known as the ‘nippon clip-ons' by a Japanese Company. A 20 cent toll was charged to cross the bridge until the 1980s, by which time problems were starting to appear in the form of cracks in the bridge extensions, which were originally only intended to have a 50 year lifespan. There has been talk of possible catastrophic failure, so most Aucklanders ‘in the know’ stick to the original middle lanes. The bridge has been crossed by a number of pedestrian political protest marches (usually hikois) including a recent demonstration by Aucklanders’ demanding pedestrian access. At the moment the best way for pedestrians to get onto the bridge is still on the AJ Hackett guided bridge climb, or on a bungy jumping excursion.
Bushmans Hut, Silverdale.
2SILVERDALE PIONEER VILLAGE
Head northeast from the Auckland Harbour Bridge 26.5 km on the Northern Motorway (SH 1) to the Silverdale offramp. Turn right and head east on the Hibiscus Coast Highway. Waianui Road 1.9 km on the left leads up the hill to the Silverdale Pioneer Village in the historic township of Silverdale on the Waiti (Wade) River.
The Pioneer Village features buildings from the mid 1800s to the 1930s including a chapel, a post office and four furnished houses set in gardens of the period. A museum at the village covers the history of the area from early Maori occupation through timber milling, gum digging and later farming by the European settlers. The village is open from Wednesdays to Sundays from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.
3WHANGAPARAOA PENINSULA
Continue 0.6 on the Hibiscus Coast Highway and turn right into Whangaparaoa Road if you want to take a trip out to Army Bay and the Shakespear Regional Park. Army Bay and the park entrance are 15.7 km southeast on Whangaparaoa Road.
Flanked by the popular beaches at Big Manly, Stanmore Bay and Red Beach to the north side, and Little Manly, Arkles Bay and the Gulf Harbour Marina to the south, the Whangaparaoa Peninsula stretches out to the Shakespear Regional Park. Here at its eastern end, sheer cliffs, made up of marine sandstones, siltstones and volcanic rock from the Miocene age, 12 - 25 million years ago, have been cut by wave action to create numerous reefs and platforms that plunge into deep water. The largest beach, complete with its resident peacocks, is at Te Haruhi Bay, and from here you can follow the Tiritiri track along the cliffs and up to a lookout point above pink beach, with views across the gulf to Tiritiri Matangi Island. From Army Bay the Heritage Trail passes through native forest, wetlands and farmland to reach historic sites including a World War II gun emplacement. At Okoromai Bay you will find white-faced herons, stilts and dotterels on the tidal flats, while the regenerating forests of Waterfall Gully are rich with native forest birds including the tui and native pigeon. You can hear bellbirds, which have migrated across from the Tiritiri Matangi Island sanctuary and established a breeding colony here as well as the kakariki and kaka. In spring, newborn lambs can also be seen in farmland in the park.
SIR EDMUND HILLARY
Today in Hillary Square, in the centre of Orewa, you will find a statue of Sir Edmund Hillary, New Zealand’s best known mountaineer and explorer. He achieved world-wide fame when he and Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest in 1953. Hillary later devoted much of his life to helping the Sherpa people by founding the Himalayan Trust, which built schools and hospitals in this remote region of Nepal.
Back in 1953, the route to Everest throught Chinese-controlled Tibet had been closed and only one expedition per year was allowed through Nepal. Tenzing was part of a Swiss expedition the previous year that was forced to turn back by bad weather, only 240 m from the summit . Hillary and his friend George Lowe were invited by the Joint Himalayan Committee to join the British 1953 expedition which included 362 porters and 20 Sherpa guides. The attempt on the summit was made by two teams. Tom Bourdillon and Charles Evans managed to reach the South Summit, only 91 m from the top but turned back after Evans' oxygen system failed. Hillary and Tenzing were next to try and although they were held up by snow and wind at the South Col for two days, they later managed to climb to 8,500 m where they pitched a tent. The next morning Hillary discovered that his boots had frozen solid and spent two hours warming them before he and Tenzing made the final ascent wearing 14 kg packs. The last part of the ascent was up a 12 m rock face, later named the Hillary Step, which Hillary negotiated by wedging his way up a crack in the face between the rock wall and the ice. They reached 8,848 m summit, the highest point on earth, at 11:30 am on 29th May 1953.
4OREWA
Return to the Hibiscus Coast Highway and head northeast 4.2 km into Orewa.
The long sandy beach has always been one of its main attractions at Orewa attracting thousands of holidaymakers and campers every summer. After the first European settlers arrived in 1853, this once small and isolated settlement was served for many years by surf boats which landed supplies and brought visitors ashore. They often stayed at Orewa House, located near the scenic reserve at the northern end of the town. This three-gabled guesthouse was built by Major Collins de Jersey Grut, who purchased the land in 1868.
Waiwera Inlet at sunrise.
5WAIWERA
Continue north on the Hibiscus Coast Highway (SH 17) 5.4 km and turn right onto Waiwera Road. The thermal pools are 0.8 km to the east.
Tucked in below the shelter of a pohutukawa-clad hillside on a small estuary just north of Orewa, the small sandy beach at Waiwera (hot water) has a been popular thermal area for many years. The Maori had travelled to the area for centuries, and in 1848, Robert Graham developed New Zealand’s first tourist spa here. By 1875 he had built bath houses and a large hotel for guests, with steamers bringing visitors to a small jetty in those early days. Today at the Waiwera Spa Thermal resort, the hot water is brought up 400m from deep within the sandstone rock at a temperature of 52 degrees celcius, before it is fed into an extensive complex of thermal pools. The resort also features private spa pools and a range of waterslides that attract visitors throughout the year. It is open in the evenings and is the perfect place to stop and relax towards the end of the day. They have swimsuits for hire.
WENDERHOLM
Return to SH 17 and continue northeast 0.6 km to the entrance to Wenderholm Regional Park which is on the right.
Robert Graham established a garden of exotic trees and planted the largest pohutukawa grove in 19th-century New Zealand on his property at Wenderholm on the Waiwera spit. Today Wenderholm is a regional park, providing visitors with a variety of attractions, including a long, sandy beach fringed by large pohutukawa, a sheltered estuary, farmland and camping area. Native forest walks lead up onto the headland to the south, between the Waiwera and Puhoi Rivers, providing views up the Puhoi River Valley and out to sea towards the islands of the Hauraki Gulf. You may be able to see rare North Island robins which have been successfully released into the forest reserve. Coudrey House, the old colonial homestead on the reserve, was built in the 1960s and is open in the afternoon to the public on the weekends.
Inside the Puhoi Pub.
6PUHOI
Continue west 2.2 km on SH 17 and continue 2.4 km on SH 1. Turn left into Puhoi Road and drive 1.1 km to the Puhoi Pub on the right.
Don't miss taking the short detour off the main highway to visit the small historic village of Puhoi with its landmark two-storeyed colonial hotel, affectionately known as the 'Puhoi Pub'. The hotel is a museum in itself, featuring a room full of relics from the pioneering days of the settlement, including bullock harnesses, giant saws and other tools that line the walls as a reminder of the days when giant kauri were felled for timber. This historic immigrant town was founded by Captain Martin Krippner from Staab in Bohemia, now part of the Czech Republic. He encouraged fellow Bohemians to join him and in 1863, 51 adults and 31 children sailed to New Zealand from Czechoslovakia to found New Zealand's first Bohemian settlement. These hardy pioneering families cleared the forest and probed the swamps with long spikes, digging to retrieve kauri gum which was a precious commodity in those days. The tiny local museum has kept full records of their genealogy and achievements, including the construction of the beautiful Church of St Peter and St Paul, dating back to 1881. The church is an exact copy of the Littitz Church in Bohemia.
KAYAKING
You can hire kayaks from Puhoi and take a trip with the outgoing tide down the river and be picked up at Wenderholm.
If you paddle with the tidal flow, the estuary at Wenderholm is a perfect location for kayaking. On an incoming tide you can follow the river, fringed with mangroves and native trees, up to a wharf near Puhoi before heading back to Wenderholm on the outgoing tide. If you hire a kayak there is the option of paddling down the river and being picked up at the other end.
SATELLITE STATION
New Zealand's main satellite communications ground station is located 5 km south of Warkworth. Built in the early 1970s, it put an end to delayed telecasts, allowing television viewers to watch international rugby matches ‘live’ rather than having to wait days for the footage to be flown in. The site chosen had to be sheltered from high winds, free from microwave frequency electrical noises and the ground had to be strong enough to support the vast weight of the satellite dish and its pedestal. The station is a popular venue for school trips and features hands-on exhibits explaining satellite communications. Visitors can also view the station in operation from inside the public observation gallery. New Zealand's first television channel, AKTV2, started broadcasting in Auckland in 1960. Operated by the government owned New Zealand Broadcasting Service, the first television broadcasts were made for two hours a day, two days a week. Christchurch and Wellington got their own channels in 1961, followed by Dunedin in 1962. By 1965, NZ had television being broadcast seven nights a week. The four television stations were unlinked so when the interisland ferry Wahine sunk in Wellington Harbour in 1968 the newscasts of the disaster had to be shipped from Wellington to the other stations. By 1969 the four stations had been linked in time for coverage of the Apollo 11 mission but there was still no link between New Zealand and the outside world so the footage of Apollo 11 had to be flown in from Australia by a RNZAF Hercules. The completion of the Warkworth satellite station in 1971 finally enabled New Zealand to communicate with the rest of the world. The first live international broadcast seen in New Zealand was the wedding of Princess Anne to Mark Phillips in 1973.
Colour television was introduced in 1974 in time for the 1974 British Commonwealth Games, being held in Christchurch.
7WARKWORTH PIONEER MUSEUM AND KAURI PARK
Return to SH 1 and head north 13.6 km, turn right into McKinney Road and drive 1.2 km, turn right into Thompson Road, drive 0.1 km, turn left onto Tudor Collins Drive and continue 0.3 km to the museum.
This quaint little country museum features displays recreating rooms from the 1920s as well as items from the kauri gum digging days. Outside the museum is the McKinney and Simpson kauri tree, estimated to be over 800 years old. There is a "whim", which was once used to haul logs out of the forest, along with other items connected with kauri logging and there are boardwalks through the Parry Kauri Park.
WARKWORTH
Return to Thompson Road, turn right and continue 0.1 km onto Wildon Road, drive 0.5 km and turn left onto Pulham Road. If you want to visit the old cement works they are down the hill, 0.8 km further along Wilsons Road. To continue into Warkworth, drive northwest 1.3 km on Pulham Road and continue 0.3 km on Palmer Street, turn right onto Whitaker Road and head northeast 0.3 km to Neville Street. Continue 0.4 km and turn left onto Queen Street. Head 0.3 km west onto Elizabeth Street and continue 0.3 km along the main road through Warkworth.
Built on the banks of the Mahurangi River with its ever present population of ducks, Warkworth was linked by a steamship service to Auckland until a metalled road was built in the 1930s. Today this charming little town has become a centre for a steamship revival, with a number of enthusiasts operating restored and replica steamships out of the Mahurangi River. Founded in 1854 Warkworth has become a flourishing centre for arts and crafts and with a beautifully restored collection of historic homes located around the original streets, Warkworth is a delightful place to take a stroll through on a summers afternoon. The town is alive with history. The Bridge House Lodge located next to the Warkworth Bridge, dates back to 1854 and the hotel on the main street has been open for over 130 years. Within walking distance in Kowhai Park you will find old lime kilns and ovens built in the 1880s. The first kiln at the Portland Cement Works on the outskirts of town, was built in 1866 and in the companys heyday, a hundred years ago, over 180 men worked in shifts quarrying and crushing the limestone which was mixed with clay and fired at high temperature, before being ground into a fine powder to create Portland cement. The works closed in 1928 and the old mine near its ruins is now a popular fresh water swimming hole. Today Warkworth hosts one of the largest community festivals in the country, the Kowhai Festival, which runs for around a week each year in spring. The district is known as the Kowhai Coast, named after the native kowhai tree which produce bright yellow flowers in early spring.