Whangarei Guide
Whangarei is home to a beautiful bay, but the city has so much more to offer than that. There are also several one-of-a-kind parks and a great downtown area that includes several award-winning restaurants.
Whangarei is home to a number of nature parks that are home to caves, waterfalls and forests that are hundreds of years old. The most famous of them, though, is Whangarei Falls. In fact, this waterfall is the most photographed in all of New Zealand. Even if you're not a professional photographer, you can still enjoy the view - and even bring a picnic to eat next to it!
If you want to get up close to some of the world's largest and rarest big cats, you can do it at Zion Wildlife Gardens. The gardens are a sanctuary for these animals, but on occasion, you can pet some of them!
Whangarei has a great waterfront scene. At Whangarei Harbour, you can go fishing, hit the beach or hop on a boat to go snorkelling or scuba diving.
For a unique place to eat, check out the artistic scene at A Deco. You can go for breakfast, lunch or dinner and sample some of the food that was featured in Cuisine Magazine!
Craving pizza? Killer Prawn Restaurant Bar and Pizzeria was voted one of New Zealand’s top 10 best restaurants.
Want to have fun underground? At Abbey Caves, you can take the entire family and go exploring deep into several different caves - and admission is free!
If you're in the mood for luxury - but don't want to travel very far - you're in luck. Most of Whangarei's best hotels are on the west side of town, near many of the best restaurants.
If your budget isn't big enough for luxury accommodations, there are plenty of cheaper options in the centre of town.