Student Bloggers

Yes, I am in the North Island of New Zealand, but I got a chance to explore the actual
“Northland” of New Zealand. For such a small country, even just north of Auckland, there are
so many cool things to see and do. Our goal was to make it to Cape Reinga (the tippy top of
the North Island), but we made plenty of stops along the way.

Piroa Falls:
Our first stop was just a little pit stop to see a small waterfall called Piroa Falls. The trailhead
was kind of just right off the side of the road. It was a really quick and pretty walk down to
the falls, surrounded by so much vegetation. It wasn’t a long stop for us, but it had a little
picnic table that seemed like such a relaxing place to stop and eat some lunch or journal
depending on how much time you want to spend there.

Waipu Caves:
I’ve heard that this is one of the only places to see the glowworm caves for free! Note: follow
where google maps takes you! That will take you right to the entrance of the cave trailhead
where you can just walk in for free. They do have a site nearby that offers hour-long walking
tours for $40 NZD (I think), but I don’t believe it’s necessary to spend that money.
The cave was super dark, but while they recommend head lamps, our phone flashlights were
just fine. I would also recommend wearing shorts, and either waterproof hiking boots or flip
flops/sandals. This guy came out of the caves soaked with water dripping from his knees,
which made us a bit nervous but truthfully, I just don’t think he took the most ideal route
through the caves. The water went a few inches up our shins, but it was totally fine with our
hiking boots. There were also plenty of stepping stones through the water that helped us
avoid it almost altogether.

The glowworms were awesome. We went far enough into the cave where it was completely
dark and we found a rock to sit on, turned our flashlights off, and just observed the
glowworms. It felt like the longer we sat there, more appeared. It was super cool.

Whangarei Falls:
After the glowworm caves we headed to Whangarei Falls. The walk was so easy, just a
beautiful flat walking path that took about 20-30 minutes to get to the falls. It was stunning.
The river was so magical, the lighting was gorgeous, and the waterfall itself was just so
pretty. It seemed like a great place to swim, have a picnic, tan, even though a sign says no
swimming...

Airbnb:
This Airbnb was perfect for us and so freaking cool. It was called “Xplor & Cool Vibes” in
Pukenui. We basically just had a little room with two beds, right across from a shared kitchen
and bathroom. We arrived late, and as soon as I stepped out of the car, the stars were just
insane. You could see the whole milky way. The guy who runs the place has a crazy cool backstory; he was a DJ and has since hosted many concert tour groups at this Airbnb. I don’t
know if it’s true, but he said that Pink’s tour group stayed with him and he throws parties and
Djs for everyone all the time. Anywho, there was only Wifi in the entertainment gazebo, but
that place was so so sick. It had so much character, a DJ booth of course, and a TV where we
watched a movie before we headed off to bed.

The room was $40 NZD total so just $20 NZD each. And, it was just an hour south of Cape
Reinga, so it was perfect! I would definitely recommend staying here for anyone planning to
do a similar trip.

Cape Reinga:
We went up to Cape Reinga in the morning. It was insane and one of the most peaceful places
I have ever been. The walk to the lighthouse took us about 20 minutes I’d say, and it was just
gorgeous. From the lighthouse you can see where the Tasman Sea meets the Pacific Ocean
which was awesome. We were just completely surrounded by water looking back at the entire
island. I can’t even describe it... you’ll just have to see it for yourself!

Giant Sand Dunes:
We began making our way back south, with our first stop being at the Giant Sand Dunes.
They were so cool. I couldn’t stop thinking about how much sand was in front of me, behind
me, underneath me. I would recommend walking to the sand dunes barefoot once you get out
of the car because you probably don’t want to use your shoes when hiking up the dunes. It
was a bit of an incline but so worth it. The sand was so soft, and we walked far enough to see
the ocean. The only regret I have is not renting a $4 NZD boogie board to slide down the
dunes.

90 Mile Beach:
We made a really quick stop here because it was close by and it was really cool. All you
could see when you looked left and right was the beach and ocean. I believe the beach is also
used as a highway, not suitable for our little rental car, but still super cool. There were people
car camping on the beach which seems like a really fun thing to do there if you have more
time! On the drive down to the beach we also saw wild horses and they were so cute and
pretty.

Rainbow Falls:
We continued our drive to Auckland, with a pit stop at Rainbow Falls. This one was awesome
because my legs were feeling wiped from the sand dunes and the falls were visible right out
of the trailhead. This one was super powerful, we were getting assaulted by its mist, but it
was just as stunning.

That was our quick 2-day trip! I love how much you can see and fit into such a short trip. I
literally left Thursday at like 10:30-11:00 am and got home by 7:30 pm on Friday. All this to
say that these things are so so doable and you should go do them!