Opononi, New Zealand Travel Blogs

The Kauri Coast
Apr 22, 2005 (5 photos)

... . Our primarly reason for travelling this route back towards Auckland is to see the huge kauri trees that once grew in abundance in New Zealand. Most of been cut down for lumber (used primarly in making masts for ships; there are now just a few left. ...

Guess what Dave did?!
Jun 4, 2006 (2 photos)

... little trip and cheaper than a proper one through the Bay of Islands! Then started driving directly west towards the west coast. Got to Opononi which is an inlet leading to the sea and has a huge sand bar at the end which must be great for sand surfing ...

Kauri
Oct 11, 2005 (4 photos)

New Zealand felt very much like home, not only was the language the same, they drive on the left, once out of Auckland the landscape was reminiscent of the wilder parts of Wiltshire and inevitably it was raining! However, the longer we spent on the road ...

Hitting the Road
Aug 3, 2009 (5 photos)

... of the Forest” which is THE biggest tree we have ever seen. It is also the world's largest living kauri and New Zealand's largest tree. The forest itself was incredible – very primordial and Jurassic Park-like. Since it's their off season &# ...

Opo, the gay dolphin!
Nov 24, 2007

Took a different route back from paihia with the magic bus.

On the Magic bus - stop #2
Feb 16, 2006

There was the most beautiful harbor EVER here (i'll post pics later) and a cool tropical forest that we got to walk through.

Opononi and Omapere
Jan 9, 2007

... to head back to Auckland because WE'RE GOING TO SEE TENACIOUS D on 11th January!  We stopped at these twin towns called Opononi and Omapere.  They were really nice and we met 2 really nice American ladies!  So back in Auckland again at the ...

Stop over
Jan 6, 2006

Quick stop off with great views, will put picks up later

Opo the Dolphin from the 50's!!
Feb 14, 2008 (3 photos)

... day, a very jealous man, Shot Opo! and killed her, and so Opo was buried in Omarere, which is sort of the same town as opononi, so we walked past where she was buried, and on the night we were talking to a Maori guy, really lovely man, who said in ...

Dunes and Trees
Nov 24, 2005 (2 photos)

... of hours. We stopped off to sea a big tree- sorry, I dont do it justice. It was a Kauri tree, the biggest in New Zealand (I think) at least in volume- and was 50m high and 15m circumference. It reminded me of the tree in the hundred acre wood in ...

Opononi
Dec 10, 2005 (5 photos)

... . In 1996 we spent some time in Vienna at the Hundertwasser museum and read how the self-proclaimed green Genius went to New Zealand as he had a better chance to fulfill his artist dream and lifestyle. This involved merging modern living more with nature, ...

Hokianga
Dec 9, 2007

Opononi, Waipoura Kauri trees, more heavy rain, Kauhi Farm Hostel

Up, Up and Opononi
Feb 6, 2007 (1 photos)

... departed the glorious Bay of Islands after something of a relaxing yet equally exciting day, we headed straight for Opononi on the west coast of New Zealand. Now to say that it was a small place would be something of an understatement, but rush hour in ...

Opononi
Oct 20, 2008 (3 photos)

... , dass dieser Baum, so ne Art Obergott ist, naja auf jeden Fall ist er gross ;-) Meine erste Uebernachtung war dann in Opononi, in einem sehr nettem Hostel, dessen Namen ich leider vergessen habe. Der Ort liegt dierekt am Strand von dem aus man ...

Kauri Forests
Jan 9, 2007 (8 photos)

... where I had internet work to do, possibly saving my last day for an excursion to the Islands near Auckland. After the night in Opononi, we drove along the west coast, stopping at the south head of the river. The weather was cloudy and windy, but quite warm ...

Ton-eus and the Underworld
May 19, 2007 (11 photos)

... thing about traveling off season - you get all these beautiful places to yourself. Back in the Spaceship Orion for the journey to Opononi at the northern tip of the longest beach in NZ.  Got there quite late so just parked, made dinner and read in ...

Giant trees of the Kauri Forest
Nov 14, 2007 (7 photos)

I got into Opononi quite late at night and did my usual nowhere booked to stay and hadnt even looked at the old bible to see where the hostels where.. Anyway first hostel full and so was the second.. hadnt really realised that this town was so small either ...

26/12: melbourne oz up at 6am too early ...
Dec 26, 2002

... 'If you drink, and you drive, you're a bloody idiot!' Love the Ozzie sense of subtlety! A 4-hour flight and I arrive in New Zealand. Ed and Chevonne waiting patiently at Arrivals, ready to whisk me away on a whirlwind tour of the North Island. Ed and I ...

On the Road Again
Apr 15, 2005

Goodday, all!! Well, here I am back on the road. It was a hell of a farewell party and a teary goodbye to Whitianga. I've had some change of plans, as you do, and am heading to the South Island tomorrow. So, I wanted to do some Northland travels before ...

Sand boarding and Kauri trees
Mar 30, 2009

On to the dunes of Opononi for beach fun and optional sand boarding . Then on to Waipoua Forest to explore the giant Kauri trees. we travelled the Hibiscus Coast to camp at the famous Waiwera hot pools for a relaxing dip

Wellington/Opononi/Paihia
Mar 22, 2007 (20 photos)

Hi, Our last entry for New Zealand - cannot believe it - the time has flown by.   We arrived in Wellington on St Patrick's day and it was so busy.  Such a quick transfer from port to YHA which was like a 5 star hotel.   Ensuite ...

Dead car en route to Opononi
Jan 14, 2007

Maori guy helped us when our car was dead, stayed at House of Harmony in Opononi.

More photos for previous entry
Mar 24, 2008 (5 photos)

More photos .....!

A strange old bar...
Nov 3, 2005

... area and we ended up having a handful of weed shoved into our pockets by a dodgy man in the bar!!! Made a sharp exit out of there. That was a strange place!!! Very neary ran out of petrol on the way to 'Opononi' which is where we camped for the night.

Arriving in Opononi
Jan 5, 2009 (7 photos)

4 January 2009 Left Home in Auckland and drove up to Oponoui, on the Hokianga Harbour, for a week away.   We stopped for lunch in a small café in Wellsford.  There were photographic stops in Albany, Mangaturto, and Dargaville.   Just ...

Hokianga
Feb 11, 2009

... at the Information centre/Museum about Opo the 'Gay Dolphin' (it was an old film and now politically incorrect!) which is how Opononi got its name. The film kept referring to the dolphin as male but it was female, possibly they realised this after her ...

Standing on the shoulders of giants
Dec 28, 2007

We visited a Kauri Forest, Maori people believe these trees keep the sky up. Some of the trees are 16 meters wide and 50 meters tall.

Opononi
Jan 9, 2007

Opononi