Blogs from Matakohe, North Island, New Zealand, Oceania
[h2] CYCLE TOUR - PAHI, PARADISE OR WHAT?
Published: October 27th 2009Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Matakohe
October 23rd 2009
My mate Paul reckons he lives in the best place in the country. It's called Pahi, and it lies on an arm of New Zealand's biggest harbour, the Kaipara. Paul lives in a two bedroom bach, with a stunning view over the water, the wharf and a rundown camping ground of the kind they don't make any more - no written rules stuck on the walls, and you get to park your tent where you want instead of inside a rectangle marked out on grass with weed killer. LIVING THE GOOD LIFE Pahi suits Paul, and Paul suits Pahi. He'd probably be among the first to admit he's not comfortable living the city life - the traffic, the trendy bars, keeping up with everyone else. He prefers to live quietly, and he spends his days working ... read more
Visit to Matakohe - Kauri Museum
Published: October 4th 2009Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Matakohe
October 4th 2009
On Saturday 3 October we visited the museum for the "Settlers' Day event. Lots of people were there and all seemed to thoroughly enjoy the day. Michael and Cathy were there also - with Jason and Anita also a friend of Jason.... read more
First stop with Campervan
Published: February 18th 2009Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Matakohe
February 14th 2009
First night spent very close to Kauri Museum at Matakohe. Great views. Brilliant museum - could have spent hours there. Awesome trees further N in forest - eg Tane Mahuta largest known living kauri tree - trunk girth 16.77m !... read more
December 5th 2008
Our first night in the campervan was spent at Matakohe. We had the most beautiful campsite - one of the Top 10 Holidayparks, which had amazing views of the Kaipara Harbour. The Kiwis certainly know how to set up a campsite - a kitchen with everything you could need, bbqs, sitting area with t.v. We certainly weren't going to be roughing it. We were close to the Matakohe museum which was brilliant. We're not really museum people but this one was great. It showed the lives of the kauri bushmen since the pioneering days - loads of very visual displays: you got a very real insight into how tough life had been and into the sheer size of the kauri trees. Rob was kept out of mischief looking at all the tools and machinery. After the ... read more
November 17th 2008
Tuesday 28th October, 2008 After having breakfast at the Muffin Break Chris and Jeenah went to get our hire car. 7980 kms was on the metre. We left Auckland at 9.20 and got on the motorway and headed north to Orewa, Waiwera, Puhoi, Warkworth and Wellsford. Onto Te Hana and turned off towards Maungaturoto, Paparoa. We arrived at Matakohe at 11.25 (8115). It is a lovely little town set on an estuary at the upper reaches of the Kaipara Harbour. Matakohe was once a a sawmilling town during the golden years of kauri logging and gum digging in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was also here where NZ’s first elected New Zealand-born Prime Minister, Joseph Coates, was born and educated and the Coates Memorial Church was built and named in his honour. We visited ... read more
March 12th 2008
Having seen "gum digger holes" earlier in our trip, our quest was to find out more about them. The opportunity came when we visited Waipoua Forest, to see "Tane Mahuta" the largest known Kauri tree in the world. It's said to be 2,000 years old. The photo we took did not do it justice as we weren't able to get too close to it, for fear of damaging it's roots. But take our word for it, it's a giant... All fired up from this, we decided to call in to the Kauri Museum in Matakohe. We spent hours there.... (unlike the tour parties that were rushed through on their day trips) As well as having the largest collection of kauri gum in the world, a replica boarding house, a school and a historic post office with ... read more
