Why We'll Return to Whangarei Part 1: An Evening at Tutukaka Beach

The Whangarei region is perhaps one of the most peaceful and beautiful places in all of New Zealand.

And if it weren't for Dan's friend Dan, a former Couchsurfing guest from this area who we hosted a year ago in Manhattan, we'd never have gone here. Dan lives in the nearby town of Ngunguru, and he and his wonderful wife Genevieve graciously "returned the favor" and hosted us in their wonderful home.

We were here two full days, and we barely scratched the surface of this area. This will be one of the first places we will return to on our next trip to New Zealand.

First, a quick pronunciation guide: Whangarei is pronounced "fahn gah ray," since it is based on Maori pronunciation. As for how to pronounce Ngunguru... well, we're still not exactly sure to be perfectly honest, but "newngaroo" is a close enough approximation.

And here's probably the region's most widely recognized landmark: the "dragon's teeth" islands, which come into view as you drive up the highway approaching Whangarei.


On our first night there, Dan and Genevieve took us walking at their favorite place in the area--Tutukaka Beach, which is just a ten-minute drive from their home.

This walk, something they do often, was a true blessing. And this evening was particularly special because we got to see the sunset and experience the landscape in the dying light of the day.

And after we were done with this astoundingly beautiful walk, Laura and I were literally stammering, "Y-y-you mean you can take this walk any day you like?"

This post will consist mostly of photographs--and a brief video at the end. There's just not a lot we can say to add to the beauty we saw here.







It was evening, so the light was beginning to get just perfect for photos:


Laura, falling into the soft, bushy grass here on the hillside. Don't worry, she was falling on purpose. It was a blast tossing ourselves into the deep and fluffy grass.


Dan and Genevieve in the setting sun, right before they started diving into the deep grass too:



During low tide, you can walk between these islands without getting your feet wet. But as you can see, during high tide there are waves crashing through in both directions.



Soon the light began to get quite low, and it was time to end a truly beautiful evening walk:




And last but not least, a brief video of the waves rolling in between the rocks here at high tide. Hopefully this will give you a little bit of an idea why we simply loved this place.