Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DOC Campsites
(
www.doc.govt.nz
;
sites per adult/child $10/5)
There are spectacularly positioned sites at Ka-
powairua, Tapotupotu Bay and Rarawa Beach. Only water, composting toilets and cold
showers are provided. Bring a cooker, as fires are not allowed, and plenty of repellent to
ward off mosquitoes and sandflies. 'Freedom/Leave No Trace' camping is allowed along
the Cape Reinga Coastal Walkway.
CAMPSITES
$
Getting There & Around
Apart from numerous tours, there's no public transport past Pukenui, which is linked to
As well as Far North Rd (SH1), rugged vehicles can travel along Ninety Mile Beach it-
self. However, cars have been known to hit soft sand and be swallowed by the tides - look
out for unfortunate vehicles poking through the sands. Check tide times before setting out;
avoid it 2½ hours either side of high tide. Watch out for 'quicksand' at Te Paki Stream -
keep moving. Many car-rental companies prohibit driving on the sands; if you get stuck,
your insurance won't cover you.
Fill up with petrol before hitting the Aupouri Peninsula.
NGATI TARARA
As you're travelling around the north you might notice the preponderance of road names ending in '-ich'. The
sign leading into Kaitaia proclaims, '
haere mai, dobro došli
and welcome', denoting one of the more peculiar
ethnic conjunctions in the country.
From the end of the 19th century, men from the Dalmatian coast of what is now Croatia started arriving in NZ
looking for work. Many ended up in Northland's gum fields. Pakeha (white) society wasn't particularly welcom-
ing to the new immigrants, particularly during WWI, as they were on Austrian passports. Not so the small Maori
communities of the north. Here the immigrants found an echo of Dalmatian village life, with its emphasis on ex-
tended family and hospitality, not to mention a shared history of injustice at the hands of colonial powers.
The Maori jokingly named them Tarara, as their rapid conversation in their native tongue sounded like 'ta-ra-
ra-ra-ra' to Maori ears. Many Croatian men married local
wahine
(women), founding clans that have left several
of today's famous Maori with Croatian surnames, like singer Margaret Urlich and former All Black Frano Botica.
You'll find large Tarara communities in the Far North, Dargaville and West Auckland.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Kaitaia
POP 4900
