Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Nearby, heaven is a tub of homemade macadamia and honey ice cream at
Pacific Coast
Macadamias
( 07-325 2960;
www.macanuts.co.nz
;
SH35, Whanarua Bay; snacks $3-9; 10am-3pm, extended
hours Dec-Feb)
, with views along one of the most spectacular parts of the coast. Toasted
sandwiches and nutty sweet treats make this a great lunch stop. Opening hours can be
sketchy - call ahead.
Intertwined with ancient pohutukawa trees, the absolute seafront
Maraehako Bay Retreat
(
07-325 2648;
www.maraehako.co.nz
;
SH35, Maraehako Bay; dm/s/d $28/43/66; )
is a hostel that looks
like it was cobbled together from flotsam and jetsam washed up in the craggy cove. It's
rustic, but unique: what it lacks in crossed Ts and dotted Is it more than makes up for in
manaakitanga
(hospitality). Enjoy a spa under the stars ($5), free kayaks, as well as fish-
ing charters,
marae
tours and guided walks (and no TV!), all at reasonable prices. Run by
the same
hapu
(subtribe) as the retreat,
Maraehako Camping Ground
( 07-325 2901; SH35, Marae-
hako Bay; sites per adult/child $12/8)
offers clean toilets, showers, pohutukawa trees and beach-
front nirvana.
At
Papatea Bay
stop to see the gateway of
Hinemahuru Marae
, intricately carved with images
of WWI Maori Battalion soldiers. Nearby
Christ Church Raukokore
(1894) is a sweet beacon
of belief on a lonely promontory. There are services at 11am on Sundays, or the door is
usually open at other times (look for the mouse on high).
Waihau Bay
has a petrol pump at its western end, alongside the
Waihau Bay Lodge
(
07-325
3805;
www.thewaihaubaylodge.co.nz
; Orete Point Rd, Waihau Bay; mains $25-35; 4pm-late Sun-Wed, 2pm-late
Thu-Sat)
, an old two-storey timber pub by the pier, serving hefty meals and with accom-
modation ranging from campsites ($15) to dorms ($35) and en suite units sleeping eight
(double $185, extra person $25). There is also accommodation at
Oceanside Apartments
(
07-325 3699;
www.waihaubay.co.nz
; 10932 SH35, Waihau Bay; d from $110; )
, comprising two nicely
kept motel units and a next-door bach (holiday home). Meals by arrangement.
Some 17km beyond Waihau Bay,
Whangaparaoa (Cape Runaway)
, where kumara was first
introduced to NZ, can only be reached on foot.
