Hokianga

Changing your clock to Hokianga Time

You can't really say you're on 'Hokianga time' until you take a short detour off SH 12 to Rawene, for a glass of homemade lemonade at a cafe on stilts.

Time slips away without a thought, and distractions such as the historic Clendon House are always added to the list of things to do.

The vehicle ferry's horn breaks this reverie once an hour, as it plunges through silty water to reach Kohukohu — once a busy port with more than 5,000 men employed at its sawmill.

Descending into Opononi, the enormous sand dunes of the Hokianga's north shore give off a golden light. Take a water taxi from Opononi's wharf to scale these giant dunes then descend like the local kids do – on body boards with an optional splash in the harbour (depending upon the tide).

The south-head viewpoint at Signal Station Road is ideal for admiring the dunes from afar or to watch for friendly dolphins like Opo, who made her mark in this place during the 1950s.

Then it's off to the local watering hole, right on the water's edge, to shoot pool and hang with the locals, then finish off the day with a meal of fish and chips.