Whangarei is the main city of the Northland region, in the North Island of New Zealand. It has a warm semi-tropical climate, with summer daytime temperatures around 24–26°C, regular rainy days year round and mild winters that rarely have frosts and are mild enough for the region to be described as "the winterless north". The city's population is 57,000.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
The only public transport is Citylink. It covers most suburbs and the inner city, including the airport. Service intervals are approximately half hourly during peak, hourly otherwise, and every two hours on weekends. Tickets are $3 for adults. Bee cards are the preferred method of payment but cash is also accepted. Look for the Green Buses and timetables located at bus stops.
1 Claphams National Clock Museum, Town Basin, Dent St, ☏ +64 9 438-3993. Daily 9AM–4:30PM (except 30 Jun & 25 Dec). One of the largest collections of clocks in the southern hemisphere. $10 adult, $4 child, senior citizen $8. (updated Jan 2024) 2 Hundertwasser Art Centre, 81 Dent St. Daily 10AM–4PM. Designed by Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser and featuring his art. Also houses the Wairau Māori Art Gallery. Allow 1-1.5 hours. Adult $25, locals, students & seniors $20, child $15.
AE Fun Park, 203 Hayward Rd, Maungakaramea (15 min drive south of Whangarei), ☏ +64 9 432-3534, booking@aefun.co.nz. Activity and events park. Paintball, Lasertag, archery, clay shooting, flying fox, target shooting, mini putt golf, BBQ and function area. Good for half-day outings and family fun. Walking. There are good opportunities for short and medium duration walks. Mair Park and the adjacent Parihaka Reserve near the centre of town straddle the Hatea river and are extremely popular (the latter has several glow-worm spots at night). Two tracks lead from the river up to the top of Parihaka, which has beautiful views over the city.
Indian Aroma Restaurant, 25 Vine St, ☏ +64 9 430-2282. Shiraz Indian Restaurant, 58 Walton St, ☏ +64 9 438-3112. Daily 11AM-3PM, 4:30-10PM. (updated May 2016) Pimarn Thai Restaurant, 12 Rathbone St, ☏ +64 9 430-0718. Lunch Mon-Sat 11AM-2:30PM, dinner Mon-Sat 5-10PM. Very popular Thai restaurant. Reservations a must. $15-20. Asahi Japanese Restaurant, cnr Vine St & Quality St, ☏ +64 9 430-3005. Reasonable prices. The locals refer to the area around the marina and Hundertwasser Art Centre as the "Town Basin". It is a pleasant place to stroll with nice restaurants, weekend craft markets, and yachts visiting from all over the world. Mokaba, 6 Quayside, ☏ +64 9-438 7557.
Most of the town's bars and clubs are located in the central city in or around Vine Street. Bacio Bar & Cafe, 31 Bank St The Butter Factory, 8 Butter Factory Lane Grand Hotel, 2 Bank St Pure Bar & Grill, 79 Cameron St Split Bar & Restaurant, 16 Rathbone St
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
In Sep, Whangarei typically sees ~17°C daytime highs and 14 rainy days.
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