Located on the north side of the Hokianga Harbour sits the Tree House. A retreat style eco lodge surrounded by beautiful forest and permaculture inspired gardens. Having everything you need including kitchen, bathroom and laundry - making for an awe worthy home away from home! Affordable and unique this is a must see spot for any backpacker wanting to see a bit of the North. Just remember that if you’re driving from South Hokianga, there is a ferry. Be sure to check out the website for further details.

Luxury on a budget! A very spacious holiday park with the staff to match. This place has it all, a library, spa, pool, and the magnificent Whangarei Falls just 2 minutes walk away. The staff are so amazing that they help organise dive trips for you with one of the local dive charters of Tutukaka!

The self proclaimed flashpackers! This friendly backpackers is plotted right in the heart of Kerikeri. It’s a few minutes walk from the Stone Store and just a short drive to the town center, which is so handy! I loved the spacious community area, which even has a pool table! So if you’re keen for something flash and affordable, I reckon you give Hone Heke Lodge a call.

No other backpackers in Northland screams veteran like the Bunkdown Lodge. Home to a gracious kauri villa built in the early 1900’s this place is a gem! If you’re looking for affordable beds close to town with local knowledge then I highly recommend calling in here on your journey through the north! Ran by a wonderful couple that exceed their value with homely service and company.

On a budget? This is the perfect pit stop! Be it a mid-summer roady with family or backpacking through Northland with friends. They have both helpful and friendly staff, an awesome location and not to mention wifi! I love it because it is so close to town, awesome beaches and the waterfront.

The best way to get into the Christmas spirit is with a face full of pine. These guys sell awesome, lush pine trees that are really full and just begging you to hang up your x-mas decos on. They’re open afternoon and on weekends. Real Christmas trees are the best!

This is such a cheery community spirit event. Heaps of people turn up for the party and it’s great to have everyone in one place. I love packing an epic picnic to share with friends while watching the evening’s entertainment. Just make sure you don’t have any alcohol or glass because it’ll get taken off you!

Farmers really know how to doll you and your house up for the festive season. They have an awesome selection of affordable Christmas decorations ranging from shiny tinsel to stunning glass baubles. I love getting quirky figurines like flamingos to put on the Christmas tree. They also sell fake Christmas trees if that’s what you’re into.

A streetfood night market is the ultimate festive marriage. There are lots of yummy nibbley things to eat and it’s just nice being amongst the buzzing community on a warm summer night. Every Friday, except for Christmas day - this is a market not to be missed!

This church does a beautiful Christmas eve service which gets you really excited about the next day and also tires you out so you can go home and actually sleep. There’s supper as well and kids can bring soft toys to add to the nativity scene which is so gorgeous.

The Kaikohe Four Square staff are super friendly and kind. They make popping in here a pleasure. I love their awesome array of treat food, so they’re great to stock up on a bit of road trip junk food if you’re on your way to the Hokianga!

The Russell Four Square is more like a mini-supermarket. They stock a little bit of everything. I love how they have a good supply of fresh fruit and vegetables. It makes sense as they’re the biggest grocery store in town. They also used to give you free fish food to feed the fish by the wharf.

Like Russell the Four Square in Rawene is the biggest grocery store for a minimum 30 minute drive away. They have a good range of everything so if you’re on holiday and forget to shop beforehand you won’t be left high and dry. I love it because I always buy some chocolate milk for the ferry ride.

This is a magical dairy. In the hippie land of Peria this store sells organic, locally sourced produce. Yummy and healthy snacks, delicious coffee and a selection of other bits and pieces. It’s a showpiece of the community and kids love paying a visit to the fairy dairy. The burgers and organic ice cream are my favourite snacks!

This is a sweet local institution. As well as all the usual dairy stuff they serve coffee and lunch. You can eat it there inside or outside. It’s a bit rough around the edges but full of character and the characters that come to visit.

This is a gorgeous place to stay with the epic landscape of Whangaroa surrounding you. The Holiday Park has everything you could want on holiday including a really nice BBQ area. The hot plates are clean and easy to cook on.

This is a nice flat, sunny place to BBQ. It’s great for the kids because they have lots of space to play and they can feed the chickens for extra fun. The BBQs are pretty new flash ones which are really nice to cook on. You can go for an easy walk to see the Rainbow and Wharepuke Falls after your meal too!

This is a gorgeous bay to go for a paddle or a surf in. After all your running around treat yourself to a nutritious kiwi BBQ - it’s electric which makes things a bit easier!

Whananaki is one of Northland’s best kept secrets. It’s a gorgeous beachy spot to hang out. They also have one of the classic make-a-real-fire BBQs. Collecting the driftwood to light a fire is a fun activity in itself. I love how there’s heaps of gorgeous park to run off your heavy meal after.

Kowharewa Bay is really sheltered making it the perfect place to BBQ when the winds are whipping up. It’s a flat pebble beach which is ideal for kayaking and swimming at high tide. It has a good ol’ wood fire BBQ so make sure you take some wood or collect driftwood from the area.

Kids can run wild at the Opononi Hotel. I love how you can sit up on the deck and keep an eagle eye on them mucking around at the beach just meters away. They have lots of kid friendly food like pizza bread, thick cut fries and a banana boat for dessert. The kids will love it!

This is an awesome place to take kids as they have evenings jampacked with gigs and a great family-friendly vibe. They serve yummy potatoes called ‘smashies’ with bacon and sour cream. They even have a Lil Leprechaun’s menu your wee tot can order off.

I’ve got some nephews who love watching the rugby. Taking them to the Tote & Poke bar was a fab way to introduce them to the camaraderie kiwis get when watching the game together. They’ve got a kids’ menu featuring classics like fish and chips and cheeseburgers - yum!

This is such a nice environment to take the kids. There’s heaps of stuff for them to do just outside the bar’s area like the piano, puzzle and crazy seats for them to jump around on. You’re still able to keep an eye on them while lapping up the lavish views out to the Bay of Islands at the same time.

I could hang out at this place for hours and they do a really good job at catering to the kids. They’ve got a laid back family atmosphere which suits my whanau very well. And I love their kids’ menu with yummy dishes like beef nachos. Although their normal menu is so good the kids are usually keen to eat that instead!

Alfresco serves up delicious bowls of crispy fries with heaps of tomato sauce and aioli. I love ordering a serve to share with friends while watching their live music sessions on Sundays. It’s a great way to unwind from the weekend!

I don’t know what they put on their fries but it is reallllly yum. It’s like some kind of chicken salt or something - or maybe their fries just taste really good? Either way 35 Degrees has some of the top chips around town. They’re perfectly crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.

Otaika Takeaways serve up epic servings of yummy crispy fries. Their portions are really generous and they’re definitely a family favourite. Highly recommended!

These guys are pretty close to where I live and they are so good! They’ve got a good following of locals because their food is top notch and they’ve got great customer service. I love mixing up the usual french fry and opting for their big steaming packets of moist kumara fries - yum!

Their chips are to die for! You get a big bowl of chunky chips with green herb salt, generously served with tomato sauce AND aioli! At $9 a pop it’s one of the budget-friendly ways to enjoy the Duke as well.