Leaving the wharf behind, your small group tour will first call at the pretty township of Kerikeri and the Stone Store Heritage area, then onto the stunning Rainbow Falls and a stop at the Makana Chocolate Factory to taste a few samples and of course shop for some gifts and indulgences. Close by is the Kauri Workshop where you will see a wide range of handcrafted wood, made entirely from New Zealand native timbers – kauri, rimu, totara and pohutukawa.
Enjoy a lunch break at a winery or a riverside cafe (at your own cost) and then onto the Pioneer Village.
The Kaikohe Pioneer Village began as a collection of buildings, many with historical significance, brought together from around the district, restored and furnished to give you the feeling of the Pioneer days, a living memorial to our early history. See New Zealand's oldest courthouse built in 1861, an 1890 jail, a 1901 school and much, much more. There are collections of Maori artefacts, machinery, tractors, saw mills, fire engines and more. Enjoy the bush railway and travel in the ‘style’ experienced by Kauri loggers of the past – there is even a fully restored 1907 steam traction engine.
Begonia House This floral display is seasonal.
On the same grounds visit The Begonia House with stunning floral displays of Begonias. These are reputed to be the finest display of this beautiful bloom anywhere in the southern hemisphere.
On your return to the wharf you will visit the famous Kawakawa Huntertwasser Toilets. |