Experience Whangarei like the locals for your Winter Escape

June 2015

Experience Whangarei like the locals for your next Winter Escape

Looking for your next short break but don’t want the hassle or the expense of a long journey or overseas travel?

Just up the road, around two hours drive, there is a great range of winter holiday options. Whether you’re after a relaxing break or a quick weekend trip, Whangarei is an enchanting destination for a romantic getaway, a family trip or if you just want to escape the big city.

As well as stunning beaches and pristine harbours, Whangarei is a perfect winter haven with stunning walkways, craft and art galleries, award-winning cafes and fresh produce.

Northland Inc Tourism Manager Paul Davis says: “Whangarei is already well known to Aucklanders who flock here in the summer for their Christmas breaks, so we’re inviting our big city neighbours to come back now and experience Whangarei like a local when it’s more relaxed and when there’s still plenty to do.

“Take the family on a winter stroll through the Whangarei Growers Market and try the delicious localling grown or made produce and a great coffee or, take the kids to the beach and enjoy our take on the Kiwi classic fish and chips.

Take a walk around the city’s new riverside walkway, the Hatea Loop. Connecting the inner city’s main attractions via two new award-winning bridges, this is where you’ll find the locals walking, running, cycling, enjoying the Sculpture Trail and just chilling out in a beautiful waterside location, the perfect spot for a winter picnic!”

Every Saturday morning, up to 6,000 shoppers flock to the Whangarei Growers Market; the first of its kind in New Zealand and now one of the largest markets in the country. More than 100 growers and stall holders sell produce they have grown or made themselves, including fruit, vegetables, plants, flowers, honey, eggs, breads and cakes, preserves, freshly caught or smoked fish and organic meat, artisan-made sausages and salamis. It’s the perfect place to immerse yourself into the local community and taste some of the finest fresh food around.

After enjoying the market, head to the heart of Whangarei, the Town Basin and explore the local cafes, relaxing with a cup of coffee or glass of chardonnay overlooking the beautiful international yacht marina. There’s also the popular kids playground, another great place to talk to the locals and find out what’s on.

To get a bird’s eye view of the city, take a short drive up Mt Parihaka, and check out the city’s landmarks and gaze out to the rugged peaks of Whangarei Heads. Walks from here connect the city’s public parks, through pristine native bush in the award-winning Parihaka Reserves to sites like the AH Reed Kauri Park and Whangarei Falls.

No matter what the occasion, Whangarei offers an easy to get to winter break option just up the road, with a change of pace and a chance to reconnect.

--ENDS

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