From the Deep South, Simon Hartley travels to the Far North to check the veracity of claims of ‘‘winterless Northland'', and what it offers while Otago gets set to winter over.
Tourism ventures across Northland have a common denominator; be it the new $10 million Te Kongahu Museum of Waitangi or 1927 steam train Gabriel in Kawakawa, they're all working on redevelopment or expansion.
With tourism now one of New Zealand's biggest export earners, Otago and Northland share a common thread, with flights and highways delivering visitor numbers to the point of bursting at times, placing increasing pressure on infrastructure, accommodation and services.
While about 80% of Northland's tourism is generated domestically, the majority by visiting Aucklanders during the summer high season, shoulder-season tourism is set at a more leisurely pace.
Both Northland and Otago want to expand visitor numbers over their respective shoulder seasons, to ease the pressure on services, but still deliver quality tourism.
The climate of the country's only subtropical province is the obvious big drawcard, with summer temperatures in the mid 20s plus, while in the shoulder season expect a comfortable range of 10degC to 20degC, albeit with the potential for some surly, but brief, cold fronts.
The autumn temperatures this year persisted well into early winter.
Waitangi's historic 1840 grounds, with its flagstaff, expansive acreage, 1830s Treaty House, carved meeting house and ceremonial waka, are a must for New Zealanders.
However, the new gem on the headland, and its sweeping Bay of Islands scenery, is the $10million Te Kongahu Museum of Waitangi, opened in February.
The two-storey building is a feast of interactive 21st-century multimedia presentations, educational areas and static displays of taonga/treasures, copies and originals, plus searchable material.
There are refreshingly candid biographies of many of the main instigators and signatories to the Treaty, which don't always gloss over their respective failings or attitudes, which adds a personal touch to how events evolved from 180 years ago.
Thirty-nine chiefs signed the English version of the Treaty and more than 500 the Maori version, which began the contentious translation issue over "sovereignty'' and "governance'', forming just the tip of the iceberg of grievances represented in the Treaty's articles.
As one commentator notes in a museum display "the Treaty should be considered by everyone as a work in progress''.
The reintroduction of admission charges rankles with some visitors ($40) and New Zealanders ($20), but the combination of the museum's multimedia guided tour, film and cultural performance and Waitangi's expansive setting makes up for the cost of what is a half-day visit.
With Waitangi so intrinsically linked to much of the Bay of Islands' history, the Stone Store and Kemp House, in Kerikeri 30 minutes north, continue the theme, two of the country's oldest buildings in their grassed Puketotara Stream setting among aged and elegant imported trees.
Open continuously since 1836, the store has period-type trade goods, while the adjacent 1821 Kemp House offers a guided-only tour of New Zealand's oldest building, which often hosted flagstaff-felling Hone Heke, and surprisingly is home to some of his taonga.
Also maintaining strong links to the past is Kawakawa's Bay of Island's Vintage Railway, which is well advanced with plans to regain and double the length of its former early 1900s coal rail line, which at present runs about 10km towards the coast, its period carriages pulled by the 30-tonne steam engine Gabriel.
Vintage line operations manager Mike Bradshaw hopes to redevelop the existing line back to port settlement Opua, eventually with steamships taking some of the line's annual 35,000 visitors further afield across the Bay of Islands.
For first-time Northland visitors, "must dos'' include a traverse of the West Coast's Ninety Mile Beach, and boating among the multitude of bays and some of the more than 140 islands of the wider Bay of Islands, and its attendant pods of dolphins.
For Ninety Mile Beach (actually 55 miles), it's a full day out with four-wheel-drive-capable buses heading north up the coast, past pretty Whangaroa, Coopers Beach and Doubtless Bay as farmlands and forests give way to a volcanic landscape.
After an hour of belting along the windswept Ninety Mile Beach, the steep Te Paki sand dunes finally appear, offering challenging prone sand-boarding, with plenty of speed and spills.
Just 30 minutes on, Cape Reinga and its namesake lighthouse, flanked by Cape Maria van Diemen to the west, is approached over an impressive ridgeline road.
The 1km walkway to the lighthouse has spectacular views of the maelstrom which is the meeting of the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean, while for Maori it is the stepping-off place for spirits on their return journey to Hawaii.
Back in Paihia, which looks across to Russell, with squalls washing across the Bay of Islands, the dolphin cruise vessel crew decide to go ahead to visit the Hole in the Rock, below Cape Brett lighthouse.
Surrounded by grey squalls and heading into slightly confused seas, it wasn't difficult to imagine the bay's attraction when more than 100 sailing ships were said to have been able to anchor safely in it.
Historic Russell, the country's first capital, was infamously known as the "hell hole of the South Pacific'', witnessing the debauchery of visiting whalers and sealers in the 1800s.
Just as the hard-bitten mariners sought sanctuary, the Bay of Islands offers tourist boats numerous shelter options, even in inclement weather conditions.
Despite our squalls, by weaving though deep channels in the lee of numerous islands, we located a pod of more than than 15 bottlenose dolphins, just off Cooks Cove, off Motuarohia Island.
Ranging in age from a young calf through to an almost 4m-long 27-year-old male, the pod played confidently around the vessel for 20 minutes, before explosively tearing away to something more enticing.
Northland in just four days and nights doesn't do it justice with its kauri forests and swamps and pioneer gum diggings, charter coastal and game fishing, diving, surfing, sailing, historic Russell, waterfalls, walking, cycling and tramping tracks to discover.
There are reputedly more than 100 mainland beaches, with numerous coastal loop and dead-end roads to explore, with all the townships well-supplied to cater for visitors.
Summer sounds daunting around the Bay of Islands, with up to 1000 private boats on its waterways, accommodation overflowing, and one tourism operator saying they cater to 900 visitors a day, on their numerous vessels.
Pragmatically, visiting Northland during the shoulder season offers advantages of competitive accommodation pricing, be it motels, a bach (read crib) or apartments, good weather and with all the tourist services and activities still in place.
For pure pleasure, Northland's rich Maori and European histories, its nature, land and seascapes in its subtropical setting are genuinely unique.
-Simon Hartley was the guest of Northland Inc and Air New Zealand.
NORTHLAND
Great
Extensive options to suit all budgets, whether accommodation, dining or tourism activities. Caters to backpackers and families through to high-end spenders. Something of value for everyone.
Good
Around the Bay of Islands, numerous destinations just a short hop away, by road, car ferry or boat.
Indifferent
The region's diversity of fish and subtropical produce could be better represented on menus, but is great at its farmers markets.
Poor
State Highways 1 and 10 are in appalling condition in parts, requiring a high degree of care. Numerous roadworks are remedying some issues, it is to be hoped.
