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Northern News : January 7th 2015
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NEWS NORTHERN NEWS, JANUARY 7, 2015 Top free holiday ideas By SARAH HARRIS SUMMER holidays are where the best memories are formed. Barefoot beach days, backyard barbecues and Christmas picnics under the pohutukawa trees all make up quintessential Kiwi memories. The silly season can be stressful when spending gets out of control and the children have exhausted their latest toys from Santa. Here is our list of top free things to do with children in the Far North. ❚ Do you have any top spots to share? Email sarah.harris@fairfaxmedia.co.nz your amazing discoveries in the Far North. COLLECTING COCKLESANDTUATUA AT TAIPA RIVER Children love collecting cockles and tuatua at the beach. Finding the next, biggest, smallest or most beautiful cockle can soon turn into a lively competition. Then you can take your bulging bag of shellfish home and turn them into a flavoursome dish like vongole pasta. The easiest cockle hunting is done at low tide, so make sure to check the tidal charts before heading out. The daily limit per person is 150 for cockles and tuatua. Mangonui School principal Dave Sedcole says the river has heaps of cockles for the picking. ‘‘It’s just great putting your hand in the mud, getting a big one, getting a small one. It’s a little treasure hunt. It’s a good thing to do with the family, and a free feed, too. Steam them up – beautiful.’’ CYCLEWAYFROMKAWAKAWATOOPUA MATAURIBAYWALKANDMEMORIAL Beach, culture and history all wrapped up in a million dollar view can be found in Matauri Bay. Take a trek up to the hill-top memorial at the end of Matauri Bay Rd. The walk is quite steep and probably takes about 20 minutes but the view is worth the effort. From the top you can see waves crashing against the cliffs on either side and Chris Booth’s Rainbow Warrior memorial. The sculpture looks towards the spot where the Greenpeace protest ship was sunk. Take a picnic and then walk down to the beach for a splash. SURFINGSANDDUNESAT OPONONI Zipping down giant sand castles on a boogie board is every kid’s dream. You can make this a reality with a trip to the sand dunes at Opononi in the Hokianga. You can use a boogie board, cardboard or anything else flat, although the smoother it is the faster you will go. There are slopes of various gradients. Keep to the relatively gentle ones. A local or water taxi driver should be able to point them out. While you’re there take a walk to check out the sculptures at the top of the dunes. Maryann Watene from Hokianga Express Charters SHIPWRECKBAY Dust off the pedals and hop on your bikes for some family fitness. The Opua to Kawakawa cycleway is 11km of flat easy riding. You can start at either end of the track that goes from Opua marina to Kawakawa Rail Station or just do a section of it. You get magnificent views of sailing boats, mangroves and the estuary connecting to the Kawakawa River. The first 7km starting from Opua is NEED A CAR?TNEED A CAR? TIRED OF BEING TOLD NO? IRED OF BEING TOLD NO? Krystal can help krystal@fort scar co nz • Personalised & Customised Finance options that suits you • Buy from us and save $$$ • Free tank of gas Phone 0800 367 599 or Txt 021 367 599 82 Great South Road, Papatoetoe, Auckland Kaikohe Agent - Greenworld Health and Lifestyle 97 Broadway, Kaikohe Kaitaia Agent - Bubbas Baby Store 138 Commerce Street, Kaitaia Shop online at: www.equipmentplus.org.nz a cycle trail with the remaining 4km a vintage railway track. The trail runs through a long tunnel and over 14 bridges including the Long Bridge by Taumarere Station. Great for kids. Playing pirates takes on a whole new dimension when you have a real shipwreck to jump off. That’s exactly what you can do at Shipwreck Bay (Te Kohanga in Maori) in Ahipara. The story goes that a gum-digging ship called The Favourite was anchored there in 1870 when the southwesterly winds drove her ashore. She was a 121ft ship built of wrought STOCKISTS OF MOLIMED INCONTINENCE PRODUCTS WE ALSO STOCK WHEELCHAIRS, WALKERS AND DAILY LIVING AIDS. iron and made to last. At low tide you can see part of her boiler section and one of the shafts that drove her paddle wheels still embedded in the sand. Shipwreck Bay is a wonderful place to stroll, bike or even drive your car across the long flat beach. You can camp overnight in the nearby camping ground run by local iwi or Ahipara Holiday Park. NZS LEADERS IN Eco Sustainable Sewage Systems Wanng Power Free Sewage Treatment? No Power in treatment processes Natures Acve Bio-system Odourless, quiet operaon Extremely low maintenance needs Modular with low site impact Free Onsite Assessments says they take heaps of families to the dunes. ‘‘It’s fun for all ages. The kids love it. It’s a unique activity.’’ 3 6423868AG 5938027AO
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