Northland is the long, narrow peninsula that stretches north from Auckland to Cape Reinga, where Maori tradition holds that the spirits of the dead depart for the afterlife. It is the warmest and most subtropical part of New Zealand, with a relaxed pace that feels a world away from the cities to the south. The region was the first part of New Zealand settled by Europeans, and the Bay of Islands in particular is thick with early colonial and Maori history. Inland, stands of ancient kauri forest survive in places, remnants of the vast bush that once covered the peninsula.
Places in Northland include:
- Whangarei — the region's largest city
- Mangawhai Heads — a beach settlement near the small town of Mangawhai in south Northland
- Bay of Islands — the historic heart of the region, including Kerikeri and Russell
- Kaitaia — the main town of the Far North
