Whangarei is Northland's main city and the northernmost city in New Zealand, sitting at the head of a long harbour about 160 km north of Auckland. It's a working port and regional centre that most travelers pass through on the way to the Bay of Islands, but the town itself has more going for it than its transit reputation suggests. Clapham's Clock Museum, the Town Basin marina development with its galleries and cafes, the new Hundertwasser Art Centre, and the Whangarei Falls — one of the most accessible waterfalls in the country — are all worth an hour or two.
The surrounding district has some fine coastal scenery, and Whangarei Heads to the south and the Tutukaka Coast with its Poor Knights Islands diving are genuinely excellent.