Gallery & Cafe

Bay of Islands & Northland


This cafe, high above Helena Bay, is one of the main stops on this route. Offering excellent organic fair-trade coffee, scrummy cakes until close, and amazing views, you can also gander at some interesting Kiwiana art and craft in the gallery and sculpture garden.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Bay of Islands & Northland attractions

1. Mimiwhangata Coastal Park

5.6 MILES

This coastal reserve features sand dunes, pohutukawa trees, jutting headlands and picturesque beaches. DOC-managed accommodation includes an eight-person…

2. Ruapekapeka Pā

10.3 MILES

For 10 days in January 1846, 1600 British troops bombarded 500 Māori warriors hunkered down in a pā (fortress) composed of trenches, tunnels and wooden…

3. Kawiti Caves

14.15 MILES

Explore these glowworm-illuminated limestone caverns on a 30-minute subterranean tour led by direct descendants of Ngāti Hine chief Kawiti, who fought the…

4. Omata Estate

15.45 MILES

With a growing reputation for red wines – especially its old-growth syrah – Omata Estate is one of Northland's finest wineries. To complement the tastings…

5. Kawakawa Public Toilets

15.6 MILES

It's rare that public toilets are a town's claim to fame but Kawakawa's were designed by Austrian-born artist and eco-architect Friedensreich…

6. King Theatre Creative

15.63 MILES

More like a community centre, this art-deco cinema has been repurposed into an art gallery showing works by talented locals, a library and a soon-to-be…

7. Whangārei Falls

15.72 MILES

Short walks around these 26m-high falls provide views of the water cascading over the edge of an old basalt lava flow. The falls can be reached on the…

8. Oke Bay

16.12 MILES

It's a bit of a drive (30km) and a short steep walk down to the beach, but worth the effort. There's not a lot of beach when the tide is high so time your…