"My Kind of Town!" Whangarei by Kiwigirlie

I spent the first 22 years of my life here and I intend to move back and be as close as possible to this place. Some people (including the Lonely Planet guide Book on NZ) don't find this place very interesting... Well that's fine with me, the more the tourists stay away, the happier I'll be! To me, it's a special place and if you know where to look, a place with lots of character, charm, scenery and good places to eat! Plus it's the gateway to a magical part of NZ. An area that isn't explored enough by the average traveller. Most people hit Auckland and go south. If you want fantastic empty beaches all to yourself, swim with dolphins for free, see some amazing Kauri forests, eat wonderful seafood, meet friendly salt of the earth people - then Whangarei and Northland is the place to go!

• Pros:Sunny, Beaches, Food, Scenery, Nice people - what more could you want?
• Cons:Might be boring to some.