Discover Okaihau

Ōkaihau offers several ways to shape your stay: the Pou Herenga Tai Twin Coast Cycle Trail is accessible from here, and a railway-themed rest area commemorates the site of the former railway station. The Okaihau Golf Club, with its 9-hole golf course, is also part of the town’s appeal. When planning your trip, you can therefore consider whether cycling and local history, golf or an outing in nature should be the focus.

Cycle trail and railway history

The rest area on the Twin Coast Cycle Trail overlooks the site of Ōkaihau’s former railway station. The project for the rest area includes a bilingual information panel about the history of the railway in Ōkaihau. So the stop is not only railway-themed, but also connected to a specific place and its railway history. If you are interested in the town’s development, this is a fitting way to explore the subject, without having to consider railway history separately from the rest of your stay.

There is also a specific point of reference when choosing a cycling stage: the section of the Twin Coast Cycle Trail between Ōkaihau and Hōreke is the short section with a moderate difficulty level. “Short” and “moderate difficulty” together describe this section. If you include the route in your trip, you can take this classification into account when choosing your stage, rather than treating distance and difficulty as interchangeable. The trail is accessible from Ōkaihau.

Getting started and planning your trip

The Twin Coast Cycle Trail starts in Ōkaihau via Nova Street. Two Ponga Park is just behind the public toilets. Many trail shuttle buses use Ōkaihau as a pick-up and drop-off point. These are two practical aspects to consider when planning your trip: you can first look into the stage between Ōkaihau and Hōreke, and also bear in mind that many shuttle buses use the town as a pick-up and drop-off point. This does not provide further details about any particular shuttle service.

Nature and other interests

Another destination is nearby: Horeke Road leads from Ōkaihau to Wairere Boulders. The nature park is characterised by large basalt boulders that fill a valley. This makes it quite distinct from the cycling route and the railway history at the rest area. If you are interested in the landscape and its striking rock formations, Wairere Boulders could be a separate option to consider when planning your stay.

For travellers whose interests lean more towards golf, Ōkaihau has the Okaihau Golf Club, a 9-hole golf course. By comparison, the Twin Coast Cycle Trail and its section to Hōreke offer a different activity. Which one suits your travel group depends on your interests.

More places in the directory: Te Kao, Kawakawa, Opua, Coopers Beach, Te Tii, Waimate North, Whangaroa and Waipoua Forest.

Back to the main travel overview: Far North District.