Exploring Te Arai Links & Mangawhai Heads

Day 3 of our North Island Trip

Te Arai Links - South Course was where we were headed that morning. It is almost an hour-long drive from the CBD towards the north of Auckland. My husband succeeded in convincing me to join him in his early morning round of golf and I agreed :)

I do not play golf and yet I do not regret my decision, for the golf course was exceeding beautiful. It is a walking-only facility. No golf carts were allowed on the course. That means we - I, my husband, a husband-wife couple from Utah in the US and another New Zealander, were a group who were chaperoned by a guide along the 18 holes with great merry. It was pure fun and a bit of competition with stunning coastal views.

Any guesses who took the lead? :D

Well, equally mind-blowing was its Ric's restaurant near a large putting green. Ric's is the perfect place to unwind after a long round of golf. One can practise on the adjoining putting green while we wait for our food. Ideal for families who join the golfers over lunch or for a nice day out.

This is the classic Ricotta gnocchi at Ric's that pampered my taste buds like never before.

We spent close to 5 or 6 hours at Te Arai Links and I thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience. Sometimes, the sheer beauty of nature is moving enough to create lasting experiences and that's what Te Arai did to me. With a full heart, we started driving to our next destination - Mangawhai Heads Reserve which was just a bit further north from the golf links.

Mangawhai Heads

Mangawhai Heads is a popular summertime beach destination some 90 minutes from Auckland and just 30 minutes from the Te Arai Links. Geologically, it is a narrow peninsula, more like a giant finger as it is likened to, that separates the Pacific Ocean from the naturally formed Mangawhai harbour. Due to this geography, it is a popular surf beach within the tranquil waters of the harbour and a great place for water sports. It is also known for its windswept dramatic sand dunes which adds to its allure.

The Mangawhai Heads offer some fantastic coastal walks and hikes along the rugged cliffs that kiss its long coastline. Topping the list is the Mangawhai Cliffs Walkway that is a beautiful coastal trail on the cliffs offering stunning views of the surroundings. It involves some short but steep steps and takes around 2-3 hours to do the trail and get back to the starting point.

Beautiful Mangawhai beach with the sand dunes on the right and the peninsula jetting into the sea at a distance.

A perfect holiday home on the cliffs along the beach.

We just relaxed and walked along this beautiful stretch of beach taking in the relentless rhythm of the waves. The beach was not crowded but had a fair share of couples and families with children who were enjoying the raw beauty it exuded :) Some kids were sliding down the sand dunes using boards with their parents standing guard at the base. They were an absolute delight to watch!

You can easily spend a couple of hours at least on Mangawhai Heads and then head on to the Mangawhai village nearby to soak up its local vibes and enjoy a nice meal :)