In this latest travel tips column, I bring holiday hints and budget tips for my most recent family trip, north of Auckland to Matakana to stay at Martins Bay Holiday Park, and a trip with the children to the Algies Bay Donkey Sanctuary at Highfield Gardens. If you’re travelling with small children as I was, it’s a convenient, and affordable destination that you can travel in an hour and break up with fun activities.
Our first stop on the journey north, was Charlie’s gelato next to Plume on Sharp Road. It has the most amazing homemade icecreams (cones $2.50, double scoop tub $5) with dairy-free and regular icecreams. We had blueberry, rum and raisin, and chocolate. Divine.
Lookout at Algies Bay
Donkey Sanctuary
A little-known place which is free to visit to the public without any booking necessary, and so cool, is the Donkey Sanctuary at Highfield Gardens at Algies Bay, immediately after Snells Beach. You can feed donkeys and their foals and it’s awesome for children. There’s parking at the foot of the hill and more at the top, where you get an incredible panoramic view of the bays below for miles around. Next time I would come prepared with carrots or green veges to feed them; a sign said no bread please and do not over-feed them.
Scott’s Landing
Somewhere I’d visited as a child on a school trip that I wanted to return and re-visit, is Scott’s Landing. It is actually called Scott’s Point on Google maps, but the local council recognises it as “Scott’s Landing’, its usual name, as it was a landing point for boats. The historic Scott Homestead, a old hotel from the 1800s, has been beautifully restored by volunteers for years and is available for hire for day events (around $114 a day, not overnight) and there was a major family luncheon going on when we walked by. On the beachfront however, it was calm and deserted and we had the beach to ourselves even on a Saturday in early March. You can easily walk to the little island you can see in the photo below when the tide’s low.
Martins Bay Holiday Park
I’d been recommended this campground by friends with similarly-aged children and I can see why. It’s perfect for families, has great facilities, a big playground, and another public playground, basketball hoop, and toilet block further along the beach. The bay is gorgeous, lined in pohutukawa trees, and there’s an ocean floating pontoon that teens were swimming out to. We paddled and made sandcastles. We hired a standard unit for $70 per couple ($12 extra children) and it had a kettle, fridge, TV, and 3 beds and a double bed and a table and chairs. There’s no running water unless you pay for an ensuite cabin so you go next door to use the kitchen and shower/toilet block and there’s a games room too. I’d definitely go back there soon.
Martins Bay Holiday Park contact details
Phone: +64 9 425 5655
Freephone: 0800 MBHPARK
Fax: +64 9 425 5618
Office Hours: 8:00am to 8:00pm daily
Physical Address
Martins Bay Holiday Park
287 Martins Bay Road
RD 2
Warkworth 0982
Donkey Sanctuary
Highfield Gardens
Between Algies Bay and Snells Beach
Words and photos, Megan Robinson
This article was not paid for or sponsored in any way and is my opinion.
7th March 2014
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