The narrow and staunchly Maori province of Northland (Taitokerau; www.northland.org.nz) thrusts 350km out from Auckland into the subtropical north, separating the Pacific Ocean from the Tasman Sea – two oceans that meet in the maelstrom off Cape Reinga, New Zealand's most northerly road-accessible point. The province is often described as the "Winterless North", and though the name only really holds true in the topmost part of the region, it rightly evokes the palms and citrus fruit that thrive here and the warmer waters off its many gorgeous beaches.

Scenically, Northland splits down the middle. The east coast comprises a labyrinth of straggling peninsulas, with hidden coves between plunging headlands. The beaches tend to be calm and safe, their waters becoming choppy only during occasional Pacific storms, whose force is broken by clusters of protective barrier islands. There could hardly be a greater contrast than that with the west coast, one enormous dune-backed beach pounded by powerful Tasman breakers and broken by occasional harbours. Tidal rips and holes make swimming dangerous here, and there are no lifeguard patrols. Some beaches are even designated as roads but are full of hazards for the unwary – and rental cars aren't insured for beach driving. Exploration of the undulating interior is both hampered and enlivened by the roads: the major routes are inland and often well away from the unspoiled and deserted beaches that are the main event in these parts, leading to long forays down twisting side roads.

Beyond the Hibiscus coast is the Kowhai Coast, which begins to feel more genuinely rural and is popular with yachties sailing around Kawau Island, and snorkellers exploring the underwater world of the Goat Island Marine Reserve. The broad sweep of Bream Bay runs from the Scottish settlement of Waipu up to the dramatic crags of Whangarei Heads at the entrance to Northland's major port and the associated town of Whangarei. Off the coast here lie the Poor Knights Islands, New Zealand's premier dive spot. Tourists in a hurry tend to make straight for the Bay of Islands, a jagged bite out of the coastline dotted with islands perfect for cruising, diving and swimming with dolphins, and steeped in early New Zealand history. Everything north of here is loosely referred to as The Far North, a region characterized by the quiet remoteness of the Whangaroa Harbour, the popular resorts of Doubtless Bay, and the Aupori Peninsula, which backs Ninety Mile Beach all the way up to Cape Reinga.

The west coast feels very different from the east, marked by economic neglect over the last fifty years as kauri logging ended and dairying never successfully replaced it. First stop on the way back south from Ninety Mile Beach is the fragmented Hokianga Harbour, one of New Zealand's largest, with some fine sand dunes gracing the north head. South of here you're into the Waipoua Forest, all that remains after the depredations of the kauri loggers, a story best told at the excellent Kauri Museum at Matakohe on the shores of the Kaipara Harbour.

Northland has no passenger train services so getting around by public transport means travelling by bus all covered in "Travel details". If you're driving the choices are limited to a major road up each side of the peninsula. This forms a logical loop formalized as the Twin Coast Discovery Highway: there's no need to follow it slavishly, but the brown signs emblazoned with a dolphin and curling wave make a good starting framework.