Opononi and Omapere

Opononi and Omapere sit side by side on the southern shore near the Hokianga Harbour mouth, looking across the water at an extraordinary sight: a field of bare white-gold sand dunes rising several hundred metres on the northern head, with nothing on them. Boats run across and hire bodyboards for sliding down the faces, which is the main activity. In the summer of 1955-56 a young bottlenose dolphin the locals called Opo came into the shallows at Opononi and began playing with swimmers, particularly children, allowing herself to be touched and balancing balls; she drew crowds from all over the country, and when she was found dead in March 1956 - probably from gelignite fishing - the story became national news and helped push through protection for dolphins. A statue outside the pub commemorates her. Signal Station Road climbs to a lookout over the harbour mouth and its notorious bar.

What you actually see

• The dune field - bare sand rising hundreds of metres across the harbour.
• The sandboarding - boats across, bodyboards down the faces.
• The Opo statue - the dolphin remembered outside the pub.
• The harbour mouth lookout - over the bar from Signal Station Road.

When to go

October to April. Dune trips depend on the weather and the tide. Sunset over the harbour mouth is the local fixture.

Honest expectations

The dunes need a boat trip - there is no way across on foot. The harbour bar is dangerous water and swimming near the mouth is not sensible. Both villages are small with limited services.

Nearby

Rawene and the car ferry are east; Waipoua Forest and Tane Mahuta are south.