Paddling near Kaikohe, Northland

Kaikohe sits in the Hokianga–Bay of Islands hinterland of Northland, surrounded by a network of rivers and the shallow lake of Ōmāpere. The area draws paddlers to calm flatwater on Lake Ōmāpere and to the many Northland rivers — including the Waitangi, Mangakahia, Punakitere and Waimā — that wind through farmland and bush. The Bay of Islands, a well-known sea-kayaking destination, is also within reach of the town.