In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · New Zealand
Kohukohu
Half a day: walk the main street, see the gallery and catch the Rawene ferry. Not a base unless you want a quiet night in a hostel.
Kohukohu is a small town on the north shore of the Hokianga Harbour, reachable by car ferry from Rawene. Its main draw is the Village Arts Gallery and the nearby sand dunes at the harbour mouth. Most travellers pass through on the way to or from the Bay of Islands or Kaitaia.
- Country
- New Zealand
- Best months
- Nov–Apr
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (cooler, more rain)
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- NZD
- Money
- Currency is the New Zealand dollar (NZD, NZ$). Cards and phone payments are accepted almost everywhere; some small rural stalls and honesty boxes are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget $60–100 excl. bed · Mid $100–180 excl. bed · High $180+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- One NZ, Spark and 2degrees sell tourist SIMs at Auckland and Christchurch arrivals and in supermarkets; passport not required.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 111 · Non-urgent police 105 · Traffic (road incidents) *555
- Plugs
- Types I · 230 V · 50 Hz · Same angled two- or three-pin plug as Australia, Fiji and China; switch the socket on at the wall.
- Tipping
- Café or restaurant: Nothing expected; 10% for very good service at dinner is a bonus.; Taxi / Uber: Nothing; round up if you like.; Guide or tour: Optional NZ$10–20 for a day guide.; Hotel: Nothing.; Public holidays: Cafés may add a 10–15% holiday surcharge to the bill; it is legal and shown on menus.
- Water
- Tap water is safe almost everywhere; follow boil-water notices in small rural schemes. Treat stream water in the backcountry.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets in every town and at most lookouts; DOC long-drops on tracks. Carry paper; never use the roadside.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee (café) | $4–6 |
| Fish and chips (takeaway) | $12–18 |
| Beer (pub) | $7–10 |
| Car ferry Kohukohu–Rawene, one way | $15 (check) |
| Hostel dorm bed | $32–45 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- KKE · Kerikeri Airport
- About 1 h 15 min drive; flights from Auckland
Typical fares
- Car ferry Kohukohu–Rawene, one way
- about $15, 15 min (check)
- Taxi Kohukohu village to Tree House
- about $15–20
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walkable village. For the sand dunes you need a car; drive to Mitimiti then 15 km (9.3 mi) south along the beach.Walkable village. For the sand dunes you need a car; drive to Mitimiti then 9.3 mi (15 km) south along the beach.
See and do
Known for
- Village Arts Gallery
- Hokianga Harbour views
- Car ferry to Rawene
- Sand dunes at Rangi Point
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Rawene | Car ferry, 15 min crossing | About 30 min |
| Horeke | Drive north on Kohukohu Road, about 20 min | About 25 min |
| Opononi | Drive via Rawene ferry and SH12, about 45 min | About 1 h |
| Koutu | Drive north on Kohukohu Road, about 15 min | About 20 min |
| Mangamuka Bridge | Drive east on Kohukohu Road, about 25 min | About 30 min |
Sleep
- Kohukohu village
- A handful of hostels and cottages; book ahead in summer.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Kia orakee-ah oh-rah |
| Thank you | Kia ora / Tēnā koekee-ah oh-rah / teh-nah kweh |
| How much? | E hia?eh hee-ah |
| Where is the ferry? | Kei hea te waka?kay heh-ah teh wah-kah |
| Goodbye | Haere rāhai-reh rah |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Kia ora or a handshake; first names from the start; avoid: Formal titles; overlong small talk before business
- Marae visit: Wait to be called on, follow your guide through the pōwhiri, remove shoes before the meeting house; avoid: Eating or drinking inside the wharenui; walking in front of speakers
- Tables and heads: Keep bottoms off tables and hats off tables; food stays away from heads; avoid: Sitting on tables or kitchen benches; touching people's heads
- Roads: Pull over at slow-vehicle bays to let queues pass; wave thanks; avoid: Stopping on the road for photos; drifting right after a stop
- Outdoors: Carry out all rubbish; use toilets; stick to tracks; avoid: Feeding kea and other birds; toileting outside
- Talk: Self-deprecating humour and understatement; avoid: Calling New Zealanders Australians; boasting
- Home visit: Bring wine or something to share; shoes off if the hosts do; avoid: Arriving empty-handed to a 'bring a plate' event
- Names: Use Māori place names and pronounce them with care; avoid: Joking about Māori words or haka
Scams and watch-outs
- Car ferry to Rawene runs 6:30 AM–9 PM daily; check for weather cancellations.
- Sand dunes at Rangi Point: accessible only at low tide; ask locally for tide times.
- No petrol station in Kohukohu; fill up in Kaitaia or Rawene.
Very safe. Watch for one-lane bridges on the road to Mitimiti and check tide times before driving on the beach.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Kohukohu yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Village Arts Gallery
- Hokianga Harbour views
- Car ferry to Rawene
- Sand dunes at Rangi Point
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Kohukohu, revision 3725512 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=3725512
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Kohukohu
Ki tēnei wāhi, koa
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
The nearest consulate for most countries is in Auckland; check your embassy's website for details.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/kohukohu). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.