bream head coast walks

This was a return visit for me with a new team of WOPS ladies. We tramp together weekly and I had been telling them about my last experience with Claire and Bream Head Walks. Claire you are still getting it oh so right. The ease with our request for the extra night, your food presentation/menus awesome, lodge wonderfully clean, the outdoor bath, the Kiwi, Thanks

We arrived at the Claire's lodge to find that there were no other guests for the duration of our stay. Although it is nice to meet people with a shared interest in walking, it was luxurious to have this beautiful lodge on our own for 3 nights. Claire was a marvellous host providing wonderful food for the duration of our stay. Due to a calf strain sustained by my wife on the walk to Ocean beach we did not walk as much as we had planned.Should we go back to New Zealand, a return trip to Bream Head Coastal Walks to complete the walking programme and experience Claire's wonderful hospitality will be high on our list of priorities.

What an unexpected surprise to discover a pod of 30 or so dolphins in the shallow shoreline surf. The sky was approaching dusk at 8:30pm and we enjoyed the long days of sun compared to our USA winter dusk at 5:30pm.

Stayed in March and had the lodge to ourselves. Beautifully thought out lodge has everything you need including the outdoor bathtub. Claire was a wonderful host and her food was fantastic. Being able to have healthy breakfasts and walk lunches is great too. Day 2 walk was hard but the reward was seeing lots of Dolphins at smugglers cove when we were having a cool off swim. It is a great way to do a multi day trek and I don't know if I could ever carry a pack again! Thanks Claire it was great Nd I would highly recommend

THIS WAS A LOVELY WALK WITH GREAT VIEWS ALL AROUND. take water with you on this walk and your camera,just stunnig

Over the past 4 days we have walked from (1) Whangarei Heads Ocean Beach to Peach Cove and back, (2) around Whangarei Heads from Stuart Rd, McLeod Bay and back via Mt Aubrey, (3) Mt Manaia and (4) Urquharts Bay to Bream Head Gun Emplacements, Busby Head and back via Smugglers Cove.The Mt Manaia walk was the shortest, had the best views and the greatest diversity of plants. The climb took 45 minutes.......not 1.5 hours as suggested. Yes it was steep, but all the steep sections are on even gravel steps. This walk is excellent. You will see a large kauri, plus younger ones. We did not see kiwi, but it is a kiwi reserve. No dogs are allowed. Total time 1.5 hours.The walk to Peach Cove was much more difficult. Peach Cove is not worth visiting as a beach. The walk is OK for those wanting a hard steep walk. The walk requires some agility and eyes on top of your head. I was nearly knocked out twice by thick overhead branches. Need at least 4 hours for this walk.The circuit from Urquhurts Bay is the least steep. Track conditions are good. Smugglers Bay is an OK beach, but exposed to southerly winds. This walk also has a kiwi reserve, so no dogs.Did this walk because of the importance of James Busby to Australia and New Zealand. He bought the first grape vines from France and Spain to both countries as well as help draft the treaty of Waitangi. Total time 1.5 hours.The walk from McLeod Bay around the head and over Mt Aubrey has some good views, but nothing as spectacular as Mt Manaia. A good walk if you are staying in McLeod Bay. Total time about 2 hours account needed to check directions a few times in the narrow laneways before Reotahi Scenic Reserve.

This is a great little walk and you can do a round trip which includes Busby Head. Never many people at the Cove and it is easy to find a tree to sit under to avoid the sun. Best to avoid this area in a strong wind from the southerly quarter as it is exposed but OK in anything from the North.

A good place to experience the rugged coast near Whangarei Heads with walks and hikes for all levels of fitness

We have just returned from three nights staying at the Bream Head coastal walk lodge. The facilities and prepared meals were superb. Claire our hostess also provided excellent advice and chaffeured us to and from the start of our chosen tracks. The walking experiences varied in many ways and were easy or challenging depending on your preference. The native bush, birds and scenery were outstanding. We appreciated the one location but varied programme. An airport pick up and return was also part of our package. This was a most rewarding holiday experience that we would highly recommend.

My husband and I had this excellent purpose built lodge to ourselves (can sleep up to 12) for 4 nights and had a wonderful time.I am not sure what to rave about the most...the areas natural beauty from beach to mountain tops or the incredible and generous home cooked food provided. Located close to a variety of great bush walking options, our host Clare catered for our every need and more, to a very high standard. This tranquil setting was a haven for birds and we even heard kiwi.From the lodge there is a number of walking option and Clare co ordinates drop off and pick up if needed. Clear maps and directions are provided. This is a stunning part of NZ, only a few hours drive from Auckland. Staying at Bream Head coastal walks gave us the perfect package.We highly recommend this place and this experience.

This is the first time we have stayed in a purpose built accommodation block and did not have to move each day. This was very comfortable and well thought out. The walks were fantastic. Good variety and challenges and of course gorgeous scenery. Claire's ability to communicate clearly throughout setting up the walk as well as on the spot was great. She managed to satisfy all the gals gourmet needs with plenty of beautiful meals and baking. This is a very professionally run business and I would recommend it to walkers and hikers around the world. Many thanks from all of us.

We took the 3 day (2 night) walking option and had a thoroughly enjoyable time. Claire was certainly "the host with the most!!!. Her food was amazingly yummy and plentiful and she was just so accommodating for the entire stay.The walks and scenery were incredible. In fact we need to go back to complete the walks we didn't have time for.The lodge was clean and well kitted out. The beds were very comfortable.All up it was an amazing experience that I would recommend to all!!Thanks Claire. XX

Walks to suit everyone is the best way of describing what's on offer. All seven of us chose walks to suit ourselves then we scattered for the day. Claire ensured we were all dropped off and picked up each afternoon as necessary. We arrived back at night to a meal that surpassed our expectations (a bonus was some of the recipes too!). Then we sat back with our wine and listened to the spectacular sound of kiwi calling each other. What a real treat.Glamping is to be recommended when you are lucky enough to experience this sort of thing. Thanks Claire for making our time, albeit brief, so good.

We spent Labour weekend experiencing Bream Head Coastal Walks. We enjoyed every moment from our flight to Whangarei to our wander around the Whangarei marina complex before our flight home. Claire was an awesome hostess managing the transportation and meals brilliantly. We had three days of varied walks - beach and farmland on day 1; Bream head on day 2 and Mt Manaia and Mt Aubrey on day 3. An absolute highlight was taking the short bush walk into the territory of the Brown kiwi, sitting in silence sipping wine and listening to the sounds of the bush as dusk fell. A bonus was hearing both male and female calls and then actually seeing a male as we made our way back to the lodge! A weekend that recharged our batteries.

We have just enjoyed three wonderful days of tramping at Bream Head Coastal Walks and can not recommend this experience more highly. The scenery was stunning, the facilities at the lodge were excellent and Claire's cooking was 'to die for'. This was our first experience of catered tramping and it certainly won't be our last! Thanks Claire for a wonderful time!