The autumn school holidays have started , and Easter is next weekend - make the most of the last of the warm weather by going somewhere you ' ve never been . For a short day trip try the walkway on Motutapu Island in Auckland ' s Hauraki Gulf . Photo / SuppliedMimiwhangata Coastal Park , NorthlandHalf way between Whangarei and Paihia , this idyllic park is set on the Kaituna peninsula where you can camp amid pohutukawa trees beside a white sandy beach . Native bush on hills behind the beach contain walking tracks where you might see native wood pigeons , kaka and colourful eastern rosellas from Australia . At night you ' ll hear the calls of morepork and kiwi . Drive time from Auckland : 3 . 5 hoursCampsite : DOC manages 35 tent sites at Waikahoa Bay , right on the beach among the pohutukawa trees . Tap water , toilets and cold showers . Adults $ 8 per night , children ( 5 - 17 ) $ 5 per night . To book , call the park ' s DOC ranger , ph ( 09 ) 433 6554 . Port Jackson , Recreation Reserve , CoromandelThis hilltop reserve beckons you as you approach it along a gravel road , 30 km north of Colville at the top of the Coromandel Peninsula . Camp beside a sweeping bay , and take the Muriwai walk from the other side of the estuary . It will take you along clifftops past two pa sites , with stunning views across the Hauraki Gulf to Great Barrier Island . Drive time from Auckland : 3 hoursDOC Campsite : 130 tent sites , right beside a white sand beach . Tap water , toilets , cold showers , barbecue shelter . Adults $ 9 . 20 per night ; children ( 5 - 17 ) $ 2 per night . To book , ph ( 07 ) 866 6932 . Kaimai Mamaku Forest Park , Bay of PlentyThis 37 , 000 ha native reserve runs south from the Karangahake Gorge between Paeroa and Waihi almost to Rotorua . Near the gorge is the peaceful Dickey Flat campsite - one of the rare campgrounds where dogs are welcome . Set up your tent beside the Waitawheta River , then take the track which leads to the Karangahake Gorge where you can explore remnants of the area ' s gold - mining history . The Karangahake Gorge Historic Walkway partly follows the old railway line between Paeroa and Waihi ( closed in 1979 ) , with the remainder of the track following the banks of the Ohinemuri River . Until April 30 you can take part in the Connecting Hills & Oceans Festival and take advantage of a series of guided walks around the Coromandel and Kaimai Mamaku Forest Park . Visit the site to find out more and register . Drive time from Auckland : 2 . 5 hoursDOC campsite : 35 sites beside the river . Water from stream , toilets . Adults $ 6 per night , children ( 5 - 17 ) $ 2 per night . To book , ph ( 07 ) 578 7677 . DaytrippersRangitoto IslandThe largest and youngest of the 50 or so volcanic cones and craters in Auckland , Rangitoto is only about 600 years old . Its landscape is eerily different from the mainland , comprising bare lava fields , from which grows the world ' s largest pohutukawa forest and more than 250 other native trees and plants . Take the one - hour walk or ride the all - terrain vehicle to the top for beautiful views back to Auckland , or wander along the coastal tracks past historic baches , to bays ideal for picnics and swimming . Getting there : Ferries depart from downtown Auckland or Half Moon Bay on the 25 - minute trip . Return fare for a family of five from downtown is $ 78 , or $ 55 . 80 from Half Moon Bay . Kawau IslandKawau Island was the site of one of New Zealand ' s earliest mining ventures in the 1840 s , and you can still see remnants of the copper mine there today . New Zealand Governor , Sir George Grey , bought the island in 1862 . He remodelled and enlarged the mine superintendent ' s house , now known as Mansion House . Sir George also planted hundreds of species of plants and imported exotic animals including wallabies , kookaburras , weka , peacocks , zebras and monkeys . The zebras and monkeys have gone but the wallabies , weka and peacocks remain . From Mansion House , you can take the two - hour return walk to the copper mine , or one of the shorter tracks . Return for a picnic in the gardens and a swim in the bay . The Mansion House Cafe will be open through Easter . Getting there : A ferry departs from Sandspit , about an hour north of Auckland , departing at 10 . 30 am every day over Easter , returning 2 pm and 4 . 30 pm . Adults $ 50 , children ( 5 - 11 ) $ 26 , family $ 150 . Ph Reubens Cruises 0800 111 666 . Motutapu IslandRangitoto ' s older but lesser known neighbour was occupied by Maori for hundreds of years , so is rich with hundreds of archaeological sites as well as relics of the island ' s more recent European history . There ' s a 40 - minute walk through regenerating forest to a group of former military sites , or a two - hour hike through farmland up to a trig station , then past the site of the island ' s original homestead at Emu Bay . Settle down at Home Bay for a picnic with a view back to the city . At low tide you can walk across the causeway to Rangitoto . Getting there : Fullers runs a ferry service from downtown to Home Bay on selected Sundays , including tomorrow , April 17 , and again on Sunday , May 1 , departing 9 . 15 am , returning 4 . 30 pm . Check www . fullers . co . nz for subsequent dates . Adults $ 31 . 50 , children $ 15 . 80 . * For more ideas and information visit the DOC website .