Outside of Auckland, North Island
The Bay of Islands
I spent four fantastic days in Paihia and Russell, there, touring the area and taking a quick 10 minute ferry trip over to Russell every day. Russell is a charming Victorian town once known as the ‘hellhole of the Pacific” due to all the whaling ships coming in and availing themselves of the native women and some rowdy shore leave.
A great Maori uprising as a result of this treatment threatened the British settlement here, but eventually peace reign and the British and Scottish settlers began to thrive in their New World.
The maritime museum in Russell is superb, as is the walking around the area, an unspoilt peninsula cut off from the mainland for the most part except by one very circuitous road. You can talk a good brisk walk to the beach, and around to the whaling station still standing at Whangamumu-the whales were once so plentiful in this part of the world, they could hunt for them off the coast.
There are restaurants, entertainments, and a variety of accommodations and tours from Paihia suited to every budget, and it is the central transit hub for buses heading north, south, and west.
Also just over the bridge to the north of Paihia are the Waitangi treaty grounds, which marks the beginning of New Zealand as a nation under British rule. You can see a copy of the treaty and explore local Maori culture and carvings, and a magnificent traditional house, the whare (wh is the f sound in Maori)
Heading further north and west, you can see the largest and the oldest native trees in New Zealand in this region. Tane Mahuta is a magnificent tree over 50 feet in circumference. The forest is gorgeous, and you can even do a night tour in the hopes of seeing the elusive native Kiwi in the wild. (I did see them, and they are incredible) Kia Ora!
You can also go to see the famous Hole in the Rock, and will find all manner of water sports here. 9 Mile Beach is a wonderful paradise in the north, that takes about another 2 hours to get to fro Paihia, so that gives you an idea of just how long the northern peninsula is from Auckland as you travel the North Island.
Make sure you try the fish and chips, with local fishes that are unlike anything you have ever eaten, and at incredible prices even with the US dollar quite low when I went (and getting lower as I write this).