What to See in Whangarei, New Zealand: Free Audio Guide

Looking for things to do in Whangarei? New Zealand’s northernmost city and the largest settlement in the Northland Region, Whangārei is the main hub of the far north. Its district brings together the city and surrounding communities, while its museums offer a focused introduction to local, New Zealand and Māori history and art. Neywo also has a free audio guide for Whangarei, with four narrated places.

What to See in Whangarei

The most important places to visit in Whangarei and the surrounding district include museums devoted to art, migration history and contemporary Māori culture.

Whangārei Art Museum

The Whangārei Art Museum is the main art museum in Whangārei. Its collection focuses on local and New Zealand art, making it a useful place to explore the artistic character of the city and the wider country.

Hundertwasser Art Centre

The Hundertwasser Art Centre is one of Whangārei’s most distinctive cultural landmarks. It is the only building in the Southern Hemisphere designed by the artist and architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser.

Hundertwasser lived near Kawakawa for 30 years and first conceived the centre in 1993. The project was considered and rejected several times before being approved by a binding referendum in June 2015. It officially opened on 20 February 2022 with Puhi Ariki, an inaugural exhibition curated by Nigel Borell.

The building is also home to the Wairau Māori Art Gallery, a public gallery dedicated to contemporary Māori art and customary practice. It is described as the first dedicated public Māori art gallery in Aotearoa New Zealand, and as part of a small group of public indigenous art galleries internationally.

Wairau Māori Art Gallery

Inside the Hundertwasser Art Centre, the Wairau Māori Art Gallery presents contemporary Māori art and customary practice. Its presence gives the centre a distinct cultural role within Whangārei and provides a dedicated setting for Māori artistic expression.

Waipu Scottish Migration Museum

In the township of Waipu, within the Whangarei District, the Waipu Scottish Migration Museum tells the story of Scottish Nova Scotian migration to the community. The museum explores a chapter of local history that helped shape the township and the surrounding area.

A visit here adds historical context to the wider district, showing how migration contributed to the community that exists today.

Whangārei and its district

Whangārei is known in Māori as Whangārei-terenga-parāoa. The city sits within the Whangārei District, created in 1989 by merging the former Whangārei City, Whangarei County and Hikurangi Town councils.

The district now administers both the city and its surrounding hinterland. Its wider area includes communities such as Kamo, Tikipunga, Onerahi, Morningside, Riverside and Raumanga, among others. Exploring beyond the centre gives a broader sense of Whangārei as the administrative and urban hub of Northland.

Plan More of Your New Zealand Trip

Whangarei is one stop in a country with very different city experiences. For more destinations, explore New Zealand, or compare Whangarei with Auckland, Russell, Napier, Wellington or Dunedin.

Explore Whangarei with Neywo

Download Neywo and discover Whangarei with a free audio guide covering four narrated places. The app tells the story of each place as you reach it, at your own pace, with no group and no schedule. Narration is available in 11 languages.

If you are searching for a Whangarei self-guided walking tour or a free walking tour in Whangarei, Neywo lets you explore independently while listening to the stories of the city’s key places.