Help. Please suggest a nice place to stay on the east and west coast, North Island

[Flip]

I need a couple of suggestions for nice places to stay. We are going to Auckland in a weeks time and was going up the North Island west coast (2 days one night) and back down the east coast via the east cape (3 days 2 nights). I want a nice place somwhere New Plymouth to Ragland and a couple of places Coromandel to Napier ish.

Good food is important and I want to wake in the morning to a view and birdsong. Hotels, good motels, B+B's are all fine, even a cabin if it is in the right place.

About my only limitation is the Harley's belt drive doesn't do gravel.

[Hitcher]

Kawhia. Raglan. Oakura. Urenui. Whakatane. Tokomaru Bay. Gisborne. Akitio. Castlepoint. An online accommodation finder should outline the features of the digs on offer at these locations.

[Flip]

The ones that have flashy ads often fail when you actually get there. The neat places I have stayed at over the years like in "the barn" just south of the Kauri forest in the far north or the little ma and pa motel in Oponui have both been found by recomendation not by advertisment.

[Blackbird]

If you do intend to go round the Coromandel Peninsula which is a stunning bike road with magnificent scenery, especially on a weekday when the roads are practically empty, Fern Lodge is meets all your criteria - have directed several KB'ers there. Here's the link:
http://www.fernlodgecoromandel.com/

[F5 Dave]

You folks aren't from round these parts.

Raglan is a pretentious shithole. ok maybe a bit far, but it became an outpost of auckland.

I love Kawhia, but my only accom recommendation from there is the run down camping ground (the one closer to the beach around the back) with cabins made from old packing crates for about $25 a night. We went back we enjoyed it so much. But that's just me. and probably you'd be lynch'd for being a cheapskate.

Pile on through if you have time when you're going past, we'd love to see you both..

[Maha]

Kawhia over Raglan any day...http://www.kawhiabeachsidescape.co.nz/

[jafar]

Te Puka tavern in Tokomaru Bay, right across the road from the water. The units are self contained & fairly new. The tavern serves up excellent meals & is open late for guests. :woohoo:
The ruins further up the road by the wharf are worth a look. The wharf dates back a while & is in a poor state of repair, well worth the look too.

Nearest petrol is Ruatoria (not recommended), Togala bay may have petrol,but didn't when I was there.
There was talk of the local 4 square opening some pumps but I have no recent information on this. Fuel can be an issue around the cape, so if you find some fill up. There are pumps listed on some websites that are no longer in service !!:shit: