hosebergine

We're over for a recce w/c 24 March. My lovely husband is sneaking off for a couple of day's diving whilst I build sandcastles on a beach with our 3 yr old. Anyone live in Tutukaka with young kids who can advise on what to do or would even try and sneak us into a Kindy? Nothing too adventurous please, I'm five months pregnant.

Bo-Jangles

Tutukaka is wee and there aren't actually very many houses there, nor I doubt a school or a kindy. Although very nice, I would very much doubt any forum members live there - it's a weekendy sort of place with the only draw being availability of access to The Poor Knights for diving, so not exactly the sort of place many would consider as a place to live.

There's a hotel/apartmant block that fill almost the entire waterfront, with a few touristy, surfy shops and restaurants on the street front; all of which are part of the hotel complex. Apart from that there is one other Cafe (Schnappa Rock) and the rest of it is literally just a Marina, plenty of boats to see, with no beach as such and the usual yachtie and fishing clubs that open their bars / restaurants to the general public.

Ngunguru a bit further down the road has a couple of motels, general store and a takeaway place, where I am pretty sure there is a school or kindy, might provide more of a feel to the locality, but bear in mind we are talking 'bach' country around these parts, where hardly anybody lives, just places where people keep beach houses for weekends and holidays.

I think for schools etc you would need to be be looking towards travelling to Tikipunga or Kamo, the next biggest places before you reach Whangerei. My opinion of some of those places, Tikipunga or Kamo for instance would make some parts of South Auckland look des res, so go with an open mind.

For beaches head north for Matapouri (it's gorgeous), Woolley Bay etc all along there are nice. Also along Tutukaka Block Road, there's Kowharewa, and Te Waite Bay at the end of the Penisula which are worth a look.