Matakohe has been firmly on the map of interests in the top of New Zealand ever since the Kauri Museum began to make an impact.

It has won many accolades and plaudits, and continues to draw native and foreign tourists by the bus load.

Opposite the Kauri Museum is the tiny Pioneer Church dating from 1867.

It was moved from its original site, marked by the flagpole, in 1950 and subsequently endured a period of restoration.

The first service after this move was the harvest festival of March 1978, and considering its size it must have been an intimate occasion.

At a pinch, the church would seat 60 and the pews are unusual in that they are all placed at a slight angle, pointing towards the centre.

There is a fine display of black and white photographs inside the porch showing shots of that Harvest festival, together with several others of the early churches in Otamatea County.

The extensive graveyard at Matakohe is dominated by the Coates Memorial church. Born nearby, Joseph Gordon Coates was the first NZ born Prime Minister, who served as MP for Kaipara for 33 years.

A fine avenue of pohutukawas on the east side of the graveyard leads to the church, and the building is most unusual in that it is built of brick.

Never a particularly elegant material, this little chapel manages somehow, perhaps because of its proportions to be attractive. Viewed from certain angles it could easily be an English country church, which may well have been the unconscious intention.

It is probably four times as big as the original pioneer one, but still manages to feel intimate. Inside it is a gem. All the pews are free-standing and constructed of Kauri.

Unlike the dark oak pews so common of English parish churches, the pews here glow, even in a poor light. They add an intangible joy to this fine church.

Entry is normally via the vestry, so make sure you go to the western end to see the stain-glass window.

The Oak tree that stands to the south of the church was planted in 1887 and marks a double anniversary – the golden jubilee of the reign of Queen Victoria, and the silver jubilee of the founding of the Matakohe settlement.

The oak has spread extensively, and has several big boughs rather than a strong central leader.

Had you stopped at Matakohe on your way back to Auckland along SH12, you would shortly have reached Paparoa.

But if you have a moment take a left between these two settlements for the Kauri Bushman’s Memorial park. They are not giants, and are a few centuries off being so, but there are some handsome trees there.

Paparoa is dominated by a building that has a grade one listing on it.

Built on the site of an old dairy it was the National Bank of New Zealand, in which role it served until 1989. It became a residence, then a hunting and fishing shop, before being converted to a restaurant in the early 1990s.

It changed hands and was renovated in 2001 before becoming the property of new owners, Alun and Adrian in early 2009. It had been christened Sahara, which Alun thinks may have been a slightly condescending reference to the lack of good eating facilities in the vicinity.

But as he pointed out the Oasis in the desert, if it was such, might have been more appropriate.

The food at Sahara has been influenced by Adrian’s training and travels.

Trained “classically” in Australia on European style cooking he loves to play with Asian dishes using aromatic spices designed to bring out the true flavours of the food.

To that end sauces are delicate and subtle – avoiding “drowning” the food. He loves the area, as despite a necessity to go to various centres for essential supplies, there is plenty of fresh local produce available.

Sahara makes the best use of a splendid old building, and the walls are covered in paintings from an art studio at Ruawai. In fact Alun was very proud that of the extensive collection, only four items were non-local.

In the cooler months the restaurant is open Thursday-Sunday, but the summer sees much greater demand and an influx of visitors reversing the ratio of locals to tourists by a big margin.

Alun is looking forward to the summer, believing it will allow him time to go fishing on the Kaipara. However, as he is standing for the local council it is hard to see how he will have time in between running a busy restaurant.

Paparoa has a well-established farmers market operating on every second Saturday of the month. The marketers have established an “Out-of-our-own-backyard” or OOOOBY system.

This means that anyone with a glut of fruit or veg’ can save themselves the bother of setting up a stall and add it to an established one for a small percentage.

As Alun pointed out, it means a saving and adds a bit of “flesh” to the stalls.

Maungaturoto’s marketing campaign involved it in becoming a “Real New Zealand town.”

Just in case you’d forgotten this vital fact during your visit, everything else has taken on a tangible label – such as the 'Real New Zealand playground' etc.

One of the restaurants has cashed in by becoming 'Real Town Roasts'.

The town is the first stop after the road divides at Brynderwyn – north for Whangarei and West for Dargaville.

With a little imagination it would be easy to imagine Maungaturoto as a hilltop town in Tuscany – for it is most certainly where the Romans would have built.

The scenery is glorious, and the town’s setting allows for broad views in many directions.

In the last few years Maungaturoto has been home to the Northland Lifestyle Field Day, which this year will be held on Saturday November 13.

The growing interest in “back to the land” basics, and the opening up of the small block market led to a big increase in the numbers of people needing to acquire knowledge about their investment.

“This year is all about education,” Real Town Maungaturoto Committee chairman Mike Forbes said.

“We aim to teach people via our speakers, demonstrations etc the basic know-how to living on a lifestyle block.”

Quite apart from the wonderful setting the Northland Lifestyle Field Day is a far more intimate occasion than its big cousin up the road in March.

The opportunity is there for people to come and ask questions about everything from equipment to regimes, in a relaxed environment. Many lifestyle blocks are owned by original thinking resourceful people, with the ability and passion to explore other ways of doing things; the incubators for future successful enterprises, with emphasis on sustainability and less damage to the environment, with the intention of producing a better environment in which to live and bring up children.

The event on Saturday 13 November will once again be held at the impressive Maungaturoto Country Club.

Field Days goers can expect to enjoy a day of fun, food stalls, demonstrations and displays, animals, birds, lifestyle block information, speakers, real estate and much more.

Don't forget to mark it in the calendar!