In addition to the marvelous marina, tasty restaurants, and fun shops there are a few quirky things you need to see when you visit Whangarei. This of course is in addition to all of the cool things to see and do in Whangarei.

Let me share with you a few of my favorite quirky things.

Camera Obscura

This is a really cool and free thing to do on a sunny day.  Visitors can access this beautiful piece of architecture which is located at the foot of the Te Matua a Pohe bridge.

Camera Obscura (Latin for dark chamber) is a lightproof box or room with a hole on one side.  Light from outside passes through the hole and strikes the surface inside.  As reflected light travels in straight lines the world outside appears upside down and back to front.

This is a beautiful phenomenon to enjoy.

Standing outside the Camera Obscura you would see the Hook bridge as shown in the bottom left photo. 

Inside the Camera Obscura the same image is shown upside down (right image). It was a cloudy rainy day when I visited so the photo is not great.

Locals and tourists have the pleasure of seeing dozens of beautiful pieces of art around the Hatea walking loop.  

This anchor and beautiful quote and the large magic 8 ball are a few of my favorites.

Can You Hear Me Now?

We love this piece of art.  It is a great way to hear your partner when he mumbles 🙂

Claphams Clock Museum

This is such a quirky little museum! 

The Claphams National Clock Museum may be small but it is packed with hundreds of clocks and time pieces. 

Guests will find ancient sun, sand, and water clocks, antique clocks, and wacky unbelievable clocks.  There is something to entertain everyone in one of the largest and most historically significant collection of clocks in the Southern Hemisphere.

Glass Blowing

Right in the heart of Whangarei is Grinter Glass. Visitors walk into the showroom showcasing stunning glass works. 

The glass blowing artists work just behind the shop. Tourists can get up close and personal while watching the experts blow glass creations.

Who needs standard men/women figures when you can do something fun like this:

 

Our blog posts run 4-6 weeks behind actual live events.

We were in Whangarei from late October 2025 to January 2026 working on the boat and enjoying this beautiful, quirky town.

Be sure to read about the beautiful and unique bridges of Whangarei.