Most of New Zealand is very scenic indeed, including just about everywhere we went in the Northland region. One notable exception though was the town of Dargaville. It was once the country's busiest port, but has somehow dwindled to a rather dreary looking yesterdaysville, almost shanty town in some parts. Its harbour is a tiny muddy pier for a few small boats on the edge of the enormous Wairoa River, it makes its living selling fertiliser to farmers, and it's full of optimistic signs for tourists about its alleged historic attractions, though few tourists could be seen.
It does have the Northern Wairoa Hotel, I suppose, where the Queen stayed in 1953! This had a dining room that was rather splendid and fed us well, and it looked suitably grand on the outside too, with royal viewing platform and everything. Some Dargaville buildings manage without any windows at all.
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