On a wet day in Mangawhai, start at the Mangawhai Museum on Molesworth Drive, catch a film at Mangawhai Movies, look round the village galleries and settle into a long lunch. With a car, the Waipu Scottish Migration Museum is a short drive north. Most of these are open seven days in summer and fewer days in winter, so check hours first.

The Mangawhai Museum

The obvious first stop, and a good one: local and harbour history, a shop and a café, on the corner of Molesworth Drive and Thelma Road South between the village and the Heads. From 1 September to 30 April it's open seven days, 10am to 4pm; in winter it's weekends 10am to 4pm and weekdays 10am to 2pm. Kaipara ratepayers get in free on the first weekend of each month. Museum listing.

A film at Mangawhai Movies

A small local cinema at 191 Molesworth Drive showing current releases, plus kids' matinees in the school holidays. Their own price list: most films $15 adult and $5 for under-15s, kids' films $10 adult and $5 child, EFTPOS or cash at the door, and bookings advisable — which on a rainy holiday afternoon you should take literally. Cinema listing.

Galleries and the library

Mangawhai Artists Gallery, 45 Moir Street: rotating exhibitions of local work, open daily 10am to 3pm and from 9am on Saturdays.
Sarah C Gallery, Thelma Road South: the artist's own landscape and beach work, 10am to 4pm most days.
Mangawhai Library, Moir Street: Tuesday to Saturday, closed Mondays. A dry corner for kids with a book.
More studios and makers who open their doors are on the makers page and the artists page.

A long lunch

Rain is the best excuse there is for taking your time over food. The Local on the corner of Moir and Molesworth runs from breakfast through to dinner most days, The Mangawhai Tavern is the classic pub lunch, and there are pizza, Indian and burger takeaways for a night in. Every café and kitchen is listed with the hours they publish.

With kids: when it clears for an hour

Mangawhai Activity Zone, 191 Molesworth Drive: playground, skate bowl and pump track, next to the cinema — so a film and a run-around pair well.
The harbour side of the spit is shallow and sheltered when the surf beach is wild. Our swimming guide explains where.
Bring wet-weather gear and go anyway: the beach in drizzle is empty and kids rarely mind.

A short drive north: Waipu

A short drive up the coast, the Waipu Scottish Migration Museum tells the story of the town's Scottish settlers and doubles as the visitor information centre. Inland from Waipu, the glowworm caves are wet anyway, so rain doesn't change much — see our day trips. And yes, people do ride horses on the beaches round here: Waipu Horse Adventures runs guided treks from bush to Uretiti Beach, though that's one for a fine day.

Check before you go

Small-town hours move with the season and the weather. Before driving out, open the venue's own site from its listing here. For what's actually on this week — markets, gigs, school-holiday films — the events calendar has dates straight from whoever runs them.