The Bay of Islands is as close to a perfect combination of history and landscape as New Zealand gets. A sheltered subtropical bay studded with 144 islands, backed by green hills and native bush, it sits about three hours north of Auckland and rewards anyone who makes the effort. The water is warm enough to swim in for much of the year, the sailing is excellent, and the historical weight of the place is considerable — this is where modern New Zealand began.
Whether you’re here for the beach, the marine life or the heritage, this area will make a lasting impression.
A little history
Long before European contact, the Bay of Islands was one of the most densely populated areas in the country, prized by Māori for its fish, its fertile land, and its natural harbour. The first European settlement at Russell (then called Kororāreka) made it effectively New Zealand’s first town of the colonial era — a rough and ready port that acquired a reputation to match. It was at Waitangi, on the bay’s southern shore, that representatives of the British Crown and over 40 Māori rangatira gathered on 6 February 1840 to sign Te Tiriti o Waitangi — the Treaty of Waitangi. The document, New Zealand’s founding agreement, attracted more than 500 signatures from iwi leaders across the country and remains central to New Zealand law, politics, and identity today.
What to see and do
The Waitangi Treaty Grounds are the essential starting point and genuinely one of the most significant sites in the Pacific. The grounds contain two museums, the original Treaty House (built in 1833), a large meeting house (wharenui), and the world’s largest war canoe (waka taua), which is ceremonially launched each year on Waitangi Day. The Waitangi Experience Pass covers the museums, guided tours, and cultural performances. Admission for international adult visitors is NZ$74; NZ residents NZ$37; children free. The pass is valid for two days, which is useful if you want to take your time. On Waitangi Day itself (6 February, a public holiday), entry to the grounds is free for everyone.
Russell is a fifteen-minute passenger ferry ride from Paihia and has the feel of the oldest settled town in New Zealand, which is more or less what it is. It is considerably quieter and more attractive than Paihia, with good restaurants, a small museum, the country’s oldest surviving church (Christ Church, 1836, with bullet holes in its walls from the colonial conflicts of the 1840s), and views across the bay. The ferry runs every twenty minutes from the Paihia wharf.
Getting out on the water is the best use of time here. The Hole in the Rock cruise, run by Fullers Great Sights, is the most popular boat trip — a full-day or half-day journey out through the islands to Motukōkako, a dramatic rock formation through which the boat passes at the right tide and sea conditions. Bottlenose and common dolphins are frequently encountered along the way. The morning cruise includes a stop at Urupukapuka Island. Fullers holds one of only two DOC licences to interact with marine mammals in the bay.
Sailing, kayaking, and independent boat hire are all available from Paihia. The bay’s 144 islands include beaches that are effectively inaccessible except by water, which is reason enough to get afloat.
Kerikeri, a short drive north of Paihia, is worth an hour or two: the Stone Store (1836, New Zealand’s oldest surviving stone building) and the nearby Mission House (1822) form the oldest European built environment in the country. Kerikeri is also the centre of a small but serious sub-tropical growing region — good citrus and olives — with a handful of good cafés and local food producers.
Kawakawa is home to the Hundertwasser Toilets, which are genuinely the most famous (and artistic) bathrooms in the country. Designed by Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser, who lived in the Bay of Islands from 1975 until his death in 2000, the toilets were completed in 1999 and are everything a public convenience ordinarily is not: mosaic-tiled, irregularly shaped, planted with trees growing through the roof, and entirely free of straight lines. Hundertwasser considered straight lines a modern affliction. The toilets are free to use and worth a stop.
Getting there
The Bay of Islands is approximately three hours’ drive north of Auckland on State Highway 1. The main base for visitors is Paihia, which has the broadest range of accommodation and is the departure point for most boat trips. Russell, across the harbour, is quieter and accessed by passenger ferry from Paihia or by a longer drive via Opua (where a vehicle ferry crosses). InterCity coaches run from Auckland to Paihia; journey time is around four hours.
Cost and hours
There is no charge to visit the bay itself. The Waitangi Treaty Grounds are open daily; the Waitangi Experience Pass is NZ$74 for international adults, NZ$37 for NZ residents, free for children. The Russell passenger ferry from Paihia runs approximately every twenty minutes; the ferry ticket is typically around NZ$15 return. Boat cruise prices vary by operator and tour length — half-day cruises start from around NZ$120 per adult.