The Bay of Islands NZ Mixtape

Paihia to the Hole in the Rock, dolphins not included

The half-day cruise out past Cape Brett to the natural archway at Piercy Island (Motukokako) is the Bay of Islands' signature trip, and boats do genuinely pass through common and bottlenose dolphin territory on the way. What the brochures don't say as clearly: dolphin numbers in the bay have been declining, and researchers have tracked bottlenose dolphins shifting away from the areas boat traffic concentrates in. Sightings happen often, not every time. Book it for the archway and the coastline, treat the dolphins as a bonus.

Waitangi Treaty Grounds, where the paperwork actually happened

The Treaty of Waitangi was first signed on 6 February 1840, on the lawn in front of the house that's still standing on this site. The Treaty House itself was built in 1833-34 as the residence of British Resident James Busby, and Te Whare Rūnanga, the carved meeting house next to it, was added a century later in 1940 for the Treaty's centenary. Budget half a day if you want the guided tour and both museums, not a quick drive-through.

Russell used to be called the Hellhole of the Pacific, and meant it

Kororāreka, as Russell was originally known, was New Zealand's first permanent European settlement, and by the 1830s it had such a reputation for lawlessness, grog-selling and unpoliced trade that it earned the nickname the "Hellhole of the Pacific." When William Hobson picked a capital for the new colony in 1840, he chose the sleepier Okiato just south of here instead, not Kororāreka itself. Christ Church, built in 1836, is the country's oldest surviving church and still carries musket-ball damage from the 1845 Battle of Kororāreka. The ferry from Paihia is part of the experience, not just transport: the water crossing is 2.3km, versus a 43.5km land detour around the harbour.

Urupukapuka Island's walking trails, once the boat drops you off

Urupukapuka is the largest island in the Bay of Islands, reachable by water taxi from Paihia or Russell, with a network of walking trails linking its bays, including Otehei Bay where Zane Grey once ran a fishing camp. It's also the focus of the Predator Free Pēwhairangi restoration project, so native birdlife is noticeably more present here than on the mainland. Plan around the water taxi timetable, not your own schedule, and it's an easy full day out rather than a half-day add-on.

Marsden Estate, a Kerikeri lunch with the vines still visible

Marsden Estate, a short drive from Kerikeri village, has been pouring its own wine for over two decades from a terrace that looks straight over its own lake, gardens and vineyard rows. It's a sit-down lunch stop rather than a quick tasting-room detour, worth building an afternoon around rather than squeezing in on the way to somewhere else. Cross-Verified from the winery's own listings, not yet a personal Mixtape visit.

Skip the packed Paihia waterfront in January, walk to Long Beach instead

Paihia's town beach is the default photo stop, and in the middle of summer it's also where every day-tripper, cruise passenger and cafe queue in the district ends up at once. Russell's Long Beach, a short walk from the township past the historic cemetery, gets a fraction of the foot traffic for the same calm, swimmable water. The honest trade-off: no waterfront cafe strip, so bring your own lunch if you want to make an afternoon of it.

Where this mix hands off to the open road

Everything above sits inside the bay itself. Once you're ready to keep driving north to 90 Mile Beach and Cape Reinga, that's a different kind of day, and we've written it up properly as its own piece rather than squeezing a drive-by summary in here.

See the Northland to Cape Reinga self-drive route →