Things to do in  Bay of Islands

As the site of a significant event in the country’s history, the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, the northern village of Waitangi is an unassuming cornerstone of modern New Zealand society. Visitors can learn about Aotearoa’s social and political past while exploring the Treaty Grounds and surrounding forest and beaches.

Although other parts of New Zealand boast taller or faster-flowing waterfalls, none is as conveniently located—and few are as photogenic—as spectacular Otuihau Whangarei Falls. This 85-foot (26-meter) cascade surrounded by birdsong and native bush is just minutes from Whangarei’s city center, making for a perfect pit stop or half-day hike.

Located at the mouth of the Kerikeri River and overlooking the peaceful Kerikeri Inlet, Kerikeri is the largest town in Northland and one of its most historic spots. Kerikeri was once the site of one of New Zealand’s oldest missionary stations and is now a tranquil subtropical getaway surrounded by waterfalls and dense kauri forest.

While Haruru Falls may be small, at around 16.5 feet (5 meters) high, but they’re wide, spanning the width of the Waitangi River as it flows inland. One of several striking waterfalls in New Zealand’s Bay of Islands, Haruru is a great spot to cool off during the hot Northland summers with some swimming or kayaking.

Marked by a squat lighthouse and a gnarled 800-year-old pohutukawa tree, Cape Reinga is the northernmost point of New Zealand that’s open to the public, and the site where the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea come together. The area is popular for its coastal views, which you can enjoy from a series of windswept nature walks.

The Kerikeri Stone Store is the oldest stone building in New Zealand and part of Kerikeri’s historic Mission Station. Built in 1832, the Stone Store has been a trading post, a library, a barracks, and more. Today you can explore the store and hear the stories of the chiefs, settlers, and missionaries who passed through the station.

Sprawling across 51,000 acres (20,640 hectares) west of Kerikeri, Puketi Forest (Puketi Kauri Forest) is one of New Zealand’s remaining kauri rain forests. Get close to these giant native trees on the forest’s elevated boardwalks, or try one of the forest’s longer walks and discover some of the more than 360 indigenous plant species that call Puketi home.

Discover the history of New Zealand’s native kauri trees and so much more at Matakohe’s Kauri Museum. With interactive exhibits, life-like dioramas, and well-preserved heritage buildings, the Kauri Museum tells the stories of New Zealand’s colonial settlers and the mighty trees they felled to make ships, homes, and just about everything else.

Te Paki is a natural area at the northernmost point of the Aupori Peninsula, which itself is the northernmost point of New Zealand’s Northland peninsula. It’s a diverse area of wetlands, scrublands, cliffs and headlands, forests, beaches, and some very big sand dunes. Travelers come to hike, surf, sandboard, camp, fish, and to visit the beaches.

Overlooking the Bay of Islands and the Pacific Ocean, Cape Brett is a remote and remarkable part of New Zealand’s coastline. Trek 10 scenic miles (16 kilometers) to the tip of the peninsula, or take a day cruise or speedboat to the cape’s famous Hole in the Rock, a natural rock tunnel that comfortably fits the boats that sail there and back.

The Bay of Islands Cruise Port (Waitangi Wharf) offers access to important historical sites such as Russell, New Zealand’s first capital, and the house where the Treaty of Waitangi—an agreement between the British crown and Maori chiefs—was signed. It also serves as a jumping-off point for more than 140 islands, the waters of which are home to whales and dolphins.

Built in 1842, the Pompallier Mission and Printery (Pompallier House) in Russell represents a critical time in New Zealand history: when the British and French vied for dominance. The mission was the heart of Catholic outreach, and the printery produced many thousands of books in Te Reo Maori, prompting literacy and conversion.