Bay of Islands, NZ

Paihia's most ambitious dining room, on Marsden Road, with a seasonal Northland-produce menu and the kind of plating that earns its 'rivals Michelin' reputation. Chef-led, small, and the destination dinner of the Bay.

Bustling restaurant built right out on the Paihia wharf, with sharing plates, wood-fired pizzas and the best wharf view in the bay. Loud and lively; the social spot in town and a reliable dinner.

New Zealand's oldest licensed pub (1827) on the Russell waterfront, a heritage hotel and restaurant with a seafood-leaning bistro menu. The historical anchor of Russell and the right place for a long lunch when you have crossed on the ferry.

Russell's oldest restaurant (1847), in a wooden colonial house on The Strand. The kitchen leans into Northland seafood with an Italian sensibility. The slightly grown-up dinner option in Russell.

Paihia's most interesting kitchen, blending Southeast Asian, Indian and Middle Eastern flavours on a sharing-plate menu. Cocktail bar attached; Friday night live music. The local move when you have done one too many fish-and-chip dinners.

An honest American-style grill on Marsden Road with the best burger in Paihia and a small steak menu. Quick service, generous portions, and the casual answer for a group.

Long-running seafood restaurant on The Strand in Russell, with the local catch as the focus and a format that has not changed in years. Reliable, generous, and the casual seafood dinner.

The over-water restaurant on the Paihia waterfront, built out on the wharf with a live aquarium running through the dining room and a strong NZ-seafood menu. Family-friendly and self-aware about the tourist crowd, but the kitchen is honest and the bay view is the best in town.

A small Russell cafe on York Street with the best coffee in the village and fresh bagels made in-house. Tight room, fast service, and the local breakfast stop before the ferry back to Paihia.

The poolside restaurant at Paihia Beach Resort & Spa on Marsden Road, with a seasonal NZ-produce menu and a calm ocean view across to the islands. Polished, reliable, and the option when central Paihia feels too busy.

A counter-style fish-and-chip shop on Cass Street in Russell, with the best fresh-fish takeaway in the village. Eat them on the waterfront five minutes away. The casual lunch all of Russell uses.

A small, relaxed Latin American cafe on Kings Road in Paihia, owner-run and the real deal for burritos, fish tacos and big Allpress coffees. Casual, generous, fairly priced, and a welcome change from another fish-and-chip dinner. The local move for a quick, flavour-packed feed.

A casual all-day bar and eatery built over the water on Marsden Road, with loungers and big decks looking straight out at the bay. Local line-caught fish, share plates and a produce-led menu that rolls from breakfast through to evening drinks. The relaxed waterfront choice when you just want a good feed and the view.

An eight-hour 16km cliff walk one way from Rawhiti to the Cape Brett lighthouse, with a DOC hut at the end. One of the country's great hikes — undulating, exposed, with constant Pacific views and seal-and-dolphin sightings along the way.

A 12km flat coastal walk from Paihia south to Opua Wharf, through native bush and along the harbour edge. About three hours one way; walk a section or do the lot with a bus return.

A flat 2km boardwalk through the Waitangi mangrove forest to the lookout above Haruru Falls. Quietly impressive — mangroves are scarce this far south. Pram-friendly, signed interpretation, free.

A short clifftop walk on the Russell side, with panoramic views back to Paihia and out to the islands. About 90 minutes return on rolling grass paths. Free and almost-always empty.

A 30-minute climb up Maiki Hill behind Russell to the flagpole that Hone Heke famously cut down four times in 1844-45. The historical pivot of the Northern War, plus the postcard view down on Russell.

A 7km flat loop along the Kerikeri River from the Stone Store, past the Rainbow Falls and back. Easy and shaded, with multiple swimming holes. The best gentle walk in the region.

A short 200m walk from the carpark to the 27m Rainbow Falls in Kerikeri, with a viewing platform at the lip and a path down to the pool at the base. Free, family-friendly. The Northland fall.

A 90-minute coastal loop from the Russell side at Long Beach, climbing onto cliffs with views out to Whangamumu Bay and the Cape Brett peninsula. Quiet, exposed, and the harder of the local Russell walks.

Half-day cruise from Paihia or Russell wharves out to the Hole in the Rock at the entrance of the Bay of Islands. Catamaran operators include Fullers GreatSights and Explore. Standard half-day, with dolphins about half the trips.

A 1985 wooden tall ship that sails day trips from Russell, with hands-on rigging if you want it. Slower than the catamarans, more atmospheric. Charity-run with funds supporting youth training.

The night-time hangi-and-light-show package at Waitangi, combining a Maori cultural concert, a hangi dinner cooked in earth ovens, and a sound-and-light show projected on the carved meeting house. The deepest cultural evening in the region.

Half-day dolphin-and-eco cruises with operators committed to no-touch viewing protocols. Bottlenose dolphins and the occasional orca are the wildlife. The more conservation-leaning alternative to the standard Hole in the Rock cruise.

Ten-minute crossing from Paihia wharf to Russell, running every 30 minutes from early morning to late evening. Cheap, scenic, and the right way to get between the two villages. The car ferry takes the long way and is mainly for vehicles.

A small yacht doing day-sails into the bay, with snorkelling and beach landings on calm days. The more intimate water experience than the big tour boats. Owner-skippered.

A 30-minute guided cave tour at Waiomio (15 minutes south of Kawakawa) on Ngati Hine land, with a small chamber lit by glow worms. Family-run, lower-key than the Waitomo big-name caves, and a quieter local experience.

The most photographed public toilets in the country, designed in 1999 by Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser, who lived in nearby Kawakawa. Tiled mosaic walls, copper-cap pillars, undulating floor. Genuinely worth a 15-minute stop on the drive in.

The 1911 steam railway from Kawakawa to Taumarere, run by volunteers, with regular weekend operations. Short, slow, and pleasingly Edwardian. The kids' highlight on the drive in.

Small Sunday morning market on the Paihia waterfront with local produce, baking and craft. Modest size, but a pleasant Sunday-morning add-on if you are in town.

Self-drive charter boats from Paihia and Opua wharves to Roberton Island, with twin saltwater lagoons and walking tracks. Hire a small motorboat for the day, pick the island, beach the boat. The local move for a self-directed day.

The site of New Zealand's founding document, signed here in 1840 between the British Crown and over 500 Maori chiefs. The grounds include the Te Kongahu museum, a carved meeting house, the world's largest ceremonial war canoe, and daily cultural performances. The single most important historical site in the country.

The country's first colonial capital, now a quiet waterfront village reached by ten-minute ferry from Paihia. Long Beach is on the other side; Christ Church (1836, NZ's oldest church) is in the middle, still pockmarked from a 19th-century gun battle. Genuinely lovely.

A vast natural sea arch through Piercy Island at the entrance to the Bay of Islands, big enough that the tour boats sail through it on calm days. Reached only by boat. The iconic seaward landmark of the region.

The 1910 lighthouse at the seaward tip of the peninsula, reachable by an 8-hour return cliff walk or by boat. Even the boat-view trip is dramatic; the walk-in version is one of the country's great long day hikes.

NZ's oldest existing church (1836), with bullet holes in the wooden walls from the 1845 Battle of Kororareka. Five minutes' walk from the Russell waterfront and free to visit. The headstones in the graveyard tell the colonial story bluntly.

An 1842 rammed-earth Catholic mission printery, now a museum with a working tannery and printing press. Guided tour only, hour-long, with hands-on demonstrations. The earliest surviving industrial building in the country.

A horseshoe waterfall on the Waitangi River, five minutes from Paihia, with a short walk to the lookout and a kayak trip up through the mangroves to the base. Free, family-friendly, and the easy half-hour stop.

NZ's oldest surviving stone building (1836) and wooden building (1822) standing side by side on the Kerikeri Basin, 25 minutes north of Paihia. Free to wander the grounds; entry tickets for the interiors. The architectural origin point of pakeha NZ.

The wharf-and-beach strip from the ferry terminal south to the Paihia public boat ramp, with the most concentrated cluster of restaurants, bars and tour operators in Northland. The orientation point for the entire region.

Russell's main swimming beach, on the opposite side of the peninsula from the village, an easy 15-minute walk over the hill. Wide, sandy, sheltered, with no facilities and almost no people. The local secret of the Bay of Islands.