Start from 42 curated places around Bay of Islands, NZ, then choose the recommendations that fit your guests.
Restaurants & cafés
Terra Restaurant
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.
Charlotte's Kitchen
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.
Trails & outdoors
Cape Brett Track
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.
Paihia to Opua Coastal Walkway
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.
Things to do
Hole in the Rock Cruise
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.
R Tucker Thompson Tall Ship
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.
Landmarks & sights
Waitangi Treaty Grounds
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.
Russell (Kororareka)
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.