NATURE

Islands

The Bay of Islands encompasses 144 islands between Cape Brett and the Purerua Peninsula. Urupukapuka Island is the largest island and is a popular stopover island for tour boats and has a ferry service from Paihia and Russell for day trips. Otehei Bay is the main bay with a stunning beach for swimming, snorkelling… and a restaurant as well. The island offers some gorgeous walking tracks and a campsite for overnight stays (bookings through department of Conservation).

Roberton (Motuarohia) Island stretches for 2 kilometres east to west with the south coast offering 2 bays with sandy beaches. The island has some beautiful nature trails and is just perfect for some lagoon swimming and relaxing.

Motukokako Island or Piercy Island is also known as the Hole in the Rock. It is at the very northern tip of Cape Brett. Some local tour operators are happy to take you out there, by boat or helicopter. By boat, if weather conditions are suitable, you might be able to go through the hole. If you are going by helicopter, there is the option of landing on the very top!

Beaches

If you are after a lazy day enjoying the sunny weather and pristine waters of the bay, there is a wide range of stunning beaches around to enjoy your day.

Russell:

  • Kororareka Beach at the wharf, right in town, with a swimming pontoon in front. The kids often love jumping off the wharf into the water

  • Long Beach (Oneroa), a gorgeous long sandy and sheltered beach.

  • Tapeka Beach, at Tapeka Point.

Paihia:

  • Paihia Beach, at the southern end of town. A sandy beach, with a grassy area and kayaking options available.

  • Te Tii Bay, at the northern end of town, sandy with a grass area. Playground for kids present.

  • Sullivan’s Beach, beautiful sandy and sheltered beach, a 10-minute walk from Paihia towards Te Haumi.

Other:

  • Elliot Bay (30 minutes’ drive), good surfing beach, just out of the bay going south towards Whangarei on the coastal road

  • Oke Bay at Cape Brett Peninsula

  • Otehei Bay at Urupukapuka Island, connected by a daily ferry service in summer from departing from Russell and Paihia. Perfect for swimming, snorkelling, a picnic…

Forests

Waitangi Forest

  • From Waitangi to Hararu Falls, 6 km one-way

  • Combination of native forest, mangrove

Opua Kauri Walk (in the Opua Forest)

  • Easy and short walking track for the whole family, 370 metres one-way

  • Turn into Oromahoe Rd from State Highway 11 in Opua, and follow the signs or combine this walk with the Oromahoe Traverse through Opua Forest all the way to Paihia (2.5 hours walk one-way)

Puketi and Omahuta Kauri Rainforests:

  • 35 min from Paihia, 20min from Kerikeri.

  • Puketi Forest and its neighbour Omahuta Forest form one of the largest tracts of native forests in Northland. Most tracks are all-weather tracks and can cater for an easy 10min walk (kauri boardwalk) up to a bit more challenging 2-day hikes.

Waipoua Forest:

  • Approximately 1.5 hour drive, at the west coast, Hokianga Harbour

  • Famous for its giant kauri trees with Tane Mahuta being the tallest.

  • Guided walks available by Footprints Waipoua Forest.

          

Waterfalls

Haruru Falls (Paihia):

  • Just north of Paihia

  • Haruru means ‘big noise’, and the falls are in a rare horseshoe shape.

  • You can drive and park there or follow the walking track from Waitangi to the Falls (6km one way).

Rainbow falls (Kerikeri):

  • a spectacular 27metre waterfall.

  • 10min drive from Kerikeri with easy access.

  • Start of the Rainbow Falls walking Track to the Kerikeri Town Basin where the Old Stone Store is

Wharepuke Falls:

  • In Kerikeri, these falls are accessed through the Kerikeri river Track, a beautiful walk passing along young kauri, totara, and other native trees.        

Caves

Kawiti Caves (Waiomio Caves):

  • A few kilometres south of Kawakawa

  • They are owned and operated by the Kawiti family offering 30-minute guided tours, exploring magical stalactite formations and spectacular glow worms displays.

Trees and plants

Some of the native trees you will find in the Bay of Islands are rimu, cabbage trees, totora, kahikatea, …

Kauri

Kauri trees are some of the oldest trees in the world and are in New Zealand also some of the largest trees. They have existed for around 20 million years, and mature trees can be over 2 meters thick, over 50 meters tall and have a circumference of 13 meters all around. Kauri can grow by themselves, or they can be part of the forest canopy. In the Bay of Islands, on any nature walk there is a good chance there is a kauri tree nearby.

Because of extensive logging – kauri timber is strong and was favoured by European settlers for house and boat building – kauri trees were almost extinct by 1900. Today they are a protected species, with the aim of making them recover and thrive again. Now however, the main threat to them is ‘kauri dieback’, a disease caused by a fungus living in the soil and infecting their roots. By damaging the tissues that carry nutrients and water into the tree, kauri dieback starves these trees to death. Unfortunately, there is no cure.

With the fungus living in dirt, Kauri dieback can be moved around in dirt. So, the best way to protect kauri trees is by scrubbing your shoes before going on a walk. cleaning your bike tyres before going on a trail and disinfecting shoes and tyres, washing your dogs’ paws before and after a forest-walk and staying on paths and tracks. Many forest walks will feature hygiene stations at the beginning and the end of a track for cleaning your shoes, so please use them and follow any other instructions to protect these giants of the forest.

Pohutukawa

The Pohutukawa tree, or NZ Christmas tree, is a coastal evergreen tree known for its red vibrant flowers in summer, and its ability to survive on rocky cliffs. The natural range of the Pohutukawa is the coastal regions of the North Island. They are abundant in Russell, lining up the waterfront and setting the tone for Romantic Russell!