Bay of Islands

As part of our trip to Northland we spent a few wonderful days in the subtropical Bay of Islands. Even as we come into winter here in New Zealand we were still basking in glorious sunshine.

First of all we thought we would brush the dust off the bikes and we headed to the birthplace of New Zealand, Waitangi, to check out the tracks at Waitangi Bike Park. Compared to the rest of the biking we've done throughout the country it wasn't much to write home about especially as the clay-like surface had become extremely slick and sticky after the enormous amounts of rain in the past few weeks. After an hour or two of biking we decided to put the bikes away and enter full tourist mode!

We were keen to get out into those famous crystal-clear turquoise waters so we booked a dolphin spotting cruise around the islands and out to the Hole in the Rock. We picked a fantastic morning with barely a cloud in the sky to explore and islands and to our delight our boat came across a pod of playful dolphins less than an hour into the journey.

Then we continued our cruise round the bay out to the Hole in the Rock. Unfortunately the water gods were not on our side and the swell was too big for our skipper to take us through the hole, but we did get pretty close before he decided against it.

Following a relaxing few hours cruising round the bay and learning all about the history of the region, we pulled into Otehei Bay on Urupukapuka island. After a walk up the hill to the viewpoint across the islands we had time for a paddle in the 21°C waters before jumping back on the boat and heading for Russell.

Russell, one of NZ's earliest settlements, was once nicknamed the 'hellhole of the Pacific' due to the misbehaviours of the passing sailors who frequented the town. It certainly doesn't live up to that name now. We found a beautiful little township with some lovely cafes and restaurants dotted along the shore and great views out into the Bay. After a good wander and a leisurely lunch we headed back across the water to Paihia.

We hadn't quite had enough of the tropical Bay of Islands' climate quite yet so decided to give stand up paddle boarding a go the next morning. After confidently assuring the rental guy we had paddle boarded before and didn't need a lesson, we were left to find our feet ourselves! Thankfully the boards are a lot more stable than they look and we didn't even fall in! We spent the morning paddling around the islands close to Paihia and even managed a swim in the gloriously warm waters off one of the islands. As usual we were just having too much fun to take any photos so you'll have to take our word for it that we are absolute paddle boarding pros!!

Then sadly it was time to say goodbye to the Bay of Islands, and what felt like a little holiday within our holiday! Feeling happy and relaxed we headed south again, aiming for the west coast.

ChristineRead more