3/21/2025
A great way to see the stunning Bay of Islands
The Bay of Islands is one of New Zealand's most popular destinations for good reason. It's stunning natural beauty. I'm so glad I found this tour. I am too afraid to drive on the other side so needed to get there somehow. I can't imagine spending only 1 day there. The 2 day tour was just right. I went Feb 23 & 24 with Cheeky Matt as my guide. He's got great playlists.
The tour starts early, so your first stop is breakfast. We stopped at the Tulip Cafe. They had baked items and hot food. Now would be a good time to take a Dramamine if you're prone to car sickness.
Next, is the Kauri Museum. You learn about the magnificent Kauri trees and the history of the logging industry. They have real historical equipment moving and on display. They showcase how the old pioneering settlers lived during this time really well. The boarding house was very cool and felt like you'd been transported back in time.
I was particularly fascinated with the amber colored "gum" the Kauri trees produce. There's a whole gum room. I now own a piece I got in the gift shop.
After learning about the Kauri trees, we took a very windy road to Waipoua Forest to see Tāne Mahuta, New Zealand's largest living kauri tree, known as the Lord of the Forest. It is worth the drive. Just wow. All 177 feet of it.
From here, we continued on out of the forest and to the gorgeous coast. We stopped for lunch in Opononi, a very small beach town. Pretty setting at the cafe over looking the water but the food was pretty slow to come out here - even a salad.
Next, we arrived at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds. It's location couldn't be more scenic. You get a guided tour around the grounds, see the enormous waka tua (war canoe), and experience a Māori cultural performance.
At the end of our first day, we checked into our hotel for the night at Kingsgate Hotel in Paihia. It's a waterfront auto lodge, nothing fancy and also not too shabby. It did the job. They had A/C and a pool! Wifi wasn't working but I was way too tired to care.
Our group dispersed for the night. I headed down the street to find dinner, there were a couple of options to choose from 5 minutes away. Everyone went somewhere different. I ended up at Holy Guaca-moly. Then, I headed back to the hotel and jumped in the pool.
The next morning, I had a quick and easy breakfast at the hotel and checked out before reuniting with the group. We walked down to the dock to board the boat for a 4.5 hour Hole in the Rock Dolphin Cruise. We lucked out with calm seas and a sunny day making the surroundings look extra stunning.
We cruised around the beautiful islands. There were so many little places I'd love to explore. We headed past the Cape Brett Lighthouse, to the famous Hole in the Rock, and were instantly greeted by 2 bottlenose dolphins! On a calm flat day boats travel through the hole. There was too much swell when we got there. That's ok. I can live without having done it. I'd rather have swam with the dolphins! We saw a seal too. The boat captain provided amusing commentary throughout the tour.
From here, we headed to our last stop, the island of Urupukapuka, a recreational reserve. It's the largest island in the bay. We had 1.5 hours. Here, there are several hiking trails, you can kayak, swim, or just sit on the beach. I saw some rays in the bay near the dock. There is a restaurant & bar. Oh, and they have toilets! The food was good and came out surprisingly quickly considering how many people ordered food at the same time. There's a tiny gift shop with some beautiful artwork.
When the boat arrived back at the dock, we headed back to Paihia. We got back in the van and started heading towards Auckland. I'm so glad I did the 2 day tour. Otherwise imagine driving to Paihia for 3 hours, getting on a boat for 4.5 hours, and then driving back another 3 hours.
Nearly ever tour I took in New Zealand, made an ice cream stop. We made a quick stop in Whangarei's waterfront Town Basin. What a colorful and unusual place.
We watched the dizzying Rolling Ball Clock, saw glass blowing, and peaked into the whimsical Hundertwasser Art Center gift shop before getting our ice cream, and that was the grand finale. Back to Auckland by dinner.
I took 7 tours while in New Zealand, and I enjoyed every one of them so, it's hard to rank them, but this one is up near the top, maybe even tied for 1st place. I'd definitely do it again.
