New Zealand
Bay of Islands
Sheltered waters dotted with 144 islands create New Zealand's most navigable maritime playground.
The Bay of Islands spreads across calm blue water like scattered emeralds, each landmass wrapped in native bush that tumbles down to rocky shores. Small boats thread between the islands with ease, while larger vessels anchor in protected bays where pohutukawa trees lean over the water. This feels less like arriving at a single destination and more like discovering an archipelago where land and sea blur together.
What draws people here
- —Protected waters perfect for sailing between dozens of uninhabited islands
- —Secluded coves accessible only by boat or kayak
- —Native forest covering limestone cliffs and volcanic headlands
- —Sheltered anchorages where dolphins and orcas regularly surface nearby
Island character
water•islands•nature
Island rhythm
morning
Mist lifts off the water as boats motor out from marinas, heading for fishing spots or remote beaches where only anchor chains disturb the silence.
afternoon
The sheltered bays fill with sailors and swimmers, while walking tracks along the headlands offer views across the scattered islands stretching to the horizon.
night
Boats return to harbor towns where waterfront restaurants serve the day's catch, and the protected waters reflect lights from vessels anchored between the islands.
Best ways to experience Bay of Islands
- 01Charter a sailboat to navigate between the outer islands and hidden anchorages
- 02Kayak through narrow channels connecting the inner islands and mangrove-lined creeks
- 03Take passenger ferries that hop between the main settlements and island communities
- 04Walk coastal tracks that connect secluded beaches along the mainland peninsula shores