Bay of Islands in review
Located in the Northland Region of New Zealand's North Island, the Bay of Islands is home to the site where the earliest encounters between the indigenous population and the European settlers took place. With almost 150 tropical Pacific islands, many of which still virtually unexplored and all of them bordered by secluded white sanded bays, there is so much to discover that there aren't enough words to describe it; you need to experience it.
Game fishing and bird watching are popular activities in this spectacular scenery. However, nothing beats diving to the wreck of the sunken Rainbow Warrior and exploring the abundance of marine wildlife that will offer you unique chances to observe Manta Rays and Killer Wales rising to the surface of the Pacific.
Overseas sailing yachts gather here or sail off to Cape Brett, once called "the edge of the world" and a great spot to swim with dolphins. In the artist's town of Kerikeri (and pretty much everywhere else in the Bay), you can have a taste of the finest gourmet cuisine and enjoy great seafood on the waterfront. Off cape Brett you can sail through the Hole in the Rock, another major attraction in the Bay of Islands. Tropical island life hardly gets any better than this.
- From our editor V.White – United Kingdom