Waewaetorea Island is one of our furthest islands and features the idyllic Honeymoon Bay. Here you can find some of the clearest waters in the Bay Of Islands, perfect for swimming or snorkelling. There is also a beautiful walk which takes you to a lookout point with 360 degree views over the Bay Of Islands.
Moturua Island is our second island in the bay and is one of our biggest bush conservation islands. Moturua offers many sheltered bays to anchor in, including Frenchmans Bay. A small bay once occupied by the french explorer Marion Du Fresne. With shallow waters, a nice beach and a beautiful bush walk it is the ideal spot for families. Also on Moturua is Mangawaea Bay, a deeper bay with lots of nooks and crannies to explore on the paddle boards or snorkelling.
Motuarohia Island or Roberton Island is our first island and is best known for its two twin lagoons. At high tide the lagoons provided some fantastic snorkelling in its sheltered waters. Motuarohia Island also has a gorgeous walk up to a lookout with an idyllic views over the lagoons.
Urupukapuka is the largest island in the Bay Of Islands. Otehei Bay is where the ferries stop at and holds a cafe. Urupukapuka has a great walk around the whole island for those keen hikers looking for something more challenging.
Motukiekie is a privately owned island. In between the Motukiekie and Moturua channel provides great sheltered bays and scenic views.
Okahu is a small island next to Waewaetorea Island. Although most of the island is steep cliff side it is picturesque to sail beside.
The Bay of Islands holds immense historical significance as the birthplace of modern New Zealand. It was here that the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, establishing British rule and granting equal status to the native inhabitants. This region is rich in legend and mystery, with age-old ties to Māori culture, whalers, missionaries, and New Zealand's early settlers.
The Bay of Islands has captivated explorers for centuries. Kupe, a renowned Polynesian adventurer, is the first known explorer to arrive in New Zealand. Kupe and his wife sailed south from Hawaiiki in thier waka and after months at sea Kupe's wife shouted, "He Ao! He Ao! He Aotearoa!" - "A cloud! A cloud! A long white cloud!" Knowing there would be land under the cloud, Kupe sailed towards it. As a homage to his wife and the cloud that greeted them he named this new land, Aotearoa. Sailing back to Hawaiki they told stories of this new land abundant with birds, tall mountains, clear rivers and bountiful seas. Inspired by this more adventurous made their way to New Zealand's shore in what is known as the great polynesian migration in the 1400's. These early settlers brought with them plants like kūmara and yams, and animals like the dog and rat. They became known as Māori and created various tribes or iwi throughout New Zealand.
Dutch explorer, Abel Tasman, is credited with the first European discovery of New Zealand in 1642. However he did not make it ashore as his only encounter with Māori ended badly, with four of his crew killed and Māori fired upon in retaliation. After he left in early January 1643, Tasman’s New Zealand became a ragged line on the world map. Tasman originally named the land "Staten Landt," mistakenly believing it might be connected to a landmass near South America. Dutch cartographers later renamed it Nieuw Zeeland after a province in the Netherlands called Zeeland, which is characterized by its islands and peninsulas.
In 1769 Captain Cook arrived in New Zealand. He first landing site was in Gisborne. Communication with the native Māori was established through a Tahitian priest called, Tupaia. Even with Tupaia many misunderstandings over trade and protocol still occurred which led to bloodshed for both the Māori's and the European's. Cook was the first to chart the Bay of Islands, identifying 144 islands. You can discover more about our six main islands here.
Captain Cook had established a trade route to New Zealand and in the 1800s, European settlers, including whalers, sailors, and stowaways, flocked to these shores. The Bay of Islands rapidly transformed into a bustling port. However, a lack of laws and regulations led to it being infamously nicknamed "The Hell Hole of the Pacific." To bring order and unity a treaty was created. In 1840, New Zealand's founding document, the Treaty of Waitangi, was signed in Waitangi by European leaders and Maori chiefs. This resulted in the declaration of British sovereignty over New Zealand and the creation of New Zealand's first capital, Okiato (Russell). Which briefly served as the capital from 1840 to 1841 before it was moved to Auckland and then to Wellington.
The main 6 islands in the Bay of Islands are now wildlife sanctuaries, run by local conservation group, Project Island Song and our national conservation group, D.O.C (Department Of Conservation). These groups work hard to re-establishing thriving and dynamic ecosystems on the islands. They have done this by re-generating the native bush and forest by planting native trees on the islands. Over 40,000 trees have been planted since 2009. These include Kauri, Kawakawa, Mānuka/Kānuka and Kōwhai.
The pest-free status of the islands, and regenerating forest, has made it possible for species to be reintroduced to the islands from populations elsewhere. Between 2012 and 2022 Project Island Song have reintroduced eight species. Pest-free islands act a vital life raft for these most threatened species to maintain viable populations into the future.
Walk amongst regenerating native bush that is teeming with fascinating and rare wildlife, take in stunning sea views, listen to the birdsong, and spot reintroduced tīeke (saddleback), kākāriki (red crowned parakeet), toutouwai (North Island robin), pōpokotea (whitehead), pāteke (brown teal), and many more.
You can find out more about project island song or donate to keep our islands pest free here;