Bay of Islands Short Escape Tour

Leave Auckland and head North to the Bay of Islands. Taking you along the coast road past the seaside villages of Orewa and Waiwera. Then it's on to the township of Puhoi, New Zealand's only Bohemian settlement, then Warkworth and the harbourside city of Whangarei and the unique township of Kawakawa. Arriving into the subtropical Bay of Islands you are greeted with bush-clad hillsides dropping to golden sand beaches. Paihia is the main centre of the bay and has a great beachside atmosphere.

Waitangi is one of New Zealand's most historic sites where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840 between 43 Māori chiefs and the British Government. This two-day pass allows you access to the Treaty of Waitangi Grounds and includes admission to the Te Kōngahu Museum and Te Rau Aroha Museum and a Māori Cultural performance. During your guided tour, you'll learn about the history of the treaty and discover the stories and events that shaped New Zealand. The cultural performance inside the carved meeting house includes waiata (singing), poi, a display of Māori weaponry and the haka - a war dance New Zealand is well known for.

While you are exploring Waitangi Treaty Grounds, your bag will be transferred to your accommodation in Paihia.

Catching the ferry between Paihia and Russell is a fun and easy way to get out on the water in the Bay of Islands. Regular passenger ferry services operate throughout the day between Paihia wharf and Russell. Ferry crossings take approximately 15 minutes. In the busy summer months, we recommend checking in for your preferred ferry service ahead of time.

Known until the early 1840s as Kororāreka, Russell was the first town and sea port in New Zealand. The Bay of Islands offered a safe anchorage and by the 1830s Russell had become a lawless trading centre where whalers, seafarers and merchants mixed with adventurers, deserters and escaped convicts from Australia. Today the town once called the “Hell Hole of the Pacific” is a charming and tranquil spot. This intimate one-hour coach tour visits many of Russell’s iconic locations that make it so significant in New Zealand’s early history. Your tour will be led by an engaging guide whose combination of historical knowledge and local insight will bring the culture and history of the area to life.

Leaving the magical Bay of Islands behind you head south on State Highway 1 back towards Auckland, the "City of Sails". The route takes you through Kawakawa, affectionately known as 'train town'. The farming regions of Wellsford and Warkworth accompany you the rest of the journey before passing through the suburbs of the North Shore and crossing the harbour bridge and into the heart of Tāmaki Makaurau-Auckland City.