Une semaine de camping autour de la Baie des Îles

Choisissez la première base

Paihia maintient les ferries, les épiceries et les visites à distance de marche, tandis que Russell offre une atmosphère plus petite au bord de l'eau après le départ des visiteurs. Confirmez les conditions de stationnement et d’arrivée tardive avant de choisir entre elles.

Utilisez le premier matin pour Waitangi et prévoyez plus de temps que ne le suggèrent les principales attractions. Le parc, le musée et le paysage expliquent bien plus lorsque la visite n'est pas serrée entre les départs des bateaux.

Laisse le bateau remplacer la route

La voile, le kayak et les bateaux-taxis révèlent pourquoi cette région est une baie plutôt qu'une chaîne de points de vue. Vérifiez la météo maritime et les conditions de l'opérateur, puis emportez une protection solaire et une couche chaude même par une matinée ensoleillée.

Urupukapuka et d'autres îles ont des règles de conservation qui protègent la faune. Nettoyez le matériel, ramassez les déchets et utilisez uniquement les campings et les installations identifiés pour les nuitées.

Kerikeri et les baies du nord

Déménagez à Kerikeri pour trouver de la nourriture, des vergers, des sites historiques et un accès plus facile à la baie de Matauri ou à Whangaroa. Les réservations estivales et le trafic routier local peuvent rendre difficile une nuit côtière spontanée.

Laissez un jour non attribué. Le vent peut déplacer une excursion en bateau, la pluie peut favoriser une promenade en forêt et un plan flexible donne à la meilleure baie de la semaine la possibilité de devenir une deuxième visite.

Getting out on the water is the point

The Bay of Islands is a marine destination and a week spent entirely on land misses most of it. Options run from the passenger ferry between Paihia and Russell, which takes minutes and costs little, through to full-day sailing, dolphin and Hole in the Rock trips.

Book weather-dependent trips early in your stay rather than late. That way a cancelled day can be rescheduled within the week instead of becoming the thing you missed.

Urupukapuka Island camping

DOC runs campsites on Urupukapuka, reached by water taxi from Paihia or Russell. It is a genuinely different experience from a mainland holiday park: no vehicles, limited facilities, and you carry everything in and out including your rubbish.

Book the site and the boat together and check the return timetable carefully, because the last taxi is not negotiable. Take more water than you expect to need, since supply on the island is limited and untreated.

Waitangi is worth the entry fee

The Waitangi Treaty Grounds are the single most historically important site in the country, and the guided tour and cultural performance are what make the visit land rather than the buildings alone. Allow half a day, and take the guided option rather than wandering it alone.

For a fuller picture, pair it with the Russell museum and Christ Church, which carries musket ball damage from the 1845 fighting. The two sites together explain the region far better than either does on its own.

Summer here is genuinely busy

January in Paihia and Russell means full campgrounds, booked boat trips and queues for the ferry. It is also warm, calm and exactly when the water is best, so the trade is real rather than one-sided.

Shoulder season in November or March gives you the same coastline with space and lower prices, though the water is cooler and some operators reduce their schedules. Check that the specific trip you want is still running.

Where to stay around the bay

Paihia has the most accommodation and the ferry to Russell, which makes it the practical base for a week without a boat. It is also the busiest and noisiest, particularly in January. Russell is quieter and more attractive but has fewer campgrounds and everything runs on the ferry timetable.

Kerikeri sits inland with the historic Stone Store and Kemp House, good food and cheaper sites, and it works well for a couple of nights if you want a break from the waterfront. It is around twenty minutes from Paihia.

For something quieter again, the campgrounds around Matauri Bay and Tauranga Bay north of the Bay of Islands give you comparable coastline with a fraction of the traffic, and they are an easy detour on the way north.

Rainy day options

Northland gets substantial rain and a week here will usually include a wet day. The Waitangi Treaty Grounds, the Kerikeri historic buildings and the Kawiti glow worm caves near Waiomio all work regardless of weather.

Boat trips are the thing most likely to be cancelled, which is the argument for booking them early in the week rather than saving them for the end.

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