Cape Brett / Rakaumangamanga

HMNZS Canterbury Wreck

HMNZS Waikato Wreck

Hole in the Rock (Piercy Island)

Matauri Bay

Rainbow Warrior Wreck

The Maze (Whangaroa)

The Pinnacles (Cape Karikari)

New Zealand cuisine features fresh Pacific seafood, lamb, and dairy products with strong Maori and Pacific influences. Green-lipped mussels, Bluff oysters, crayfish, and blue cod are regional specialities. The hangi, a traditional Maori earth oven feast, is a cultural dining experience. The craft beer and wine scene is world-class, with Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and Central Otago Pinot Noir among the finest globally. Farm-to-table dining and artisan food producers are abundant throughout both islands.

The Landing Resort

Pickmere Motel

Suttons on the Marina

The Duke of Marlborough Hotel

Northland and the Bay of Islands represent the birthplace of New Zealand diving, offering world-famous wreck diving, spectacular marine reserves, and some of the most historically significant underwater sites in the southern hemisphere. The region is home to the Rainbow Warrior, the iconic Greenpeace flagship scuttled in 1985 that has become one of the most famous artificial reefs on Earth. Nearby, two New Zealand Navy frigates, HMNZS Canterbury and HMNZS Waikato, provide additional world-class wreck diving at accessible depths. The Cavalli Islands, Cape Brett, and the Karikari Peninsula offer dramatic walls, pinnacles, and channels teeming with kingfish, trevally, and bronze whaler sharks. The Bay of Islands itself provides sheltered diving among numerous islands with seal encounters, kelp forests, and excellent macro life. The warm subtropical currents that reach this far south create a unique marine environment where tropical and temperate species coexist. With multiple dive operators based in Paihia, Tutukaka, and the surrounding towns, this region offers the most accessible and diverse diving in New Zealand.

Northland & Bay of Islands

Drive from Auckland approximately 3 hours to Paihia or 4 hours to Tutukaka Coast

Dive Sites in Northland & Bay of Islands