Bay of Islands Holiday Park

As well as being the starting point for cruises of the bay, the wharf at Paihia is where you can catch a ferry across Kororareka Bay to the pretty Victorian town of Russell. Check out the Pompallier Mission and Printery for local history exhibits, then take a hike up Flagstaff Hill to take in far-reaching views of the bay. One of New Zealand’s most historic sites, Waitangi Treaty Grounds (10 minutes’ drive) is where both the country’s declaration of independence and its founding document were signed in the 19th century. Today two museums explore the significance of these events, and there are also Maori cultural performances. Paths within the lush Puketi Forest (half an hour) include the Kauri Walk, snaking through a grove of these giant trees, and the Puketi Nature Trail, along which you might be able to catch a spectacular display of glow-worms after dark.