The Bay of Islands: An Ultimate Guide to New Zealand’s Northern Escape

The Bay of Islands has been drawing people north since the 1830s, back when it was a whaling port with a rougher reputation than its current café-and-colonial-villa version suggests. More than 140 islands scatter across the water here, this is where Māori first made landfall in Aotearoa, where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840, and where, three decades later, a name change tried (and mostly failed) to put some distance between the town and its past.

These days it’s one of the most sought-after summer escapes in the country, and for good reason. Northland’s subtropical climate delivers close to 2,000 sunshine hours a year, and the bay is sheltered enough that a private charter can move between a dozen anchorages in a single day. It’s where a good share of New Zealand’s superyacht fleet spends December through February, dolphin pods turn up more often than not, and the snapper fishing has a reputation that goes well beyond Northland. You’re more likely to arrive by private charter than by longboat now.

Here’s our guide to luxury accommodation in the Bay of Islands, NZ, along with what to do, where to sail, and why Russell rewards more than a passing glance.

Luxury Accommodation in the Bay of Islands

The Bay of Islands blends signature Kiwi laid-back luxury with creative flair and effortless style - lodges, villas, and boutique wineries that know true indulgence lies in privacy, space, and a genuine connection to nature.

Eagles Nest, Russell occupies a 75-acre headland a few minutes north of town, split across five villas: Rahimoana, Sacred Space, First Light, Eyrie, and Eagle Spirit, each designed as a standalone home rather than a room in a wider resort. Rahimoana, the flagship, has four ensuite bedrooms, a home cinema, wine cellar, gym, sauna, its own helipad, and an infinity pool that runs the length of the villa toward a private beach. A Porsche comes with the keys. In 2013 the property was named Australasia’s best villa resort at the World Travel Awards, and it’s kept that reputation on the strength of privacy as much as design, this is where people go when they’d rather go off-grid, but in total luxury.

Somewhere, Inlet Road takes the same brief further. Six ensuite bedrooms sleep up to fourteen across a single private inlet with three separate beaches, a helipad, and its own jetty — useful, given it’s a 15-minute drive from Kerikeri Airport but arrives even better by helicopter or seaplane. The stay runs fully inclusive, with hosts Lucy and Alexis managing everything from chef-prepared meals to which of the eastern islands is worth the trip that day. It’s built for multi-generational groups or two families who’d rather not share a kitchen — one roof, three beaches, and enough space that nobody’s tripping over anyone else.

Rosewood Kauri Cliffs, Matauri Bay sits on 6,000 acres of coastal farmland an hour north, and operates less like a lodge than a small estate. The Four Bedroom Villas, in their own private enclave a short walk from the main house, were decorated individually by New Zealand interior designer Virginia Fisher, each with a distinct palette but the same access to the resort’s spa and restaurant. The estate’s golf course — a David Harman design that regularly places in the world’s top 40 — plays fifteen holes with Pacific views, six of them along clifftops that drop straight to the water. It’s a stay built on scale, not just outlook.

For guests after the most land-rich of the region’s luxury accommodation, Bay of Islands options rarely go further than this one. The Landing, Purerua Peninsula, covers 1,000 acres across four architect-designed residences, each with its own character and access to private beaches, walking trails, and an on-site vineyard producing small-batch estate wine. The land carries significant Māori heritage, and The Landing houses a genuine collection of Māori artefacts and New Zealand art rather than the usual lobby-gallery gesture — guests can pair a stay with guided fishing, marine safaris, or archaeological tours that go into that history properly.

The Vineyard Cottage at Paroa Bay Winery is the smallest of the four and arguably the most personal, a private cottage set in native bush with its own pool, hot tub, and sauna, a short walk from Sage Restaurant and the estate’s rows of Chardonnay. Intimate, and an authentic sense of living inside a working vineyard.

What to Do

Take to the Water: A Private Yacht Charter

With 144 islands scattered across its glittering expanse, the Bay of Islands is best explored by boat, and Touch of Spice’s own Ata Rangi is built for exactly that. A Viking 82 with serious sport-fishing credentials and an interior that doesn’t feel like an afterthought, she comes with an expert crew who’ll shape the day around whoever’s on board, snapper and marlin for the anglers, paddleboards and snorkelling gear for everyone else.

A typical day might mean cruising out to Urupukapuka or Oke Bay for a swim, anchoring in a quiet cove for lunch prepared on board, and drifting back past Russell as the afternoon runs down. Charters range from a single day to week-long trips further up the Northland coast, with the crew handling the logistics end to end. It’s the difference between visiting the Bay of Islands and actually getting inside it.

Take to the Skies

The Bay of Islands is breathtaking from above, a scatter of emerald isles, white-sand coves, and glittering deep blue water. Departing straight from the beachfront helipad in Paihia, this scenic helicopter flight sweeps you over Russell and Opua before tracing the rugged peninsula coastline to Cape Brett and its historic lighthouse. The highlight? A loop around the iconic Hole in the Rock.

For something truly extraordinary, land atop Motu Kōkako itself (the island home to the Hole in the Rock), an exclusive experience made possible with the blessing of the Motu Kōkako Ahuwhenua Trust. Choose a 15-minute pilot-guided stop or be welcomed by a local Māori guide, who will share the island’s rich history, sacred significance, and ecological stories. Few have ever set foot here, making it a rare privilege. On the return, you’ll soar above the main islands for a bird’s-eye view of their secluded beaches and hidden luxury hideaways before touching down over Paihia township.

Cultural Encounters

At the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, the country’s most important historic site, learn about the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi and the partnership between Māori and the Crown. The museum and guided tours offer a grounded sense of place that deepens any visit to the region.

Where to Eat

The Gables Osteria & Enoteca, on the Russell waterfront, occupies New Zealand’s oldest restaurant building, built in 1847 on whalebone foundations by Joseph England, and still showing its original kauri panelling and pit-sawn beams. The Loosley family have run it since 1980, and a 2023 refurbishment shifted the menu toward Italian-inspired cooking: house-made gnocchi and pasta, local oysters, whole market fish, and a wine list weighted toward Northland and Italian producers. Ask for a table looking straight down The Strand for sunset.

Sage Restaurant, at Paroa Bay Winery, is the perfect way to spend an afternoon. One hat-awarded and perched above the vineyard with the bay stretching out beyond it, Sage builds its menu around what’s grown on-site and paired exclusively with Paroa Bay’s own wine, made and bottled on the estate. A complimentary shuttle runs twice daily from Russell Wharf, which makes it an easy add-on to a morning in town or a day out on Ata Rangi.

Plan Your Escape

Spring and summer are when the Bay of Islands is at its best, with calm seas, long days, and 144 islands within easy reach by boat. Whether that’s a stay at Eagles Nest with a day carved out for Ata Rangi, or a few nights at The Landing built around the vineyard and Russell’s history, our travel designers can put the itinerary together to suit you. 

Talk to our travel designers to plan your stay.