Paihia is a town of nearly two thousand people in the Bay of Islands, at the north end of the North Island. It’s about an hour’s drive north of Whangarei.
Just north of Paihia is Waitangi, where New Zealand’s founding treaty was signed between European and Maori in 1840. You can take a guided tour of the Treaty Grounds, and enjoy a Maori cultural performance.
Paihia is famous for the Hole in the Rock, formed by sea erosion. Tourists can hire boats to see it from the sea, or take a cruise around the Bay of Islands. Apart from the excellent fishing, you can also see whales, seabirds and dolphins.
For a leisurely historic cruise experience, tourists can hire the Alma G, a motor cruiser built in the 1920s and made famous by author Zane Grey.
Children will enjoy Action World, which features a water-slide, mini-golf, and the chance to try a number of circus activities like high-wire walking and flying trapeze.
