← Auckland Marathon·3 nights

Bay of Islands: Waitangi, Russell and the Bay

The grounds where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, a ferry to New Zealand's first European town and a bay of 144 islands, three hours north of the finish line.

Duration3 nights
TransitAbout 3.5 hours by car north on State Highway 1, or a short flight to Kerikeri
DepartsAuckland

After the Auckland Marathon: Bay of Islands

The Route: Auckland → Paihia → Waitangi → Russell → Kerikeri → Bay of Islands Airport or Auckland Logistics: Hire car, about 3.5 hours north. Or fly to Kerikeri and use shuttles, ferries and tours. Marathon Month: November Duration: 3 nights

Auckland CBD ──(approx. 3.5 hrs by car, SH1)──> Paihia ──(15 mins passenger ferry)──> Russell
                                                   │
                                                   └──(approx. 25 mins by car)──> Kerikeri
                                                                                    │
      Auckland (AKL) ◄──(flight from Bay of Islands Airport, KKE)────────────────────┘

The Auckland Marathon ends at Victoria Park on the first Sunday of November. For runners with a few days more, Northland is the obvious direction: three hours up State Highway 1 to a warm, sheltered bay scattered with islands, where modern New Zealand began.

November in the Bay of Islands is late spring, with some of the North Island's mildest weather: days in the high teens and low 20s, and warm spells as the month goes on. Showers come through, but the bay is sheltered. School holidays have not started, so boat trips and hotels are quieter than in December and January. Bottlenose and common dolphins live in the bay all year, and boat trips see them often.

The drive north on State Highway 1 goes through Warkworth and Whangārei and takes about three and a half hours to Paihia; the Brynderwyn Hills section is slow and winding. InterCity coaches also run the route. The fastest option is Air New Zealand's flight from Auckland to Bay of Islands Airport at Kerikeri, about 25 minutes by road from Paihia, with shuttles meeting flights.

Night One: Paihia

Paihia is the main base, a small waterfront town with the ferry wharf, cruise departures and most of the accommodation. The waterfront path runs along the bay past the wharf, flat and paved with benches, and continues north along the shore towards Waitangi. The whole walk to the Treaty Grounds is about 2 km, crossing the Waitangi River bridge, but there is no need to do it on the first day.

Night Two: Waitangi and the Bay

The Waitangi Treaty Grounds are the most important historic site in New Zealand. On 6 February 1840, Māori chiefs and representatives of the British Crown signed the Treaty of Waitangi here, the founding document of the country and the subject of argument ever since. The grounds include the Treaty House, the carved meeting house Te Whare Rūnanga, the ceremonial war canoe Ngātokimatawhaorua and two museums. Paths are mostly gentle across lawns, with a slope down to the canoe house. A guided tour and cultural performance are included in the entry for most tickets; check prices, which are higher for international visitors.

In the afternoon, a boat trip around the bay needs no walking at all. Several operators run cruises out to the outer islands and the Hole in the Rock at Cape Brett, with dolphins seen on most trips. Swimming with dolphins is regulated and depends on the pod; do not book on the expectation of it.

Night Three: Russell

A passenger ferry crosses from Paihia to Russell in about 15 minutes. In the 1830s Russell, then called Kororāreka, was a whaling port with a reputation as the most lawless town in the Pacific. It is now a small, quiet village of white weatherboard buildings along a flat waterfront strand, made for walking slowly. Christ Church, built in 1836 and still with musket-ball holes in its walls, is the country's oldest surviving church. Pompallier Mission, a French Catholic printing house from 1842, is the oldest surviving industrial building; check tour times.

Where to stay: The Duke of Marlborough Hotel, on Russell's waterfront, holds one of New Zealand's oldest liquor licences and has rooms looking over the bay. In Paihia, the Copthorne Hotel and Resort Bay of Islands, beside the Treaty Grounds at Waitangi, puts the first day's sights within a flat walk.

Where to eat: The Duke of Marlborough's restaurant serves local fish and Northland produce on the waterfront, the best place in the bay to sit through a long lunch. Paihia's waterfront has several cafés and fish and chip shops; eat on the beach.

Getting to the Airport

From Paihia, Bay of Islands Airport (KKE) at Kerikeri is about 25 minutes by road, with flights to Auckland (AKL) for international connections. On the way, Kerikeri's Stone Store, built in 1836, and the Kemp House beside it, are the oldest stone and wooden buildings in the country. Driving back instead takes about 3.5 hours to Auckland Airport; leave a generous margin, because the road north of Warkworth has few alternatives if there is an accident.