Bay of Islands

View from a small island in the bay

The town of Russell is located on the Bay of Islands

The term Bay of Islands (English for "Bay of Islands " ) refers to a stretch of coast in the north of New Zealand's North Island.

The bay is located in the subtropical Northland region, more specifically in the Far North District about 60 kilometers north of Whangarei. The area forms one of the most popular vacation destinations in the country. It can convince the Bay of Islands with different leisure activities: you is very suitable for fishing, sailing and also has numerous beaches.

The bay itself is formed by an approximately 16 km long estuary, which extends from the northeast in the North Auckland Peninsula. Within this natural harbor again, there are numerous other bays, such as the Waikare Inlet in the south and the Kerikeri Inlet and the Te Puna Inlet in the Northwest, as well as several peninsulas, such as the Purerua Peninsula or the Cape Brett Peninsula, 10 kilometers in the Pacific Ocean enough. Furthermore, there is a large number of smaller islands in the Bay of Islands. The two best known are Urupukapuka Iceland in the east and Moturoa Iceland in the north.

The first European to visit the Bay of Islands, was James Cook in 1769, which gave its present name in the field. In this area settled the first European settlers. While whalers living in the settlements of the bay only since the end of the 18th century, in 1814 the first missionaries moved into the area. In 1815 was born in the Bay Oihi with Thomas King, the first New Zealand child of European descent. However, it is believed that in Dusky Sound previously a Euro- stocky girl was born in today's Southland.

The tomb of the Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser is located on its property in Kaurinui in the Bay of Islands.

Because of its early European settlement exist in the Bay of Islands a number of historically significant places that are most important Kerikeri, Paihia and the earlier than Kororareka known Russell. In Kerikeri is both the oldest existing house in the country and the oldest stone building in the country.