Bay of Islands.
I’ve been to the Bay of Islands several times and each time it was a wonderful place to be. There are a lot of things you can do there, from boat trips to helicopter flights, but you can also just walk around and enjoy the scenery. This area consists of 150 islands and there is an abundance of sea life. The main tourist places are Paihia, Waitangi and Russel. Between Paihia and Waitangi is a bridge, which makes it easy to walk from one place to the other.
A visit to New Zealand is not complete without seeing the Waitangi Treaty Grounds. It was here that in 1835 the New Zealand Declaration of Independence was signed, followed in 1840 by the Waitangi Treaty. You can learn all about this Treaty in the museum. On these grounds you can also learn more about Maori culture and taste a proper hāngi.
This photo.
One of my best experiences in the Bay of Islands was a scenic flight I went on. There were only 6 people (the pilot included) on this small plane and we all had to wear headphones to keep in contact with each another. As soon as we got in the air I was having the time of my life. The Bay of Islands is beautiful by itself, but once you’re in the air it is amazing. I had my camera with me and everywhere I looked there were more photo opportunities.
Soon the pilot noticed my interest in the area and saw how keen I was in taking lots and lots of photos. He went out of his way to give me perfect photo opportunities. At one point we flew above the Hole in the Rock. He made the plane lean a bit towards the rock so that I got to take a good shot. I loved it.
After a while it struck me that the guy sitting next to me on the plane was awfully quiet. I looked to my right where he was sitting and then realized he was sick. All the leaning over, flying in circles etc. must have made his stomach very upset. Apparently he had been throwing up in a paper back and continued doing so while I was looking at him. As soon as I realized this I notified the pilot, who made some adjustments in his way of flying. What can be one person’s best experience can be someone else’s worst.
More Photos of the Bay of Islands.
If you like to see more photos of the Bay of Islands, click here.
At 3,5 hours driving of Auckland is the Bay of Islands. This group of over 200 islands played an important role in New Zealands history and contains several interesting towns. It is also a place where you can enjoy sea life. Go sailing or take a scenic flight through one of the bluest skies in the world.
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