Explore - Bay of Islands

03/10/2024

FREE SLUSHY DURING THE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS!!

If you are travelling on our Discover the Bay | Hole in the Rock cruise during the holidays, make sure you pick up a voucher onboard for a FREE SLUSHY at Otehei Bay for the kids to enjoy during your island stop 🍧☃️

19/09/2024

Project Island Song's popular 'Birds of the Bay of Islands' calendar is back for 2025 and available for sale now! All funds raised will go directly to restoring the ecology of the islands of Ipipiri and protecting their unique wildlife 🐦💚

You can order yours via Project Island Song's online shop or pick them up from one the listed local vendors around the bay:

The ever-popular Birds of the Bay of Islands Calendar is back for 2025, and still just $20!

06/08/2024

𝗗𝗔𝗗'𝗦 𝗚𝗢 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗢𝗡 𝗙𝗔𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥'𝗦 𝗗𝗔𝗬 💙 Plan an unforgettable Father's Day with your dad this year and explore the Bay of Islands on a cruise out to Motukōkako - the Hole in the Rock!

Use promo code 𝗗𝗔𝗗𝗦𝗚𝗢𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 when booking our Discover the Bay cruise and your dad can travel with you for free on Father's Day, Sunday 1 September! Conditions apply, for full details visit https://www.exploregroup.co.nz/explore/special-deals/dads-go-free/

01/08/2024

Even on a winter day the Bay manages to looks spectacular...

26/06/2024

Have you ever experienced Waitangi Treaty Grounds - New Zealand's most important historic site? Waitangi is offering FREE ENTRY for select dates over Matariki weekend and July school holidays.

Come and celebrate the rising of Matariki in Northland with us - another great reason to plan a winter escape in the Bay of Islands.

25/06/2024

SH1 open for Matariki weekend ✨

Heading north this long weekend? The good news is SH1 will reopen to traffic from June 27 making your journey north faster.

We look forward to seeing you soon

08/06/2024

The team taking a cool mid-winter dip at Otehei Bay yesterday to show their support for Live Ocean and a healthy ocean on World Ocean Day 💙

16/05/2024

𝗖𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗸𝗶 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝗗𝗮𝘄𝗻! Our on-board guides and tohunga will tell you all about the traditions behind this significant event in Aotearoa and how to identify Puanga and the Matariki cluster. After time out on the water, we then head to Urupukapuka Island to enjoy a light breakfast at Otehei Bay Café before returning to the mainland.

Don't miss out, book now! Visit https://www.exploregroup.co.nz/bay-of-islands/matariki-dawn-cruise/ for full details.

06/05/2024

𝗠𝗨𝗠𝗦 𝗚𝗢 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗢𝗡 𝗠𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥'𝗦 𝗗𝗔𝗬! 💕 Celebrate your mum with an unforgettable day and treat her to a cruise out to Motukōkako - the Hole in Rock! Take in the spectacular scenery around the islands, spot dolphins and marine wildlife and then enjoy an island stop for lunch at Otehei Bay, Urupukapuka Island.

Simply make a booking using promo code 𝗠𝗨𝗠𝗦𝗚𝗢𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 and your mum can travel with you for free on Mother's Day!

Offer valid for our Discover the Bay cruise on Sunday 12 May 2024. Conditions apply, visit https://www.exploregroup.co.nz/explore/special-deals/mums-go-free/ for full details.

29/04/2024

Believe it or not this isnt Fiji, Rarotonga or Tahiti! This beauty is of one of the 144 Islands making up the Bay of Islands right here in New Zealand! Check out that colour 😍💛

26/04/2024

Sunshine ✅
Dolphins ✅
Hole in the Rock ✅
1.5 hours exploring the beautiful Urupukapuka Island (Loading…)

21/04/2024

Do you think they got wet? ☔️🫣

15/02/2024

Discover The Bay Passengers heading out in the beautiful Te moana nui a kiwa (pacific ocean) on Discovery 4 to try find some marine mammals 😎 🐬

12/02/2024

Yeehaw! 🤠 Give yourself a thrilling experience onboard our 1.5 hour fast boat trip out to the Hole in the Rock on Ocean Adventure ⚡ 😎

09/02/2024

Check out these pristine conditions for Discovery 4! Blue skies, flat water and a smooth passage through the Hole in the Rock ✅ 💛

07/02/2024

Do you know where this is in the Bay of Islands? To give you a clue, it's not the Hole in the Rock! and can only be seen from this angle from our fast boat Ocean Adventure! 👀 ⚡

Give us your best guest below 👇

02/02/2024

Have you ever seen Dolphins get the Zoomies? These guys are known as Common Dolphins, they have one of the top speeds being able to travel upto 60 kms, this makes them one of the fastest marine mammals in the world! now that's fast! 🐬 💨

31/01/2024

It's been one week since our annual Bay of Islands Sail Week Beach Party! Explore is a proud sponsor of the Sail Week event and host a party every year in celebration at , check out some of the photos of this year! 😎🕺
📸 .media

28/01/2024

Ocean Adventure, making passage through the Hole in the Rock look easy! looks like something out of a Batman movie?! 👀 🦇

26/01/2024

Our fast boat skippers might be nice and dry in the helm but don't be fooled! they'll have no problem getting you drenched for fun out here in the beautiful bay summer heat! ⚡ ☀️

26/01/2024

Check out how our annual Bay of Islands Sailing Week beach party went last night!
All thanks too Bay of Islands Sailing Week and Jacob Fewtrell Media 🐚🕺🏽🌴

19/01/2024

Discovery 4 spotted outside Cooks Cove of Motuarohia also known as Roberton Island

17/01/2024

The Cape Brett Peninsula once had three lighthouse keepers and their families that lived on these harsh slopes, the concrete structure you can see on the bottom left used to have a crane that would winch off provisions from a supplies vessel, from there they were hauled up a steep rail track in a wagon nicknamed by the kids "puff the magic wagon". For more unique stories, join our Discover the Bay cruise 😎 ☀️

29/10/2023

Take 20 minutes extra to spend time on an Ocean Adventure zooming out to the Hole in the Rock! ⚡

New Highway to Northland means 20 more minutes to be doing something awesome and we think the fastest tour boat in the Bay has you covered for your thrill Seeking side! 😎 ⚡

23/10/2023

Zoooooooooom for an extra 20 minutes in the Bay of Islands 🚤 💨

With a new Highway to northland cutting the travel time by 20 minutes, you've got more time up your sleeve to be having an Ocean Adventure on the fastest boat in the Bay Yew! 😎 ⚡