Can you really sail through the Hole in the Rock?

Yes, when sea conditions allow. Piercy Island (also known as Motu Kokako or Te Kawakawa) has a natural sea arch in its western face large enough for tour vessels to pass through. Operators do so on most calm days. In rough seas or swell the passage is blocked and boats circumnavigate the island instead. Most cruise operators include the arch passage as the final highlight of the run out from Paihia or Russell.

How many islands are in the Bay of Islands?

The Bay of Islands contains 144 islands, though the number varies slightly depending on tidal conditions and how islands are counted. The bay covers around 800 square kilometres of sheltered water between Cape Brett to the east and Purerua Peninsula to the west. Most islands are uninhabited.

Where is the Bay of Islands?

The Bay of Islands is in Northland, around 3 to 3.5 hours north of Auckland by car via State Highway 1. The main tourist hubs are Paihia and the historic town of Russell, connected by ferry. The region is also close to Waitangi, where the Treaty of Waitangi — New Zealand's founding document — was signed in 1840.

What wildlife can you see in the Bay of Islands?

Common bottlenose dolphins are year-round residents of the bay and frequently swim alongside boats. Orca pass through seasonally. The waters hold marlin, kingfish, snapper, and other game fish — the bay has a long history as a deep-sea fishing destination. Seabirds including gannets and shearwaters are common on the open water sections of any cruise.

Bay of Islands and the Hole in the Rock: Northland's Iconic Seascape

Three to four hours north of Auckland, where Northland's coastline breaks into a mosaic of headlands and inlets, 144 islands dot a sheltered harbour the colour of hammered steel on grey days and deep turquoise on clear ones. The Bay of Islands was the first part of New Zealand settled by Europeans, the site of the country's founding document, and a place where dolphins ride bow waves and common bottlenose pods number in the dozens. At the bay's eastern edge stands a dark volcanic stack called Piercy Island, with a sea arch in its face large enough to sail through.

The Hole in the Rock

Piercy Island — Motu Kokako

Cape Brett, eastern bay Sea arch

Piercy Island (also known by its Māori names Motu Kokako and Te Kawakawa) is a sheer volcanic stack rising from the water at the eastern mouth of the bay, near Cape Brett lighthouse. On its western face is a natural sea arch — the Hole in the Rock — worn by wave action over millennia. On calm days the arch is wide enough for cruise vessels to pass through; operators do this as the dramatic final highlight of a full-bay cruise.

Whether the passage happens depends on the sea state. Significant swell from the northeast closes the arch and boats instead circle the island. Operators are transparent about conditions before departure. When it works — and it usually does in summer — sailing through a cathedral of dark rock with seabirds overhead is one of those moments that stays with you.

The Bay Itself

144 islands, dolphins, and history

Northland, North Island ~3.5 hrs from Auckland

The bay's 144 islands range from inhabited private islands to bare rock stacks. Most are uninhabited reserve land accessible only by water. Common bottlenose dolphins have permanent resident pods in the bay and are regularly encountered on cruises — they approach boats voluntarily, which means operators don't need to chase them. Orca, humpback whales, and various shark species also pass through seasonally.

The hub towns are Paihia and Russell, connected by a short ferry crossing. Russell was New Zealand's first permanent European settlement and retains a colonial streetscape rare for the country. The Treaty Grounds at Waitangi, where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed between the Crown and around 500 Māori chiefs in February 1840, are a 10-minute walk from Paihia.

Cape Brett Lighthouse Track

16 km one-way hike Overnight option

For those who prefer land to water, the Cape Brett Track is a challenging 16km one-way trail to the lighthouse at the tip of the cape, with views back over the full sweep of the Bay of Islands. The track takes one long day or two shorter days with an overnight at the lighthouse hut. It ends directly above Piercy Island, where you can look straight down at the Hole in the Rock from above.

Planning note: The Bay of Islands is most pleasant from December through April, when water temperatures are warmest and sailing conditions calmest. The region is popular with New Zealand holidaymakers in January — accommodation books out weeks in advance during the summer school holidays. Shoulder season (October–November, March–April) offers good weather with fewer crowds.

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