3 Night - Luxury Escape Cruise, Bay of Islands

Island Passage departs the port town of Opua (Near Pahia) at 3pm. Boarding is allowed from 12 noon. We cruise up the Veronica Channel, past the historic settlement of Russell and around Tapeka Point before entering the maritime paradise known as the Bay of Islands. Our first anchorage is Te Hue Bay, which also goes by the name of Assassination Cove.

Assasination Bay: French explorer Marion du Fresne and 26 of his crew were killed and eaten in this bay - an act of utu (revenge) by the local tribe. The Frenchmen had made the mistake of fishing in tapu waters, even though they had been warned to stay away. You can relax - the tapu has long-since been lifted from Te Hue Bay.

Bay of Islands: "It was more thickly populated than those parts further south, the people more elaborately tattooed, some of their canoes more elaborately carved; the bay itself beautiful, with many good anchorages, the hills and valleys round it, forests and cultivations beautiful also. Cook called it the Bay of Islands." - Joseph Banks, 1769.

In a 2006 study, the Bay of Islands was found to have the second bluest sky in the world, after Rio de Janeiro.

After a sumptuous breakfast on deck, make yourself comfortable for the passage to Motuarohia Island, where we’ll anchor in Cooks Cove. In the Maori language, Motuarohia means ‘island to be desired’. You’ll quickly see why. From here, we can guide your explorations of this fabulous island and nearby Urupukapuka.

Motuarohia Island History: Like Assassination Cove, this island has a murderous history. It was farmed by a widow, Mrs Roberton, and her farm manager Thomas Bull. Bull apparently brutally mistreated a young Maori farm worker, Maketu, who took his revenge with an axe. Mrs Roberton threatened Maketu with an English hanging, so he killed her and her two daughters, then chased her son to the top of the pa site and threw him over the 60 metres cliffs to his death.

Urupukapuka Island History: The largest island in the bay, Urupukapuka has eight significant terraced pa (fortified village) sites, which you can discover on an archaeological walk that’s interpreted with signs. Located mostly on headlands, the pa allowed Maori to see enemies approaching by sea.

This morning we’ll cruise through the bay, possibly with dolphins for company, to Cape Brett Peninsula (Rakaumangamanga). About mid-way up the peninsula is Deep Water Cove, a stunningly beautiful deep-water anchorage.

Deep Water Cove: Framed by steep, forested hillsides, Deep Water Cove was the site of Zane Grey's first angling base and an early whaling station. It’s now a nature reserve, complete with an idyllic waterfall. Beneath the waters of the cove lies the HMNZS Canterbury, a Leander-class frigate built in Scotland for the Royal New Zealand Navy. The ship was scuttled in 2007 to become a dive attraction.

After breakfast, your 3 night cruise ends mid and we have arranged a private helicopter to fly you back to Pahia.

Please take the time to view our “Virtual Tour” for the 18 Day Antipodean Adventure tour or download/print the detailed “Tour Dossier”. Both can be found on the right hand column of this page. Alternatively you can simply contact us. For a comprehensive list of all activities available in each location featured in this tour, please refer to the "Destination Guide" found at the top of this page.