Full circle day walk in the Bay of Islands: Paihia - Opua - Okiato - Russell including to lookout of Takepa Point
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 17.82 mi
- Elevation gain
- 2,264 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Easy
- Elevation loss
- 2,264 ft
- Max elevation
- 328 ft
- TrailRank
- 32
- Min elevation
- -10 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Moving time
- 5 hours 23 minutes
- Time
- 7 hours 30 minutes
- Coordinates
- 4705
- Uploaded
- December 22, 2023
- Recorded
- December 2023
near Paihia, Northland (New Zealand)
Viewed 31 times, downloaded 0 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
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English text:
The best way to explore the Bay of Islands is undoubtedly by boat, but traveling by foot also offers many possibilities in this bay area. The variety of rainforest, coastline, mangroves, cliffs, panoramic sea views, and even oyster farms will likely appeal to every hiker. The kilometers on paved roads, however, may be less enjoyable.
Originally, the plan was to take a hike to Cape Brett, a route that reportedly rivals New Zealand's Great Walks. However, reaching there is a bit of a challenge, and if unprepared, as in my case, you might realize that there are no water taxis to take you to Deep Water Cove or any other point. Nevertheless, the loop from Paihia to Opua, Okiato, and Russell is a more than worthy alternative, and, to be honest, I am secretly glad I did not go to Cape Brett.
The walk starts at the tourist information kiosk in Paihia, where the ferries from Russell also arrive. The tourist office informs me that a section is closed due to slip hazards, but I only hear that I need to exert a bit more effort to walk this section. The journey to Opua takes about two hours, with the first hour spent mainly walking on the beach. It's unclear if this is intentional, as some sections are quite challenging due to the rocky nature of certain parts of the beach. This is not a walk for tourists who haven't hiked in a century and decide to break their hiking dry spell with this trail, as they will likely quickly curse the rocky passages on the beach.
Surprisingly, there are many boardwalks on this walk, and the first one appears after three kilometers. Seeing a boardwalk on this trail usually announces something beautiful, and it's indeed the case here with a very small section through mangroves. A bit later, the path is closed, requiring some balancing to get past a wooden panel. The beach has been replaced by forest paths next to the beach. I really don't understand why this path is closed, as there is no slip hazard in this section.
After seven kilometers, I reach Opua and take the ferry, which carries cars, to the other side. Now I'm at Okiato, the very first capital of New Zealand. Calling it a capital is probably an exaggeration for something barely two shacks in size. There is a historical site where these (burned) buildings once stood, but nothing reminds me that this was the birthplace of New Zealand except for an information board. This disappointment is quickly washed away with the most beautiful part of the entire walk. It goes through a few kilometers of rainforest, undoubtedly the most beautiful part of the hike. Give me a babbling brook in a green rainforest, and I am the happiest person in the world. These might be the most beautiful kilometers and perhaps the toughest, as the challenging terrain requires some fitness. But did I mention how incredibly beautiful it is here? Because that's the only thing I can remember from these kilometers. It's commendable that there are many information boards explaining the types of trees in this forest and what makes them special.
After thirteen kilometers, I make a quick stop at a local gas station to stock up on energy, then continue my journey to Russell. The beauty continues with a boardwalk through mangroves and an oyster farm, but then it's time for paved roads. Paved roads appear a few times on the way to Russell, and that's quite unfortunate as it significantly detracts from this walk. Fortunately, there is a section through the forest that increases the natural aspect again. Once Russell is in the distance, it's only concrete roads that my hiking shoes feel.
In Russell, it's time for a well-deserved lunch, and after eighteen kilometers through mangroves, rainforest, and beach, spaghetti vongole is always a good choice, and of course, dessert cannot be skipped. Just like the necessary beer. On Wikiloc, I found another walk that goes to the other side of Russell, and I want to add that to my itinerary. To get to Flagstaff Hill, I have to climb a steep hill along a car road, but the view is, as usual for this type of climb, once again worth the effort. The path I then take to reach Tapeka Point immediately reminds me of the rainforest path I did a few hours earlier at Okiato, but with a bit less grandeur. Still, it's a pleasure to walk through this small piece of rainforest.
The final passage to Tapeka Point brings me back to a concrete road and later a beautiful grass path. Via some cliffs, I finally reach Tapeka Point, which is a fantastic viewpoint. It's essential to be careful at a small open area near the cliffs because the wind can be strong, and you really don't want to be taken by the wind. On the return to Russell, I plan to do this via the beach, but a quick inspection reveals that it's high tide. The rocky beach sections are already not easy, but with the danger of an incoming tide, I quickly turn around and follow the roads to walk to the ferry to Paihia. A ferry to Paihia departs every twenty minutes, costing me ten New Zealand dollars. The trip to Paihia is not spectacular but convenient. After a little over 29 kilometers, I'm back at my starting point.
Halfway through the walk, I couldn't help but enjoy it because almost every part of this hike is a beautiful experience. The road to Russell is unfortunately a small anti-climax due to the many paved roads, but that's just a minor flaw. The diversity of landscapes and environments remains much more important than a few kilometers of pavement to overcome. The section to Tapeka Point that I added is a nice addition, but the paved roads count more here. Still, the small section through the forest and the view at Tapeka Point are good enough to add it to the existing walk.
Dutch text:
The best way to explore the Bay of Islands is of course by boat, but walking also offers many options in this bay region. The variety of rainforest, coastline, mangroves, cliffs, sea panoramas and even oyster farms will probably appeal to every hiker. The kilometers on paved roads may be less…
Actually, the intention was to take a walk to Cape Brett, a trail that reportedly rivals New Zealand's Great Walks. However, it is a bit of a feat to get there and if you do not prepare for this, you - like me - come to the conclusion that there are no water taxis that can take me to Deep Water Cove or to another point. However, the loop from Paihia to Opua, Okiato and Russell is a more than worthy replacement and in fact I am secretly glad that I did not go to Cape Brett.
The walk starts at the kiosk with tourist information at Pahia where the ferries from Russell also arrive. At the tourist office they tell me that a section is closed due to the risk of slipping, but all I hear is that I have to make a little more effort to walk this section. The journey to Opua takes about two hours and the first hour I mainly walk on the beach. I don't know if this is actually the intention, because some sections are honestly a bit more difficult to conquer given the rocky nature of some parts of the beach. So this is not a walk for the tourist who has not walked in a hundred years and decides to break this century of walking drought with this trail. Because he will very quickly swear at the passages over rocks that are often found on the beach.
There are also a surprising number of boardwalks on this walk and the first example appears after three kilometers. When you see a boardwalk on this walk, it usually means the announcement of something beautiful and that is also the case here with a very small section along mangroves. A little later the path is closed and it takes some balancing work to get past a wooden panel. The beach has now been exchanged for forest paths that can be found just next to the beach. I really don't know why this path is closed, because there was no risk of slipping at all on this passage.
After seven kilometers I reach Opua and I can take the ferry that transfers cars to the other side. Now I am at Okiato, the very first capital of New Zealand. Capital may be an exaggeration for something that was barely two barracks in size. There is a historic site where these (burnt) buildings existed, but there is nothing to remind you that this was the birthplace of New Zealand other than an information sign. This disappointment is quickly flushed with the most beautiful part of the entire walk. It goes through rainforest for several kilometers and this is undoubtedly the most beautiful part of the walk. Give me a babbling brook in a green rainforest and I will be the happiest person in the world. The most beautiful kilometers may also be the toughest, because the uneven course requires a bit of fitness. But did I mention that it is incredibly beautiful here? Because that's all I can remember about these miles. It is commendable that there are a lot of information signs that tell more about which trees are in this forest and what makes these trees so special.
After thirteen kilometers I make a small pit stop at a local gas station to stock up on energy and then continue my journey to Russell. The beauty continues with a boardwalk through mangroves and an oyster farm, but then it is the turn of paved roads. Those paved roads appear a few times on the way to Russell and that is a shame, because it significantly detracts from this walk. Fortunately, there is a section of forest that increases the nature content somewhat. Once Russell can be seen in the distance, it is only concrete roads that my walking shoes feel.
In Russell it is time for a well-deserved lunch and after eighteen kilometers through mangroves, rainforest and beach, a spaghetti vongole is always tasty and of course a dessert cannot be missed. Just like the necessary barley juice. On Wikiloc I also found a walk that goes to the other side of Russell and I would like to add that. To get to Flagstaff Hill I have to climb a steep slope via a highway, but the view is - as usual with these types of climbs - worth it. The path I then take to get to Tapeka Point immediately reminds me of the rainforest path I did a few hours earlier at Okiato, but with slightly less grandeur. Yet it is also a pleasure to walk through this small piece of rainforest.
The last passage to Tapeka Point takes me again to a concrete road and later a beautiful grass path. Via some cliffs I eventually reach Tapeka Point, which is a fantastic viewpoint. You have to be careful here in a small open area near the cliffs because the wind can blow hard here and you really don't want to be carried away by the wind. On the return to Russell I want to do this via the beach, but a little inspection quickly shows that it is high tide. The rocky beach sections are not easy anyway, but with the danger of an incoming tide I definitely turn around and follow the highways to walk to the ferry to Paihia. A ferry leaves for Paihia every twenty minutes and that costs me ten New Zealand dollars. The trip to Paihia is not spectacular, but it is easy. And after about 29 kilometers I ended up back at my starting point.
Halfway through the walk I couldn't help but enjoy it, because almost every part of this walk is a beautiful experience. The road to Russell is unfortunately a bit of an anti-climax due to the many paved roads, but that is only a minor blemish on the record. The diversity of landscapes and environments remains a lot more important than a few kilometers of motorway that have to be overcome. The section to Tapeka Point that I added is a nice addition, but here the highways count more. Still, the small section through forest and the views at Tapeka Point are good enough to add this to the existing walk.
The best way to explore the Bay of Islands is undoubtedly by boat, but traveling by foot also offers many possibilities in this bay area. The variety of rainforest, coastline, mangroves, cliffs, panoramic sea views, and even oyster farms will likely appeal to every hiker. The kilometers on paved roads, however, may be less enjoyable.
Originally, the plan was to take a hike to Cape Brett, a route that reportedly rivals New Zealand's Great Walks. However, reaching there is a bit of a challenge, and if unprepared, as in my case, you might realize that there are no water taxis to take you to Deep Water Cove or any other point. Nevertheless, the loop from Paihia to Opua, Okiato, and Russell is a more than worthy alternative, and, to be honest, I am secretly glad I did not go to Cape Brett.
The walk starts at the tourist information kiosk in Paihia, where the ferries from Russell also arrive. The tourist office informs me that a section is closed due to slip hazards, but I only hear that I need to exert a bit more effort to walk this section. The journey to Opua takes about two hours, with the first hour spent mainly walking on the beach. It's unclear if this is intentional, as some sections are quite challenging due to the rocky nature of certain parts of the beach. This is not a walk for tourists who haven't hiked in a century and decide to break their hiking dry spell with this trail, as they will likely quickly curse the rocky passages on the beach.
Surprisingly, there are many boardwalks on this walk, and the first one appears after three kilometers. Seeing a boardwalk on this trail usually announces something beautiful, and it's indeed the case here with a very small section through mangroves. A bit later, the path is closed, requiring some balancing to get past a wooden panel. The beach has been replaced by forest paths next to the beach. I really don't understand why this path is closed, as there is no slip hazard in this section.
After seven kilometers, I reach Opua and take the ferry, which carries cars, to the other side. Now I'm at Okiato, the very first capital of New Zealand. Calling it a capital is probably an exaggeration for something barely two shacks in size. There is a historical site where these (burned) buildings once stood, but nothing reminds me that this was the birthplace of New Zealand except for an information board. This disappointment is quickly washed away with the most beautiful part of the entire walk. It goes through a few kilometers of rainforest, undoubtedly the most beautiful part of the hike. Give me a babbling brook in a green rainforest, and I am the happiest person in the world. These might be the most beautiful kilometers and perhaps the toughest, as the challenging terrain requires some fitness. But did I mention how incredibly beautiful it is here? Because that's the only thing I can remember from these kilometers. It's commendable that there are many information boards explaining the types of trees in this forest and what makes them special.
After thirteen kilometers, I make a quick stop at a local gas station to stock up on energy, then continue my journey to Russell. The beauty continues with a boardwalk through mangroves and an oyster farm, but then it's time for paved roads. Paved roads appear a few times on the way to Russell, and that's quite unfortunate as it significantly detracts from this walk. Fortunately, there is a section through the forest that increases the natural aspect again. Once Russell is in the distance, it's only concrete roads that my hiking shoes feel.
In Russell, it's time for a well-deserved lunch, and after eighteen kilometers through mangroves, rainforest, and beach, spaghetti vongole is always a good choice, and of course, dessert cannot be skipped. Just like the necessary beer. On Wikiloc, I found another walk that goes to the other side of Russell, and I want to add that to my itinerary. To get to Flagstaff Hill, I have to climb a steep hill along a car road, but the view is, as usual for this type of climb, once again worth the effort. The path I then take to reach Tapeka Point immediately reminds me of the rainforest path I did a few hours earlier at Okiato, but with a bit less grandeur. Still, it's a pleasure to walk through this small piece of rainforest.
The final passage to Tapeka Point brings me back to a concrete road and later a beautiful grass path. Via some cliffs, I finally reach Tapeka Point, which is a fantastic viewpoint. It's essential to be careful at a small open area near the cliffs because the wind can be strong, and you really don't want to be taken by the wind. On the return to Russell, I plan to do this via the beach, but a quick inspection reveals that it's high tide. The rocky beach sections are already not easy, but with the danger of an incoming tide, I quickly turn around and follow the roads to walk to the ferry to Paihia. A ferry to Paihia departs every twenty minutes, costing me ten New Zealand dollars. The trip to Paihia is not spectacular but convenient. After a little over 29 kilometers, I'm back at my starting point.
Halfway through the walk, I couldn't help but enjoy it because almost every part of this hike is a beautiful experience. The road to Russell is unfortunately a small anti-climax due to the many paved roads, but that's just a minor flaw. The diversity of landscapes and environments remains much more important than a few kilometers of pavement to overcome. The section to Tapeka Point that I added is a nice addition, but the paved roads count more here. Still, the small section through the forest and the view at Tapeka Point are good enough to add it to the existing walk.
Dutch text:
The best way to explore the Bay of Islands is of course by boat, but walking also offers many options in this bay region. The variety of rainforest, coastline, mangroves, cliffs, sea panoramas and even oyster farms will probably appeal to every hiker. The kilometers on paved roads may be less…
Actually, the intention was to take a walk to Cape Brett, a trail that reportedly rivals New Zealand's Great Walks. However, it is a bit of a feat to get there and if you do not prepare for this, you - like me - come to the conclusion that there are no water taxis that can take me to Deep Water Cove or to another point. However, the loop from Paihia to Opua, Okiato and Russell is a more than worthy replacement and in fact I am secretly glad that I did not go to Cape Brett.
The walk starts at the kiosk with tourist information at Pahia where the ferries from Russell also arrive. At the tourist office they tell me that a section is closed due to the risk of slipping, but all I hear is that I have to make a little more effort to walk this section. The journey to Opua takes about two hours and the first hour I mainly walk on the beach. I don't know if this is actually the intention, because some sections are honestly a bit more difficult to conquer given the rocky nature of some parts of the beach. So this is not a walk for the tourist who has not walked in a hundred years and decides to break this century of walking drought with this trail. Because he will very quickly swear at the passages over rocks that are often found on the beach.
There are also a surprising number of boardwalks on this walk and the first example appears after three kilometers. When you see a boardwalk on this walk, it usually means the announcement of something beautiful and that is also the case here with a very small section along mangroves. A little later the path is closed and it takes some balancing work to get past a wooden panel. The beach has now been exchanged for forest paths that can be found just next to the beach. I really don't know why this path is closed, because there was no risk of slipping at all on this passage.
After seven kilometers I reach Opua and I can take the ferry that transfers cars to the other side. Now I am at Okiato, the very first capital of New Zealand. Capital may be an exaggeration for something that was barely two barracks in size. There is a historic site where these (burnt) buildings existed, but there is nothing to remind you that this was the birthplace of New Zealand other than an information sign. This disappointment is quickly flushed with the most beautiful part of the entire walk. It goes through rainforest for several kilometers and this is undoubtedly the most beautiful part of the walk. Give me a babbling brook in a green rainforest and I will be the happiest person in the world. The most beautiful kilometers may also be the toughest, because the uneven course requires a bit of fitness. But did I mention that it is incredibly beautiful here? Because that's all I can remember about these miles. It is commendable that there are a lot of information signs that tell more about which trees are in this forest and what makes these trees so special.
After thirteen kilometers I make a small pit stop at a local gas station to stock up on energy and then continue my journey to Russell. The beauty continues with a boardwalk through mangroves and an oyster farm, but then it is the turn of paved roads. Those paved roads appear a few times on the way to Russell and that is a shame, because it significantly detracts from this walk. Fortunately, there is a section of forest that increases the nature content somewhat. Once Russell can be seen in the distance, it is only concrete roads that my walking shoes feel.
In Russell it is time for a well-deserved lunch and after eighteen kilometers through mangroves, rainforest and beach, a spaghetti vongole is always tasty and of course a dessert cannot be missed. Just like the necessary barley juice. On Wikiloc I also found a walk that goes to the other side of Russell and I would like to add that. To get to Flagstaff Hill I have to climb a steep slope via a highway, but the view is - as usual with these types of climbs - worth it. The path I then take to get to Tapeka Point immediately reminds me of the rainforest path I did a few hours earlier at Okiato, but with slightly less grandeur. Yet it is also a pleasure to walk through this small piece of rainforest.
The last passage to Tapeka Point takes me again to a concrete road and later a beautiful grass path. Via some cliffs I eventually reach Tapeka Point, which is a fantastic viewpoint. You have to be careful here in a small open area near the cliffs because the wind can blow hard here and you really don't want to be carried away by the wind. On the return to Russell I want to do this via the beach, but a little inspection quickly shows that it is high tide. The rocky beach sections are not easy anyway, but with the danger of an incoming tide I definitely turn around and follow the highways to walk to the ferry to Paihia. A ferry leaves for Paihia every twenty minutes and that costs me ten New Zealand dollars. The trip to Paihia is not spectacular, but it is easy. And after about 29 kilometers I ended up back at my starting point.
Halfway through the walk I couldn't help but enjoy it, because almost every part of this walk is a beautiful experience. The road to Russell is unfortunately a bit of an anti-climax due to the many paved roads, but that is only a minor blemish on the record. The diversity of landscapes and environments remains a lot more important than a few kilometers of motorway that have to be overcome. The section to Tapeka Point that I added is a nice addition, but here the highways count more. Still, the small section through forest and the views at Tapeka Point are good enough to add this to the existing walk.
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