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Voykit pocket guide · New Zealand
Paihia
Base here 2 nights for the Bay of Islands: one full day on the water, one morning at Waitangi Treaty Grounds, then move on.
Paihia is a small waterfront town of about 1,500 people on the Bay of Islands, the main base for boat trips, dolphin cruises and the Waitangi Treaty Grounds. Most of it is walkable, and two nights covers the water and the history without rushing. It is a 3–4 hour drive or coach ride north of Auckland, or a 20-minute shuttle from Kerikeri airport.
- Country
- New Zealand
- Best months
- Dec–Apr (warm, calm seas); Nov and Apr for fewer crowds
- Avoid
- Jun–Aug (wet, rough seas, some trips cancelled)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- NZD
- Money
- Currency is the New Zealand dollar (NZD, NZ$). Cards and phone payments are accepted almost everywhere; some small rural stalls and honesty boxes are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget NZ$70–120 excl. bed · Mid NZ$130–220 excl. bed · High NZ$250+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- One NZ, Spark and 2degrees sell tourist SIMs at Auckland and Christchurch arrivals and in supermarkets; passport not required.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 111 · Non-urgent police 105 · Traffic *555
- Plugs
- Types I · 230 V · 50 Hz · Same angled two- or three-pin plug as Australia, Fiji and China; switch the socket on at the wall.
- Tipping
- Café or restaurant: Nothing expected; 10% for very good service at dinner is a bonus.; Taxi / Uber: Nothing; round up if you like.; Guide or tour: Optional NZ$10–20 for a day guide.; Hotel: Nothing.; Public holidays: Cafés may add a 10–15% holiday surcharge to the bill; it is legal and shown on menus.
- Water
- Tap water is safe almost everywhere; follow boil-water notices in small rural schemes. Treat stream water in the backcountry.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets in every town and at most lookouts; DOC long-drops on tracks. Carry paper; never use the roadside.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | NZ$5–7 |
| Ice cream from the kiosk | NZ$4–6 |
| Fish and chips or a pub main | NZ$20–32 |
| Restaurant main, seafood | NZ$30–40 |
| Draught beer in a pub | NZ$9–12 |
| Half-day dolphin cruise | NZ$95–130 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | NZ$20–40 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- KKE · Kerikeri (Bay of Islands) Airport
- Air New Zealand from Auckland; about 20–25 min by car or shuttle to Paihia (check)
Typical fares
- Paihia → Russell ferry
- about NZ$20 return, 15 min (check)
- Kerikeri Airport → Paihia shuttle
- about NZ$35–45, 20–25 min (check)
- Waitangi Treaty Grounds admission
- about NZ$50 international visitors (check)
Get around
The town is small enough to walk: wharf, shops and restaurants are within 15 minutes on foot. Local taxis cover longer hops. A passenger ferry runs to Russell (roughly hourly, timetable varies by season); a vehicle ferry crosses Okiato–Opua about 6 km south.The town is small enough to walk: wharf, shops and restaurants are within 15 minutes on foot. Local taxis cover longer hops. A passenger ferry runs to Russell (roughly hourly, timetable varies by season); a vehicle ferry crosses Okiato–Opua about 3.7 mi south.
See and do
Known for
- Waitangi Treaty Grounds
- Bay of Islands cruises and dolphin trips
- Hole in the Rock
- Rainbow Warrior wreck dive
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Russell | Passenger ferry from Paihia wharf, roughly hourly | About 15 min crossing |
| Kerikeri | Car or coach, about 25–30 min | About 30 min |
| Cape Reinga and 90 Mile Beach | Organised coach tour from Paihia | Full day, 10–12 h |
| Urupukapuka Island | Included in many Bay of Islands cruises | Half to full day |
Sleep
- Marsden Road waterfront
- Walk to the wharf, tours and restaurants; the most convenient for a short stay.
- Kings Road / Selwyn Road
- Backpackers and motels 5–10 min walk from the centre; quieter, cheaper.
- Waitangi
- Resort side, 30–45 min walk or a short drive north of town; closest to the Treaty Grounds.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Kia ora |
| Hello / Welcome | Nau mai, haere mai |
| Please | Koa |
| Goodbye | Ka kite anō |
| How much is it? | He aha te utu? |
| Where is the toilet? | Kei hea te wharepaku? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Kia ora or a handshake; first names from the start; avoid: Formal titles; overlong small talk before business
- Marae visit: Wait to be called on, follow your guide through the pōwhiri, remove shoes before the meeting house; avoid: Eating or drinking inside the wharenui; walking in front of speakers
- Tables and heads: Keep bottoms off tables and hats off tables; food stays away from heads; avoid: Sitting on tables or kitchen benches; touching people's heads
- Roads: Pull over at slow-vehicle bays to let queues pass; wave thanks; avoid: Stopping on the road for photos; drifting right after a stop
- Outdoors: Carry out all rubbish; use toilets; stick to tracks; avoid: Feeding kea and other birds; toileting outside
- Talk: Self-deprecating humour and understatement; avoid: Calling New Zealanders Australians; boasting
- Home visit: Bring wine or something to share; shoes off if the hosts do; avoid: Arriving empty-handed to a 'bring a plate' event
- Names: Use Māori place names and pronounce them with care; avoid: Joking about Māori words or haka
Scams and watch-outs
- Book cruises and the Waitangi guided tour ahead in Dec–Feb; boats fill on fine days.
- Sea conditions cancel or shorten cruises in winter; keep a wet-weather plan.
- Drinking alcohol in public in town is prohibited.
- One-lane bridges and left-hand driving on the approach roads; allow more time than the map suggests.
Paihia is a small, low-crime town and safe to walk in the evening. The real risks are sea conditions on boat trips, sunburn on the water, and driving the winding approach roads after a long day.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Paihia yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Waitangi Treaty Grounds
- Bay of Islands cruises and dolphin trips
- Hole in the Rock
- Rainbow Warrior wreck dive
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Bay of Islands Visitor Information Centre: www.bayofislands.co.nz/
- Waitangi Treaty Grounds: www.waitangi.org.nz/
- Northland Ferries — Bay of Islands ferry: northlandferries.co.nz/bay-of-islands-ferry/
- InterCity coaches: www.intercity.co.nz/
- Wikivoyage: Paihia, revision 5328206 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5328206
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Paihia
Ki tēnei wāhi, koa
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Paihia; consulates and embassies are in Auckland and Wellington (check).
Māori phrases are a courtesy; English is spoken everywhere.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/paihia). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.