It takes about 4 hours to drive to Paihia in the Bay of Islands from Auckland, and is about 150 miles. From here, Dolphin watching/swimming trips are taken, and are really worth the effort. The scenery is stunning. A good base to start from is the Beachcomber Resort.

Dolphin watch boats are powered by water jets rather than propellors to protect the animals.

They just seem to like following the boat - or are they making the boat follow them ? They swim just under the front of the bow, and look up at you either sideways, or swimming upside down.

To see them in the wild, in their natural home is just superb.

Swimming with wild Dolphins is a wonderful experience. You are in "their home" so to speak, and they only play when they want to. Bottlenosed Dolphins can live up to 60 years old in the wild, and only to about 25 in captivity. They thrive on interaction with new stimulus and are very inquisitive.

Before the end of the Dolphin trip - you get a drink at Urupukapuka, the biggest island in the Bay of Islands.

Matauri Bay, a lovely spot to spend a couple of hours paddling. There is a hilltop memorial commemorating the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior, which was sunk in Auckland harbour in 1985.