Paihia - Club Paihia; Bay of Islands, New Zealand.

Paihia is a small town located in the inner Bay of Islands, in the northern end of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located about three hours drive north of Auckland, New Zealand's largest city. Alternately bus services (Intercity or Northliner Express) are available. Climate in the Bay of Islands is subtropical. It is an excellant location for a relaxing holiday for all the family - beaches, fishing, sailing, forest walks, horseriding, arts and crafts, fine dining, diving, excursions.

Paihia is a compact town (Paihia map) so it is rarely necessary to use a car. From most accommodation it is five minutes walk to the shopping centre, restuarants, bars etc, village green and wharf. (From the wharf there are regular ferries across to Russell. You can watch the game fish weighin's in the evening while the children fish for sprats.

Less than five minutes walk in either direction from the town center takes you to two beautiful safe beaches - Ti beach to the left, Paihia beach to the right - both ideal for children. There are also cataramans, canoes, paddle boats to rent. Past Ti beach there is the Waitangi bridge and Kelly Tarlton's shipwreck museum. As one of the earliest settlement areas in New Zealand there are a number of historical sites. There are also many scenic forest walks in the area of varying difficulty.

Five minutes drive away lies the port of Opua, ( the overseas boat entry port) Across the bay Russell is an interesting and inexpensive day excursion, while futher afield (about 20 minutes drive) is the "orange capital" of New Zealand Kerikeri, with historical places, arts and crafts, scenic walks and numerous orchards. This is also the commercial hub of the district. (For local scenic routes - Twin Coast discovery - Bay of Islands)

In the Bay of Islands there are numerous water
based activities and excursions available.

There are "tourist" orientated water based trips on larger boats (King's Tours, Fullers Bay of Islands) or faster boats (Excitor).
There are small and large fishing boats (including marlin and big game) available for charter and yachts.
Especially recommended are Carino and Straycat Sailing for day trips, "A place in the sun", Ecrocruz for extended cruises, the Rock for overnight cruises, and Heritage tours for dolphinwatching/cultural tour.
Sea kayaking trips are available with alternatives for both beginners and experts. (Coastal Kayakers)
Diving excursions are available within the bay and further afield. . Especially recommended for snorkelling and diving are the Poor Knights Islands, a marine reserve located about one hour away from the Bay. (For a website on Diving at the Poor Knights Islands from Tutukaka New Zealand.)
(For websites on activities in Bay of Islands, New Zealand - fishing, sailing, golf, tours, cruises etc).

Club Paihia, our home resort is nestled on a hillside in native bush about half a kilometer back from the main commercial block, wharf and village green. Club Paihia is a 5 star timeshare resort containing about 50 units, of studios, one bedroom and two bedroom apartments. Site facilities include a swimming pool complex, tennis court, numerous spa pools, lounge, playgound for children, bicycles, orchard house and forest board-walk, restaurant, and an onsite tour advisory and booking service.

For an information resource on Club Paihia with basic data and photos.

Accomodation can be rather scarce over January, however outside this period good discounts can be had.The area is much less hectic and the weather often better over February and March. There are 3 timeshare resorts located in Paihia - Club Paihia, The Bishop Selwyn & Busby Manor; availability for exchange is seasonal, i.e. easier in Winter, very difficult during school holidays, in between during other periods. Club Paihia is managed by Monad Pacific Management.

We usually have spare weeks,which our family are not utilising, available for rental at Club Paihia from early January to mid February. Information on summer rentals.

To search for private rental accommodation in the area I recommend either the New Zealand Herald newspaper (Saturday edition) or Trade and Exchange, the latter being also available on the internet:
Trade and exchange internet site NZ - search on Paihia in property/accommodation section.

For timeshare exchanges (no membership charge) try interchange timeshare Australia or Dial An Exchange Australia.

Private rentals from Club Paihia

Note: Club Paihia is a private resort - all weeks owned individually on a timeshare basis thus any rentals are on a private basis, and not through the resort itself.

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Bay of Islands Events Sites:

Paihia - Bay of Islands, New Zealand.