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Long Beach	Tapeka Point - fishing and rock scrambling	Start of the Tall Ships race
Russell Foreshore	Russell Wharf - Ferry to Paihia, Fishing Trips and Sightseeing	Some of the Locals!

For everyone staying in the Bay of Islands the sea is always nearby and nearly always accessible. The water is warm and in the main the beaches are sandy and shallow, making them excellent for family holidays. The outer islands break large waves so that the beaches are seldom unsafe due to rough weather. The close-by beach at Pipiroa Bay consists at high tide level of soft, clean sand. It is one of the very few building-free beaches with easy public access in the Bay of Islands. For swimming it is very shallow and turns to mud with shells below the mid-tide line - about 1/2 metre depth at high tide. We wear Crocs for swimming at this beach.

In the immediate area Long Beach at Russell is probably the choice swimming place (picture above). It is also the only beach to give a useable surf, which can occur with northerly winds.

Sailing is a dominant activity and the Russell Tall Ships race at the beginning of January is always an event well worth watching. There are very many water activities which include sightseeing, paragliding, waterskiing, chartering a yacht or a launch and others. The best places to start looking are probably the kiosk at the end of the Russell wharf or the booking office accross the road from the entry to the wharf, or the Fullers' office in Paihia. On the internet see nz.com, Fullers Bay of Islands and always Goooogle! There are many other providers in the Bay.

Fishing is also very popular and there are many places around the coast and inlets where good catches are claimed.