6 Best Hotels in Northland and the Bay of Islands, New Zealand

This 100-year-old kauri farmhouse and its buildings are a sophisticated and relaxing place to stay in the northern end of the North Island. Room decoration ranges from modern to rustic, but all come with plenty of space, natural light, and balconies or patios that look out over beautiful gardens to the Waipoua Forest in the distance. Meals are served from an à la carte menu with a focus on high-quality produce. You can stroll through the native bush on the property, or enjoy star-gazing while listening to the native morepork owl in the background. This lodge has a strong eco-friendly ethos and the hosts are extremely helpful. You can even take a self-paced cooking class that covers everything from how to choose knives to aging meat.

This B&B, perched over Matauwhi Bay a few minutes' walk from town, had been supported for more than 100 years by whale vertebrae, which served as the backbones of this turn-of-the-20th-century home. One of the "backbones" of the house now sits in the lounge. Two spacious suites off the large guest lounge and dining area both have brass beds, sunrooms, and their own decks. Another three rooms are upstairs. The Tautoru Room has its own entrance, with a deck and a view of the bay where you can watch the boats coming and going from the Russell Boat Club (the club's bar is a good place to meet locals). Wake up with an appetite; breakfast is always good and varies depending on what you might have requested or what the hosts (one is a trained chef) have in mind to delight you.

This beautiful renovated villa offers three lovely rooms that will remind you of a relative's comfortable country house. The rates are moderate, and the hosts charming and helpful. They will serve you homemade preserves, muffins, and muesli, or a hot breakfast for a tad more.

An enormous cedar of Lebanon stands in front of this gracious 1864 kauri homestead; both the tree and the house are listed with the Historic Places Trust. The restored home has one modern wing, but it's designed to blend with the original building. Two rooms with private baths are in the new wing; one has a balcony overlooking the gardens. The rooms in the older wing are smaller but elegantly furnished with antiques; they share a bath. A three-course dinner and picnic lunches are available for an additional fee. Paheke is about a 15-minute drive southwest of Kerikeri and Paihia and it's a perfect place to base yourself if taking a leisurely trip in the north.

With obvious references to France (but in a very Kiwi way), Lodge Bordeaux offers comfortable and stylish accommodations. There is a range of rooms from studios to two-bedroom kitchen suites for those who want to cook. The rooms are well-appointed. Deals are often available on the website.

The country setting of Lupton Lodge makes it a perfect place to retreat to after a day's traveling in the North, with five rooms, two apartments, a swimming pool, and gorgeous gardens. Close by are orchards and some lovely stretches of coastline. Breakfast is included and made-to-order dinners, including vegan are available. If you happen to be traveling by bike, whether the petrol- or pedal-powered variety, there is safe storage for your two wheels. The very nice hosts know a lot about the area.