The Bay of Islands is an area in the Northland region of the North Island of New Zealand. Located 60 km north-west of Whangarei, it is close to the northern tip of the country. It is one of the most popular fishing, sailing and tourist destinations in the country, and has been renowned internationally for its big-game fishing since American author Zane Grey publicised it in the 1930s. This region of New Zealand is rich in history and a fantastic example of why New Zealand has much to offer the traveller. This area of New Zealand is where the first missionaries settled in the early nineteenth century. http://wikitravel.org/en/Bay of Islands