Doubtless Bay

Travel Guide

Cable Bay featuring tranquil scenes, a bay or harbor and boating
Doubtless Bay which includes landscape views and general coastal views
Doubtless Bay featuring a beach
Doubtless Bay featuring general coastal views, rugged coastline and a sandy beach
Doubtless Bay showing a beach, general coastal views and landscape views
Try some watersports in this idyllic bay in New Zealand’s remote Northland, a perfect stop over on your way to the famous lighthouse on Cape Rēinga.

Doubtless Bay is one big watersports playground. Go fishing, kayaking, sailing, diving, stand-up paddleboarding or swimming and then relax on the beach or in a seafood café.

Stretching north from Coopers Beach to Whatuwhiwhi, Doubtless Bay is horseshoe shaped and named so because Captain James Cook dryly observed in 1769 that it was “doubtless a bay.”

Start your explorations at Coopers Beach and Cable BayOpens in a new window, two popular vacation spots with excellent swimming beaches.

In nearby Taipa, visit the Taute Gallery & Tours for live carving, weaving and tamoko (tattooing) demonstrations and workshops by local Māori artists. Also try a mirimiri (healing massage), rongoa (natural therapy) and buy pottery or artistic prints for a souvenir.

Drive out onto the Karikari PeninsulaOpens in a new window to see the northern tip of Doubtless Bay. Stroll along Perehipe Beach and explore Matai Bay. Whatuwhiwhi is a vacation resort at the northern end of Tokerau Beach. These beaches are all excellent fishing spots due to the presence of paddle crabs and tua tua, which are nibbled on by snapper.

Of course, you can also just order your fish, with some chips. Find one of the country’s most praised seafood cafés in Mill Bay in Mangonui, a picture-perfect town at Doubtless Bay’s southern tip. Munch on deep-fried squid rings, green-lipped mussels or oysters while stingrays cruise by in the waters below. Don’t miss the wonderful art in the historic, kauri-wooden Mangonui Courthouse. Talented locals stock the gallery’s art shop with truly original creations. Stay the night in town for a chance to see penguins waddle ashore at dusk.

Mangonui once housed one of the largest whaling fleets in the South Pacific. At nearby Butler Point, explore the Whaling Museum housed in a 1840s homestead. Admire the kauri whaleboat and explore the garden with its macadamia nut tree orchard and pōhutukawa (Christmas) trees. Butler Point also has a former Māori hilltop fort, called a pā.

Doubtless Bay is about halfway along the coastal road from the Bay of IslandsOpens in a new window to the lighthouse on Cape RēingaOpens in a new window, making it the perfect place for a refreshing stop on your way north. 

From fishing to discovering Māori culture, you doubtlessly will want to return after experiencing the lifestyle in idyllic Doubtless Bay.

Taipa Beach Resort

Taipa Beach Resort

4 out of 5
22 Taipa Point Road, Taipa
The price is NT$2,878 per night from Aug 3 to Aug 4
NT$2,878
NT$3,310 total
Aug 3 - Aug 4
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this 4-star beach hotel in Taipa. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and a beach locale. Our guests praise the helpful staff in our reviews. Popular attractions ...
8.6/10 Excellent! (323 reviews)
"Enjoyed dinner and breakfast, delicious. Prompts service and very friendly and efficient staff."

Reviewed on 2025/7/31

Taipa Beach Resort
Doubtless Bay Villas

Doubtless Bay Villas

4.5 out of 5
20 Dudley Cresent, Cable Bay
Stay at this 4.5-star luxury aparthotel in Cable Bay. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and in-room massages. Popular attractions Cable Bay Beach and Taumarumaru ...
9.6/10 Exceptional! (175 reviews)
"This was not our first stay and won’t be our last. Always an excellent experience."

Reviewed on 2025/7/18

Doubtless Bay Villas
Golden Sand Beachfront Accommodation

Golden Sand Beachfront Accommodation

4.5 out of 5
327 State Highway 10, Cable Bay
Stay at this 4.5-star luxury apartment in Cable Bay. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and a beach locale. Popular attractions Cable Bay Beach and Taumarumaru Recreation ...
9.6/10 Exceptional! (98 reviews)
"Great stay, loved how close the property was to the beach. Parking was really easy being right next to it. The unit was comfortable and tidy. Could do with a few more pots, and the blinds cleaning in the main bedroom as there is mould on the inside. Overall great stay, would come back again"

Reviewed on 2025/6/8

Golden Sand Beachfront Accommodation
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
Doubtless Bay Villas

Doubtless Bay Villas

4.5 out of 5
20 Dudley Cresent, Cable Bay
Stay at this 4.5-star luxury aparthotel in Cable Bay. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and in-room massages. Popular attractions Cable Bay Beach and Taumarumaru ...
9.6/10 Exceptional! (175 reviews)
"This was not our first stay and won’t be our last. Always an excellent experience."

Reviewed on 2025/7/18

Doubtless Bay Villas
Golden Sand Beachfront Accommodation

Golden Sand Beachfront Accommodation

4.5 out of 5
327 State Highway 10, Cable Bay
Stay at this 4.5-star luxury apartment in Cable Bay. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and a beach locale. Popular attractions Cable Bay Beach and Taumarumaru Recreation ...
9.6/10 Exceptional! (98 reviews)
"Great stay, loved how close the property was to the beach. Parking was really easy being right next to it. The unit was comfortable and tidy. Could do with a few more pots, and the blinds cleaning in the main bedroom as there is mould on the inside. Overall great stay, would come back again"

Reviewed on 2025/6/8

Golden Sand Beachfront Accommodation
Whitesands

Whitesands

3 out of 5
1 Rangiputa Road, Rangiputa, Karkari Peninsula
Stay at this 3-star beach apartment in Karkari Peninsula. Enjoy free parking, a beach locale, and WiFi (surcharge). Popular attractions Rangiputa Beach and Puheke ...
8.2/10 Very Good! (23 reviews)
"Everyone was so helpful"

Reviewed on 2025/4/26

Whitesands
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

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