Once largely ignored – the road didn’t reach Rawhiti until the 1960s – the area is now recognised for its charm. This may or may not be a good thing, for it has certainly meant change. We treasure the beauty and unspoilt character of our region, but at the same time realise that development and change is inevitable. The Bay of Islands is a prime recreational and conservation area. In recent years, tourism activity and use has expanded dramatically, with larger numbers of both New Zealand residents and overseas tourists visiting the Bay. Both Council and the Society must work to ensure that as much as possible of the current, substantially unspoiled nature of the area, is preserved for future generations of New Zealanders and tourists alike.

The Society is not just an environmental action group. Whilst the preservation of the environment is fundamental to our activities, we are involved in all aspects of preserving the Bay of Islands for the ongoing benefit of future generations of New Zealanders, and for the benefit of world-wide tourists, who simply arrive in the Bay of Islands and fall in love with what we have here. You can see from the activities page that we have a wide range of interests and sphere of influence in matters pertaining to the Bay of Islands, not just the eastern Bay of Islands.