Paihia is the main base for visiting the bay — a small waterfront town with a long wharf, a strip of cafés and tour kiosks, and a curving beach of golden sand. Most boat trips depart from here, and the i-Site visitor centre on Marsden Road sells just about every cruise, tour and bus ticket you might need.
The town itself is unpretentious and functional rather than charming, but the position is excellent. From the wharf you can take the passenger ferry to Russell in fifteen minutes, walk across the bridge to Waitangi in twenty minutes, or pick up a kayak and paddle out to the nearest islands. Haruru Falls, a horseshoe waterfall reached by a coastal track from town, makes a good half-day walk.