Away from the madding crowd (not that it was crowded at the end of March) Peter and Jenny have a clutch (3?) cabins built on the hillside around their main home. Nicely furnished with water views from the deck, the accommodation provides a sense of isolation and independence. Unfortunately we did not take advantage of the beach access. A short drive to the lovely Russell is no inconvenience.

We would certainly recommend BoIC and the Russell area. Avoid Paihia, which seems to be the conventional resting point for BoI access.

My husband and I stayed at Bay of Islands Cottages for two nights. If our schedule had permitted we would have loved to stay longer.
The cottage was very clean and spacious, with a nice balcony with a view across the water. I had my best nights sleep of our trip here due to the comfortable bed and quiet location.
Jenny and Peter are wonderful hosts and the breakfasts were just amazing. I particularly loved the communal breakfast table which was such a lovely start to the day.
We really enjoyed the complementary use of the kayaks too. My husband is keen on fishing and Peter kindly lent us his fishing rods.

We selected Bay of Islands Cottages after reading the reviews. We would agree with all the comments made, clean, comfortable, good hosts, fantastic breakfasts,

Just a couple of observations to add.

The bush location does mean what is says, the mosquitoes are voracious at dusk, so no sitting on the veranda in the evening.
The view from the studio apartment attached to the house is largely blocked by a big tree.
The bay is tidal and the area is mudflats with an oyster farm highly visible at low tide.
Cooking facilites consist of two rings and minimal equipment.

That said, it is a great short stay B&B and we would use it again. Jenny and Peter are great hosts and we often spent most of the morning over breakfast. Jenny was very helpful in suggesting days out and Peter provided internet access when we needed it.

Not far out of Russell in a beautiful location, the cottage was spotless, comfortable, well appointed and peaceful. Peter and Jenny were delightful hosts, full of information on the area and many of our fellow guests were staying there for the second time. The breakfasts are pretty amazing, and you certainly won't need to eat anything else for the rest of the day! (Peters Tuna tarts are excellent!)