Rocky Bay Reserve is a stony beach at the north end of Russell and east of Tapeka Point. From central Russell, take Flagstaff Road to Tapeka Road. Turn right onto De Fresne Place just before the Tapeka Point Beach car park. It is a 5-minute drive or a 40-minute walk via Te Maiki. The car park is immediately behind the beach, which is overlooked by houses. From there, you can also easily hike the 20 minutes on the Tapeka Point Track for superb views over the Bay of Islands.
There is a grass strip above the beach with some bench seating. Although the beach is stony, it is interesting to explore. There are cliffs and rocky points with rock pools at both ends. If you walk to the west, you can cross between the rocks to two smaller beaches below the cliffs of Tapeka Point. It is a nice, quiet spot for a picnic in an otherwise busy place.
