From Paihia, there is an inland road route to Russell but it is tediously circuitous as it skirts along the southern edge of the Bay of Islands. The easier, more convenient way from Paihia is by ferry.
There is less hustle and bustle in Russell, belying its turbulent past which included Maori wars, such as the 1830 "war of the girls" (when the tribes went into battle because each of the two girls involved believed she was the favorite of a whaling captain), and conflicts between Maori and Pakeha.
After the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi, the British established Russell (then known as Kororareka) as the nation's capital, which later moved south to Auckland, then farther south to Wellington.
Less touristy than Paihia, Russell has the air of a country town without much of the glare of neon lights and the shopfront come-ons of travel touts.
Russell attractions
Some places in Russell you may want to visit:
Russell Museum. Built for the bicentenary of Captain Cook's 1769 landing in the Bay of Islands. The museum houses a working scale model of Cook's ship, the Endeavour, as well as maritime exhibits and historical artefacts.
Christ Church. New Zealand's oldest (and battle-scarred) church, built in 1835.
Pompallier House. One of New Zealand's oldest existing houses. Once a printery, then a tannery, before becoming a private residence with a small museum.
Maiki (Flagstaff Hill). Said to be the spot where Maori chieftain Hone Heke threatened to chop down the Pakeha flagstaff several times in the 1840s. A great vantage point for views of the area. There is a track up the hill which can be walked in half an hour.
Oneroa Bay Beach. A 15-minute walk from Russell wharf.
Next page: Kerikeri: Along the River to the Sea
- (Photo courtesy of Destination Northland)
