Bay of Islands

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Bay of Islands

The Bay of Islands is a must for visitors to the region, and indeed to New Zealand. Rich in history, it is also a holiday destination par excellence. The beautiful coastal scenery is backdrop to many outdoor activities including, sailing, cruising, kayaking, fishing, swimming, diving, parasailing, skydiving, golfing, walking and many more.


The famous American author, Zane Grey, was the first outsider to discover (and promote) the Bay’s potential as a deep sea fishing centre with record catches of marlin, kingfish and yellowtail. Today there are still numerous fishing competitions on the calendar, and plenty of good size fish to catch.


In 1769, Captain James Cook first sighted New Zealand and sailed down the east coast into the Bay of Islands where he paused to re-provision before heading back out to sea and continuing his circumnavigation. Some years later the first Christian sermon was preached on the northern shores of the same Bay by the Reverend Samuel Marsden.

In 1841 the British and Maori signed the famous Treaty of Waitangi. It was this document that really defined the founding of a new nation, and bound the history of Maori and non-Maori (or Pakeha) together. The building where the treaty was signed still stands today and serves as a museum to those important events. Subsequent to the Treaty, many more settlers arrived from all corners of the British Isles.

 

Other key examples of Maori and European settlement can be found at Kerikeri (Maori pa site, Stone Store and Kemp Mission House buildings), Waitangi (the Treaty House still stands and makes for a fascinating visit), Russell (numerous colonial style buildings, the oldest surviving church in New Zealand complete with bullet holes from the Maori / British skirmishes, infamous Flagstaff) and the islands within the Bay of Islands also have numerous archaeological sites of interest. The main Urupukapuka Island is certainly worthy of a day’s visit – it has a beautiful setting at the heart of the Bay and will prove very rewarding. 

 

Russell a small waterfront township (population 1,000) is at the heart of the Bay of Islands and has a majestic position in the sheltered Kororareka Bay. Russell has lots of history and a super heritage trail to follow and explore the town. Russell has been home to early Maori, whalers, sailors and missionaries. Nearby Okiato was the site chosen for the first capital of New Zealand, although within a year this honour had been moved to Auckland. Russell is an absolutely charming place as it retains a real colonial flavour and is a must for all visitors to New Zealand. There are several delightful cafes and restaurants running along the waterfront – a fantastic place to relax and watch the world go by !

Paihia across the water from Russell is mostly a modern seaside resort popular with families and younger generation.

Kerikeri inland from the north-west corner of the Bay (and on State Highway 10) is a thriving market town (population approaching 10,000) and also proud of it’s heritage. Here you can find the oldest standing stone building in New Zealand (the Stone Store) and the oldest surviving mission house (Kemp House – 1822). Nearby there is a modern replica of a pre-European Maori village, and an archaeologically interesting Pa site on a small hill overlooking the Kerikeri River Basin. Kerikeri has a small domestic airport that provides good flight connections to Auckland (45 minutes flight).

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