Bay of Islands

I have never been further than Whangarei before so was very keen to see the Bay of Islands. Over the years I have had lots of friends who have holidayed here and always loved it.

We had a couple of days in Kerikeri before moving onto Paihia. This area is truly beautiful. Plenty of blue water, lots and lots of bays, sheltered waters with a resort feel.

We had three days exploring the area which included our fishing trip. Also on our list of places to visit was The Treaty House at Waitangi, and a trip across to Russell. From Paihia there is a car ferry that crosses every 10 minutes and took us there for $12. Both places are well worth a visit and are full of NZ history. The Waitangi grounds take pride of place in the area, looking across the expansive lawns and down to the waters edge. The flag staff can be seen from all around the bays.

The Flagstaff at Waitangi.

The Treaty House

Across the water at Russell we saw another flagstaff. This one has even more history with it being the one Hone Heke cut down four times as a protest about now the Treaty wasn't delivering on its promises. We climbed the hill to this site, for our morning exercise.  We found the historic part of Russell a very interesting place to visit. The buildings are all restored and the locals are very friendly.

The infamous flagstaff.

One of the many historic buildings in Russell.

A view from the top of a lookout we walked up.

Paihia is well developed to cope with both the tourists and local holiday makers alike. There are lots of bars and restaurants along the water front. We sampled the hospitality of one of the newest establishments late in afternoon one day. Built out over the water next to wharf it was the perfect place to enjoy and drink a watch the sun set behind the hills. This is certainly an area we would like to return to one day for another holiday.

The Paihia Library - the restored house of the Williams
family who were early Missionaries in Paihia.