Paihia, New Zealand, the hub of the Bay of Islands

Paihia, known as the ‘Jewel of the Bay of Islands’, is the hub of activity on the Northland coast. This is the spot for taking full advantage of all that the Bay of Islands has to offer, with boats leaving the harbour in every direction. Whether you are looking to explore the rugged, beach strewn coastlines of the 144 islands sprinkled across the Bay, are looking to fulfil a lifelong dream by swimming with dolphins, or trying to explore thetimeless towns of Russell, Opua or Kerikeri, Paihia is the place to start. Paihia is where you will find the best water sports provisions, biggest shops and most lively nightlife in the Bay of Islands, and forms the centre of many a Bay of Islands holiday. For a little piece of it all, Paihia really is the Jewel of the Bay of Islands. Paihia holidays are active holidays. No tour of Northland, or the North Island in fact, would be complete without exploring from Paihia. The coastal landscape is simply exceptional. Located on the Northland s…

Russell, New Zealand, a secret retreat in the Bay of Islands

If you are looking to escape, to disappear for a few days, Russell is the place. New Zealand’s first capital, though you could be forgiven for not believing it, Russell is a small town on the shore of the Bay of Islands that simply oozes charm. History is everywhere, culture is unavoidable, and for utter peace and relaxation, nowhere comes close to Russell. Often referred to as ‘Romantic Russell’, the scenery, pace of life and timeless charm of the town will ensure that your mind will forever drift back to Russell, long after you have left. Russell’s location is almost as big an attraction as the little town itself. Set on the forgotten shore of the Bay of Islands, a short ferry from the area’s activity hub, Paihia, accommodation in Russell is ideally located for taking advantage of the wonderful walking and cycling along the coastline. The new Twin Coast Cycle Way is a very popular way to discover the coast, passing through ancient forest, hidden towns, and along some of th…

The Bay of Islands, New Zealand – the perfect escape

The Bay of Islands is a rare destination; an accessible escape. Blissful beaches, forgotten coves and timeless towns, The Bay of Islands is an adventurer’s paradise. The region has become known as a coastal paradise, where conditions for could not be more appealing for sailing, deep sea fishing and a whole host of other water sports. But the real attraction is the scenery. A stunning coastline with a dizzying number of deserted islands to explore, set against a green, rolling landscape inland, the Bay of Islands is the ideal place to simply get lost. Things to do in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand Just 3 hours from Auckland, the Bay of Islands is a weekend adventurer’s paradise. The bay itself, named after the 144 islands that litter the bay, is the perfect place to set out to sea and get away from it all. There are countless island beaches off which to throw anchor, swim ashore and spend a blissful afternoon in the sun, with the sand between your toes on your very own pr…

Waitangi, New Zealand; Visit the Waitangi Treaty Grounds

Waitangi; a peaceful, lost haven, whose history shaped the whole of New Zealand. Found 3 hours to the north of Auckland, just 2km from Paihia, Waitangi must not be overlooked. Waitangi is known as the ‘Birthplace of the Nation’ as it was here that the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi was signed between the Maori and the British. Waitangi’s importance to New Zealand cannot be over-stated, it was here that the nation was born, and few birthplaces could be more beautiful. Waitangi Treaty Grounds, New Zealand The Waitangi Treaty Grounds are New Zealand’s most important cultural site, and for visitors, it is an essential stopping point to gain an understanding of the turbulent, complex living history of the country. Now a large National Trust Reserve, Waitangi Treaty Grounds offer a captivating stop on a Northland tour, encompassing swathes of the Bay of Island’s estuary, native bush and wildlife filled mangrove forests. Though it is especially known for its history and culture, Waitangi o…

Holidays in Whangaroa – A slice of heaven by the sea

It is likely that the word “Whangaroa” already means something to you. Whether it is history, fishing or diving that first alerted you to the harbour, Whangaroa excels. If you have landed here by accident, it is a very happy accident. Whangaroa lies 55kms north of the Bay of Islands, too distant for some, and all the better for it. Whangaroa is a harbour, a town and a county, rightly known for its spectacular coastline, living culture and unspoilt countryside. The county centre, Whangaroa Harbour is a comfortable, laid back and picturesque seaside town, an idyllic place to put your feet up in the evening. The area is steeped in legend, the name itself, translating to “a long wait”, harks to a legend where a Maori woman sat to watch the horizon for a husband was fighting to the south. Whangaroa’s notoriety as the setting of the 1809 Boyd Incident is reason for exploration enough, but it is the shear natural beauty that strikes you most when you visit the area. Whangaroa is al…

Maori History

Maori occupied the Bay of Islands from as early as the 10th century. The first tribes stayed for only relatively short periods. Garden sites documented by archaeologists at Urimatao, on Moturua Island, are evidence of their occupation. The Te Awa people from Dargaville area followed these earlier transient settlers and they too stayed for only a short time before moving south. Their two known pa (fortified villages) at Rawhiti and Manawaora, are modeled exactly on their original Dargaville sites. The Ngare Raumati people arrived in the later 15th century from the Bay of Plenty and intermarried with other hapu (sub-tribes) in the area. They occupied the Bay of Islands for three hundred years. During the 17th century, the Nga Manu people and descendants of Waipihangarangi were given Kororareka Peninsula from Te Wahapu to Tapeka as utu (payment for the killing of one of their chiefs). The chief at this time was Tupare, whose pa, Te Ke Emua, was on the hill behind …

Kerikeri History

According to Maori Historians, Ngati-Miru, the people who first lived in the Kerikeri district, were attacked and driven away by a war party of Ngapuhi. Terraces are the visual evidence of the pa (fortified settlement) the Ngapuhi built, this area is now known as Kororipo (swirling waters). The first European settler were the missionaries: James Kemp, Francis Hall and John Butler. As well as teaching and preaching, they farmed and gardened. A chapel was built in 1824 which also served as a school. The Church Missionary Society bought 3000 acres from the Maori Chief Rewa in 1831. This is the land on which Kerikeri stands today. The Stone Store, New Zealands oldest stone building, replaced a wooden store in 1836. It was erected to provide fireproof storage, but was also partly used as a library by Bishop Selwyn from 1842-44 and became an ammunition magazine during the war with Hone Heke in 1845. The Stone Store was purchased by the Historic Places Trust in 1975 and has…

Opua History

Opua's basin and wharf, situated at the junction of the Veronica Channel, Waikare Inlet and Kawakawa River afford the last deep-water anchorage in the inner Bay of Islands. A railway to Kawakawa and a road connecting with the car ferry to the Russell peninsular make Opua a natural crossroads for travellers. The railway, completed in 1884, and the wharf at Opua prospered with the coal-mining at Kawakawa and later served the meatworks at Moerewa. Today the main users of the wharf are the local fishing and charter industries. However, occasionally a cruise ship visiting the Bay of Islands will tie up and dwarf the little settlement.

Paihia History

With its three sandy beaches sheltered by rocky islets, Paihia has been a popular holiday destination for over a hundred years. Missionaries were the first white people to settle Paihia in 1823. Led by Rev. Henry Williams they built a house, store and the first church in New Zealand, which was constructed in the traditional Maori way using raupo. Williams gained the respect and trust of the local Maori people, trying to understand their ways and to eliminate friction between Maori and Pakeha. Henry Williams' brother William joined the mission. He compiled a Maori dictionary and translated the New Zealand Testament into Maori. In commemoration of this early history, the New Zealand Historic Places Trust set up a number of plaques along Paihia's waterfront. Today Paihia's main industry is tourism.

Russell History

Long before Captain Cook's visit in 1769, Russell was an established settlement of various Maori tribes. Its name at that time, Kororareka, reflected a legend that a wounded chief asked for penguin and on tasting the broth said " Ka reka to korora." (How sweet is the penguin.) From the early 1800s, South Sea whalers found Kororareka ideal as a provisioning port. The town grew in response, gaining a reputation as a lawless and bawdy port, and earning the nickname Hellhole of the Pacific. The image has changed but Russell is still a provisioning base for pleasure craft cruising the Bay of Islands and the South Pacific. One of the surviving witnesses is Russell's historic restaurant The Gables, built in 1847. The town continued to expand until the country's first Capital at Okiato (formerly Old Russell) moved to Auckland. Kororareka and the Bay of Islands began to decline economically as a result. This was hastened by the sacking of the town in 1845 by the forces of Hone…

Ipipiri – a historic map of the Bay of Islands

Place names come and go, but the land remains. An enquiry from a cousin about the name of one particular headland near his home in Manawaora Bay, Bay of Islands, started Murphy Shortland on a five year quest to record the pre-European names of the eastern Bay of Islands. The result is a map which he has called Ipipiri, a name used by the Maori to refer to what Captain Cook named the Bay of Islands. When Murphy realised he did not know many other traditional names in the area besides that of the headland, he started to piece together a jigsaw of half-forgotten information. Most of the place names he has re-discovered have at least four separate provenances: Turton's land claim deeds; old Lands and Survey maps; Land Court minutes; and the memories of local people. Murphy noted that many land sales in past years referred to boundaries, which were determined by looking at the land from the sea. "The land deeds name all the landmarks in succession as the eye moved. Nine times out…