Despite its charming appearance today, back in the day Russell was known as the ‘Hellhole of the Pacific’. Whalers, sealers, escaped convicts, seamen, traders and adventurers descended upon this small cove. Grog-shops and “the oldest profession in the world” abounded. We were told that the current population of Russell is around 1000, but swells to 10 times that during the summer peak tourist season. Most of the houses here are “baches” (that’s what New Zealanders call holiday houses).
Bay of Islands Cruise
We were in luck today. We had booked a 3-hour cruise around the Bay of Islands a couple of days ago, hoping for decent weather. On the morning of the cruise, they messaged to say they didn’t have enough bookings to run the cruise (we are very much here in the off season) so we could cancel and get a refund or do the longer 4.5-hour cruise at no extra cost. We jumped at that offer, because the skies were blue and the sun was shining. We loved our cruise. We sat on the open deck at the top of the small boat. Admittedly it was cold when we were moving fast but we were dressed appropriately and opted to stay up there.
We had two island stops where we hiked up to lookouts that gave breathtaking views of the bay with its many small islands. The first was at Motuarohia Island (Roberton Island). In November 1769, Lieutenant James Cook anchored the Endeavour in what is now Cook’s Bay on the island’s northern coast. The island was inhabited by up to 300 Māori who were initially hostile, though peace was eventually restored – one of the first significant encounters between Māori and Europeans in Northland.
We circled Mahenotapuku, also known as Bird Rock. Usually there are lots of birds there, we were told, but not today, though we did see a couple of sea lions, and several albatrosses, petrels and lots of gulls & terns.
We passed through the famous “Hole in the Rock”, which can only happen when the seas are calm. We followed another somewhat larger boat through, giving us some bonus photos. We also nosed into a nearby cave in which there is a crack that extends right through the island – a future hole in the rock in the making.
The second island stop was at Urupukapuka Island, and that was probably the highlight for us. We hiked up to the top of the island and the views over green hills and turquoise waters dotted with islands were just stunning. And a couple more bird sightings.
Paihia
After the cruise we had a little look around the town of Paihia, where the tour was based. We found (you’ll be surprised to hear) some street art and sculptures. We tried to get a coffee, but nothing was open at 3pm – it is definitely the off season!
Haruru Falls
One last stop for the day before driving to our next port of call at Hokianga was Haruru Falls. The falls are not very high (about 5 metres) but wide and certainly flowing. In the Māori language, the word haruru means ‘continuous noise or roar’, which is very appropriate. There’s a short walk from the car park, but then you can easily access the rocks immediately above the falls.
To read more of our adventures in Northland, New Zealand, click here.
