Russell, nowadays is a lovely little town which although it is visited a lot by tourists staying at Paihia has not become too touristy. It is easily reached by two different ferries or you can take a three hour drive around the bay to get there. Back in the day though, it was known as the Hell Hole as it was a whaling harbour full of whalers, prostitutes and known for its wild drinking ways.
It still has a lot of its old colonial style buildings and it is lovely to walk around. One of the walks from the town leads to a huge sun dial and a flag pole which is significant to the history of New Zealand as a flag was flown from this point after the signing of the treaty between Maoris and the British. The Waitanga Treaty ground, where the agreement was signed is actually just over the bay on the outskirts of Paihia.
The big sun dial.
The flag pole was actually cut down lots of times as described in the plaque above.
This is the policeman's house in Russell
I just loved this Christmas tree, the effort put into it is fantastic, it was outside a cafe called "Hellhole."
Just north of Paihia is a town called Kerikeri, it has this interesting building called the "Stone Store", it is still a shop which sells old fashioned and traditional items.
A nearby walk through leafy woodland, intriguing rock forms and following a winding river leads to a dramatic waterfall called the Rainbow Waterfall. In nicer weather you can swim in the pool and even go behind the falling water. It was a long walk but worth the effort and the walk itself is very enjoyable.
No comments:
Post a Comment