Day 17 & 18 Russell and Culture North Show

Sunday, is proclaimed a day of rest and boy did we need it. After the hike the day before we were a little, ok, a lot tired. Surprisingly we were not stiff and sore. Just tired. So it was a day spent reading, going out to get groceries and just relaxing. Not surprisingly we were in bed pretty early.

Monday was a different day. We had recovered from our long hike and were ready to go. Unfortunately the weather was not co-operating as it was cold and rainy with a pretty strong wind. We decided to head out anyway and walked down to the docks and caught the ferry to Russell. The rain stopped on the way over and held off the rest of the day leaving only with the wind to contend with.

One of Two Ferries in Service




This is the Ferry we rode both to and from Russell
















Russell, formerly known as Kororareka, was the first permanent European settlement and sea port in New Zealand.  Kororareka has a lot of history starting with the Maori trading with the Whaling Ships and Sealers that used the harbor for shelter. The town continued to grow and with success came the seedier aspect of life.  It was soon known as "The Hellhole of the Pacific". The town was burned in 1845 and was rebuilt into a respectable town that catered to the whaling and sealing industry. Today, Russell is mostly a "bastion of cafés, gift shops and B&B's. We took an interesting bus tour around the area.  One of the places it stopped was Tapeka Point, which is the highest point in the area. We were able to get a pretty good panoramic view of the area.

Russell Marina

Kororareka Bay



View of Paihia from Tapeka Point




End of Tapeka Point and Pacific Ocean
















While we were on the point we were to a glimpse of Eagles Nest. It is New Zealand's most expensive resort which actually consists of 5 villas with each villa being available for the paltry sum of $ 20,000.00 a night. It comes with a chef and a Porsche to drive around. The likes of Bill Gates and Bruce Willis have stayed there. We tried to see if we could get a villa for the night but they wouldn’t take a personal check. Smart people.

Eagles Nest - Not sure what the fuss is about.


After the bus tour, we walked around Russell and took a few more pictures.

On the dock going into Russell



Strangled Fig Tree




Street in Russell




Shoreline in Russell



Kororareka Bay



The ferry ride back was a little rougher out in the main channel but it wasn’t a long ride so I was ok with the queasiness. After departing the boat we walked around town for awhile and then headed back to the resort for supper.  We had to get ready to be picked up by the bus for the “Culture North Show Night”.  The show is a drama that tells the story of New Zealand and the Treaty of Waitangi, the coming together of two cultures, Maori and European.  It covers the time from the arrival of Kope, the first Maori Chief to discover New Zealand, through to present day.  It is done with song and dance in Maori traditional costumes.  It was a fun, interesting and knowledgeable evening.  Unfortunately we were not able to take pictures until after the show.

Staff of Culture North Night Show

The evening ended with the bus ride back to the resort.  In spite of the weather it turned out to be a really good day.