The Bay of Islands

We hadn’t spent much time on the North Island during previous visits, so we flew up to Auckland airport and rented a car.  Our first destination was the Bay of Islands, located a four hour drive north of Auckland.  The area includes a number of towns surrounding a large bay containing 144 islands.

We first stopped in Waipu, a small town near the coast that had a small but interesting main street. Several beaches were nearby.

Next we visited the city of Whangarei (approximately pronounced Fang-a-ray-ee – in Maori, a written “wh” is pronounced “f”) and saw the local waterfalls.

We took the back highway to Russell in the Bay of Islands, and on the way went to the wonderful Gallery & Cafe outside of  Helena Bay - a combination cafe with a view, art gallery, and native gardens with interesting garden art.

Cindy with a moa sculpture (a moa is an extinct NZ flightless bird)

Good beer and scenery from the cafe

In the Bay of Islands, we stayed at the Ferry Landing Backpackers, a hostel/home stay in the small town of Okiato (New Zealand’s first capital).  The view over the harbor was relaxing and beautiful.  Our host, Andrea, was helpful and pleasant, giving us lots of information on walks to take, as well as greens and oranges from her garden and eggs from her chooks (chickens).

View from Ferry Landing Backpackers

On our first day, we visited the Waitangi Treaty Grounds.  In the late 1830s, tensions between the Maori and the English came to a head around the issue of poor treatment of Maori sailors and other workers.  In 1840 the English representatives and many but not all Maori chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi, trying to resolve these issues.  However, there were both English and Maori versions of the treaty, with different wordings.  New Zealand has dealt ever since then with the issue of how to resolve broken promises and other tensions between its main peoples.

The Waitangi Treaty Grounds has a fascinating museum which just opened in 2016.  We also got a tour of the grounds, including the Maori marae (meeting house or grounds), the English colonial residence, and two large Maori canoes, before seeing a Maori cultural presentation. 

Maori canoes

Maori historically used eye, tongue and facial expressions to inspire fear and respect

Pohutukawa - also known as the New Zealand Christmas Tree

Later we went to Aroha Island near the town of Kerikeri.  Aroha Island is connected to the mainland by a causeway and has been cleared of predators.  We walked around and saw a good variety of native birds.

Holding a kiwi egg - which is huge compared to the size of the female kiwi's body

We spent our second day on foot.  We started by visiting Jim's Walkway, a short path through the bush constructed by our host Andrea's father who we met earlier.  We then hiked out to Tapeka Head on the Russell peninsula, getting great views of the bay and the ocean.  In the afternoon we hiked along a trail that was mostly boardwalk through the tidal flats and mangrove swamp – a very different environment.

New Zealand Brown Teal on pond along the track

Paul starting up the hill to Tapeka Head

A weka (a flightless bird endemic to New Zealand)

Heading further up the track

Cindy on the Russell boardwalk trail

Mangrove berries