Russell, Northland 作者： 来源： 发布时间：2021-03-27
I. Population and Area
Total Area: 0.54 km²
Population in 2018: 606
https://profile.idnz.co.nz/far-north/population?WebID=480&BMID=20&SWebID=380
II. Natural Geography
-Climate
What is the best time of year to go to Russell in New Zealand
Here are some average weather facts we collected from our historical climate data:
During the month of January, February, March and December you are most likely to experience good weather with pleasant average temperatures that fall between 20 degrees Celsius (68°F) and 25 degrees Celsius (77°F).
The warmest month is February with an average maximum temperature of 23°C (73°F).
The coldest month is July with an average maximum temperature of 14°C (57°F).
July is the most wet month. This month should be avoided if you are not a big fan of rain.
January is the driest month.
https://weather-and-climate.com/average-monthly-Rainfall-Temperature-Sunshine,russell,New-Zealand
Average Weather During February In Russell (Northland), New Zealand
The average minimum temperature (usually the minimum temperature is noted during the night) in Russell in February is 15.0°C (59°F). The amount of rain in February is high with an average of 81mm (3.2in). Be prepared February is also the hottest month. This month generally has very pleasant temperatures. The average maximum temperature lies around 23.0°C (73.4°F). With a water temperature of around 19.0°C (66.2°F), this is a great month to swim. If you enjoy looking at a blue sky and like sunbathing than this month is a great period to visit Russell. It has 214 hours of sun.
So what to wear in February? Visitors traveling to Russell should plan on bringing a totally waterproof rain jacket since it will often be raining. Also bring your shorts or a skirt because it can be very nice and warm.
https://weather-and-climate.com/russell-February-averages
-Geography
Russell in Far North District (Northland) with it's 839 habitants is located in New Zealand about 418 mi (or 672 km) north of Wellington, the country's capital town.
Current time in Russell is now 04:17 PM (Wednesday). The local timezone is named Pacific / Auckland with an UTC offset of 12 hours. We know of 8 airports close to Russell, of which one is a larger airport. The closest airport in New Zealand is Kerikeri Airport in a distance of 12 mi (or 19 km), West. Besides the airports, there are other travel options available (check left side).
If you need a hotel, we compiled a list of available hotels close to the map centre further down the page.
While being here, you might want to pay a visit to some of the following locations: Whangarei, Kaitaia, Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga. To further explore this place, just scroll down and browse the available info.
https://www.tripmondo.com/new-zealand/northland/far-north-district/russell/
-Transportation
Transport in Russell is generally modern, friendly and affordable. Russell public transport options may include buses, taxis, trains, flights or ferries. Alternatively hire a rental car, motorbike or motorhome.
https://www.tourism.net.nz/region/northland/northland---bay-of-islands/russell/transport
Self Drive
If you have your own transport there are two main ways to get to Russell, depending on how much time you have and your sense of adventure.
Using GPS
Some GPS’s don’t recognise the car ferry at Opua as the direct route to Russell and may direct you via the longer (although very scenic) coastal road instead. So make sure your GPS has the latest software programme but if you are unsure and don’t want to take the coast road then set your GPS for Beechy St, Opua, which is where the ferry wharf is.
THE HIGHWAY
The most direct route is to take State Highway 1 from Auckland to Cape Reinga. About 45 minutes north of Whangarei at Kawakawa take SH11 to Opua, Paihia and Russell (via vehicle ferry). Although the road is windy, it is fully sealed and well signposted. At the top of the hill leading to Opua, turn right and head down to the vehicle ferry which operates a continuous service during the day and a reduced service at night. Bookings are not required and you pay on board. For first and last departure times, see below.
On the other side (called Okiato) keep following the main road for approximately 7km to Russell. The road is fully sealed but not recommended for walking as there are no footpaths currently, although a walkway is under construction.
THE BYWAY
For a more scenic journey, take the Old Russell road, which turns right off SH1 at Whakapara, approximately 20 minutes north of Whangarei. Following signs for Oakura, take your time and enjoy the fully sealed road as it meanders around the coast. There are plenty of beautiful beaches and places to stop for a leisurely break.
THE ‘OOP’S WE’VE MISSED THE LAST FERRY WAY
If you find yourself arriving late at night and the last ferry has gone there is a back road through the Waikare forest. The turn-off is approximately 5 minutes after Kawakawa (Opua side) and is signposted ‘Waikare’. Please note, this is a narrow, unsealed and very windy road and not recommended for overseas visitors unused to driving on New Zealand’s wilder backroads.
BY COACH
There are a number of operators who run coaches from downtown Auckland to downtown Paihia. Once in Paihia, head for the wharf, which is only 100m away from the coach terminal, and catch one of the passenger ferries to Russell.
Once in Russell, many places are only a short walk away and accommodation providers will usually collect guests from the wharf if you let them know you are coming. However the locals are friendly and will often offer a lift if they see someone weighed down with bags.
More Information on Coach Services:
NORTHLINER COACH SERVICE
Reservations:
Auckland ph 09 307 5873
Whangarei ph 09 438 3206
Paihia ph 09 402 7857 www.northliner.co.nz
GREAT SIGHTS
Reservations ph 09 583 5790
www.dolphincruises.co.nz
INTERCITY COACHLINES
Reservations ph 09 583 5780
www.intercitycoach.co.nz
KIWI EXPERIENCE SERVICES
Reservations ph 09 366 9830
www.kiwiexperience.com
Accompanied children travel free on the white and blue ferries (Waimarie and Waitere).
Three scheduled services (every 20 minutes) one unscheduled service – (2 services in winter months go every 30 mins)
There are three airports in Northland with connecting services from Auckland, New Zealand’s main international airport.
The closest airport to Russell is Kerikeri Bay of Islands, approximately 45 minutes by road and ferry. The airport at Whangarei is approximately 95 minutes by road and at Kaitaia approximately 2 hours by car.
There are a number of taxi shuttle operators who will be available to transport you from the Kerikeri airport to Russell and a local taxi company meets all scheduled flights. Rental cars are also available.
Shuttle Services:
Fernz Ecotours & Taxi
Phone: 64 403 7887
Email: info@fernzecotours.co.nz
Kororareka Backpackers
Phone: 64 9 403 8494
Email: korobp@xtra.co.nz
Air New Zealand Link
Reservations +64 9 357 300
Website: www.airnewzealand.co.nz
The Bay of Islands, with its beautiful coves and anchorages is within easy access from Russell and for centuries, Russell Kororareka has been a safe haven for people arriving by sea. Its deep-water anchorage in Kororareka Bay and sheltered bay round the corner at Matauwhi Bay provides an excellent spot for visitors and their boats.
Many visitors use Russell Kororareka as their home base as supermarkets, medical centre, pharmacy, hardware store (not to mention cafes and restaurants) are all within easy walk. In Matauwhi Bay, the Russell Boating Club provides a friendly welcome and taking out a summer membership is well worthwhile in order to use their facilities.
Russell Radio, a local volunteer radio station, provides excellent an excellent service for visiting boats, including logging trip reports, interpreting the weather reports and providing assistance for boats (whether it be for broken freezer parts, location of the nearest fuel pumps or booking hair appointments). They are entirely funded through membership fees of $50 per annum or donations, so feel free to pop in and say thanks or become a member if they have helped you out – they are at 8 Church Street. Russell Radio operates on Channel 63 from 0800 to 2000 daily, 365 days a year and broadcasts local weather reports at 0800, 0930, 1330 and 1750. The Northland Coastguard Service provides a continuous weather report on channel 21.
International arrivals
The Bay of Islands’ port of Opua is the international port of entry for the Northland region and cruising yachts should report to New Zealand Customs for customs clearance as well as Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries inspection using Channel 16 on the VHF radio. Normal paperwork (valid passport and visa) will be required.
VHF Channel 63
SSB for offshore vessels
Phone/Fax 64 9 403 7218
8 Church St, Russell
P O Box 108, Russell
Email russellradio@clear.net.nz
Cape Brett Lighthouse
Latitude: 35º 10′ South
Longditude:174º 20′ East
Northland Coastguard Weather:
VHF channel 21.
New Zealand Customs: Opua Marina
Russell Boating Club: Summer membership $25.00
Phone: 64 9 403 7222
https://russellnz.co.nz/getting-here/
Travel to NZ
Getting to New Zealand
Travel Alert: Temporary border measures in place. Learn more.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN NEW ZEALAND
You are here
Home Transport Public transport in New Zealand
Buses are the main form of public transport in New Zealand, with some areas also offering trains, ferries and trams.
Public transport between cities
Bus
Buses are the cheapest and most common form of public transport available for travelling between towns and cities. InterCity and Skip are the two main providers of this service, and fares start from around NZ$10.
Although not public transport, hop-on-hop-off buses are also a popular way to get around New Zealand, especially among backpackers. Choose your pass and make up your itinerary as you go along.
Train
Trains are not a common form of public transport in New Zealand; however, there are three main train lines operated by KiwiRail: Auckland to Wellington (Northern Explorer), Picton to Christchurch (Coastal Pacific), and Christchurch to the West Coast (the TranzAlpine - considered one fo the most scenic rail journeys in the world). Train tickets start from around NZ$49 per person.
Travel to NZ
Getting to New Zealand
Travel Alert: Temporary border measures in place. Learn more.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN NEW ZEALAND
You are here
Home Transport Public transport in New Zealand
Buses are the main form of public transport in New Zealand, with some areas also offering trains, ferries and trams.
Public transport between cities
Bus
Buses are the cheapest and most common form of public transport available for travelling between towns and cities. InterCity and Skip are the two main providers of this service, and fares start from around NZ$10.
Although not public transport, hop-on-hop-off buses are also a popular way to get around New Zealand, especially among backpackers. Choose your pass and make up your itinerary as you go along.
Train
Trains are not a common form of public transport in New Zealand; however, there are three main train lines operated by KiwiRail: Auckland to Wellington (Northern Explorer), Picton to Christchurch (Coastal Pacific), and Christchurch to the West Coast (the TranzAlpine - considered one fo the most scenic rail journeys in the world). Train tickets start from around NZ$49 per person.
Read more about public transport within Auckland, Christchurch and Queenstown.
Find & book buses
Travel over massive viaducts, river valleys and spectacular gorges as you ascend to Arthur’s Pass located in the centre of the Southern Alps.
Christchurch - Canterbury
TranzAlpine Rail Journey, Christchurch - Canterbury
By KiwiRail
Travel over massive viaducts, river valleys and spectacular gorges as you ascend to Arthur’s Pass located in the centre of the Southern Alps.
Ferry
Ferries are popular for travel between the North and South Islands. The two major providers are InterIslander and Bluebridge, and fares start at NZ$55 for foot passengers. Taking the ferry means you’ll experience the beautiful Marlborough Sounds on your way into or out of Picton.
Ferry travel is also available between the mainland and New Zealand’s offshore islands, including Waiheke, Rangitoto and Great Barrier near Auckland city, and Stewart Island just below the South Island. In some coastal areas, ferries connect towns which are closer via water than via road – including Russell and Paihia in the Bay of Islands.
Water taxis are smaller vessels which offer a scheduled service visiting the small ports which ferries can’t reach – handy for reaching out of the way hiking and mountain biking spots in places like Queen Charlotte Sounds and Abel Tasman National Park.
https://www.newzealand.com/int/public-transport-in-new-zealand/
III. Economy
Russell is now mostly a "bastion of cafés, gift shops and B&Bs". [9] Pompallier Mission, the historic printery/tannery/storehouse of the early Roman Catholic missionaries, Is the oldest surviving industrial building in New Zealand, while the town's Christ Church is the country's oldest surviving Anglican church. [12] The surrounding area also contains many expensive holiday homes, as well as New Zealand's most expensive rental accommodation, the Eagles Nest. [9] The internationally acclaimed photographer Laurence Aberhart lives here.
A car ferry across the Bay of Islands runs between Okiato and Opua, and is the main tourist access to Russell. There is a land connection, but this requires a substantial detour (the ferry route is only 2.3 kilometres, while the land route is 43.5 km.
https://wikimili.com/en/Russell,_New_Zealand
IV. Industrial Characteristics
Seafood Sampler Cruise - Russell, New Zealand
Duration: 8 hours
Price:Starting from $319.00 per person
The ultimate fishing and cruising day package.
Join the Albatross V on this taste bud teasing day cruise as we explore the natural beauty of the Bay of Islands and along the way pick up the main ingredients for our afternoon seafood sampler.
Crayfish, Snapper, Kingfish, Mussel's, Scallop's, Kina, and Oysters are just some of the ingredients that are available in our back yard, all you have to do is collect or catch them.
Our very experienced crew will help you every step of the way and will encourage you to join them free diving, fishing or snorkelling.
During our lunch break we will stop at an island paradise where a cut lunch will be served and you will have the opportunity to explore an island, paddleboard, snorkel, rope swing or jump from the boat.
After a day collecting ingredients we will put together a sampler of our catch and serve with a local wine.
Come and join us on this amazing all day trip.
The ultimate fishing and cruising day package.
Join the Albatross V on this taste bud teasing day cruise as we explore the natural beauty of the Bay of Islands and along the way pick up the main ingredients for our afternoon seafood sampler.
Crayfish, Snapper, Kingfish, Mussel's, Scallop's, Kina, and Oysters are just some of the ingredients that are available in our back yard, all you have to do is collect or catch them.
Our very experienced crew will help you every step of the way and will encourage you to join them free diving, fishing or snorkelling.
During our lunch break we will stop at an island paradise where a cut lunch will be served and you will have the opportunity to explore an island, paddleboard, snorkel, rope swing or jump from the boat.
After a day collecting ingredients we will put together a sampler of our catch and serve with a local wine.
Come and join us on this amazing all day trip.
Seafood Sampler Cruise
Kororareka known as the birthplace of a nation or the hell hole of the Pacific is where this adventure starts, departing from Russell wharf you have the chance to come aboard and experience the amazing Bay of Islands.
Departing at 9.00am, let our amazing guides take you exploring the natural beauty of this area while collecting and catching the local seafood.
From freediving collecting kina, mussel's and oysters to fishing for snapper and checking the crayfish pots to see whats in them, your day will be full of exciting activities that you can chose your level of participation.
Stopping at an Island paradise for a provided cut lunch you will have the chance to either relax or get amongst it more by swimming, snorkelling, paddleboarding or trying out the boats huge rope swing.
After lunch and island stop over we continue our way around the Bay of Islands collecting a harvest from the sea before cooking and serving it as a seafood taster on our way back to Russell.
There is complimentary muffins, lunch, seafood sampler, tea and coffee on board along with a café with a selection of café style coffee’s, hot chocolate, cold drinks, snacks and extra sumptuous muffins for you to enjoy while taking that well deserved break from reality. The awesome crew are always there to make sure you are well looked after and have the time of your life.
At the conclusion of your trip make sure you ask your crew for the local secrets of the area and where to find the best food, sights, and other experiences as they are always willing to share their insider knowledge.
Departs Russell daily 9.00am - Returns 5.00pm
http://www.nz.com/new-zealand/activities/russell/seafood-sampler-cruise.aspx
V. Attractions
Oke Bay
It’s a bit of a drive (30km) and a short steep walk down to the beach, but worth the effort. There’s not a lot of beach when the tide is high so time your visit accordingly.
Christ Church
English naturalist Charles Darwin made a donation towards the cost of building this, the country’s oldest surviving church (1836). The graveyard’s biggest memorial commemorates Tamati Waka Nene.
Flagstaff Hill
Overlooking Russell, this is the hill where Hone Heke chopped down the British flagpole four times. You can drive up, but the epic view over Russell and the harbor rewards a good 1.6km climb.
Omata Estate
With a growing reputation for red wines-especially its old-growth syrah – Omata Estate is one of Northland’s finest wineries. To complement the tastings and sea views, pizzas and shared platters are available.
Long Beach
About 1.5km behind Russell (an easy walk or cycle) is this placid, child-friendly beach. Turn left (facing the sea) to visit Donkey Bay, a small cove that is an unofficial nudist beach.
Tapeka Point
North of Russell, on the other side of Maiki hill, Tapeka Rd heads down to a sandy beach in the shadow of a craggy headland.
Russell Museum
This small museum has a well-presented Maori section, a large 1:5 scale model of Captain Cook’s Endeavour, a 10-minute video on the town’s history.
VI. History and Culture
Russell/Kororareka’s colourful and varied past makes it unique in New Zealand. The sea runs through its history from Maori waka to whaler, coastal steamer to game fish launch, yacht to tour boat.
Artwork on the outside rear wall of Russell Museum by local artist Helen Pick depicts three eras of Russell’s history. Images show pre-European arrival by canoes, the coming of the whalers and the vessels that brought Europeans to these shores.
Despite good road access the peninsula still has an island quality and a sense that history and heritage are treasured. It is a community that welcomes visitors and new residents but keeps its village flavour.
The settlement, nestled between green headlands, shows signs of its past in street names and building styles. The wharf, built originally in 1879 is still the main route into the town. Before road access was put through in the 1930s visiting steamers tied up here as they brought supplies and travellers.
Buildings line the waterfront still – many historic like the Duke of Marlborough hotel (the 4th on the site) and the Victorian Gothic Customhouse (now our police station).
At the south end of the waterfront sits Pompallier House, site of the first Roman Catholic Mission to New Zealand. Established in 1842 it is now restored to its original French Lyonnaise style, the only one of its type in the country. Leather making, printing and bookbinding can be seen once again.
One street inland Pompallier’s “rival” the Anglican Christ Church is the oldest existing church in New Zealand and has also been restored – except for the musket ball holes in the old weatherboards, visible reminder of the fierce fighting near the church during the 1845 Battle of Kororareka.
Above the town on Maiki (the high place) Hill stands a flagstaff, originally the symbol of British authority and cause of conflict between Maori and the British which led to 1845’s battle. It flies New Zealand’s original flag twelve days a year.
Settlement has spread during the twentieth century to the outskirts of the town – Long beach/Oneroa, Matauwhi, Tapeka, Te Wahapu but on headlands, in valleys and on the coast evidence still exists of earlier Maori occupation.
-PRE-EUROPEAN HISTORY
Before Europeans arrived in New Zealand Russell was known by its Maori name, Kororareka. It was just one of many small settlements in Pewhairangi/Bay of Islands region whose numbers increased seasonally as inland Maori came to the coast to fish. The region covered not only the bay but also areas inland including Kerikeri, Waimate, Kaikohe and Kawakawa.
KORORAREKA
Legend has it that Kororareka is named after a broth made from the little blue penguin which was given to a Maori chief wounded in battle. He was believed to have said “Ka reka te korora – how sweet is penguin”, leading to the town’s name. Today, little blue penguins still come ashore after dark on the beach at Russell/Kororareka to nest under the floorboards of waterfront buildings.
Originally home to the Ngare Raumati iwi (tribe), it is now also home to Ngapuhi, the largest iwi in New Zealand. who had originally arrived in voyaging waka about a thousand years ago. In the 1800’s the iwi expanded eastwards from their Taiamai base pushing out the older tribe.
The earliest European explorers visiting the Bay spoke of a well-populated area, with extensive gardens and people willing to trade and interested in the visitors. (We still are!).
James Cook anchored off Motuarohia Island, just off the Russell peninsula in November 1769. He sent his boats to visit some of the islands and bays, finding “several little plantations planted with potatoes and yams” and people willing to trade “quantities of various sorts of fish which we purchased off them”. He noted villages and kumera gardens. “The place of the country appears green and pleasant” and the soil “pretty rich and proper for cultivation”. His overall impression of the Maori people of the Bay was that they were “far more numerous than at any other place we have yet been in and seem to live in friendship with one another”.
The French explorer Dumont d’Urville on his first visit in the 1820s records the beginnings of European contact and influence, with Maori involved in providing supplies for visiting shipping – fish, greens, pork, kumera and fresh water.
By this stage the Maori settlement of Kororareka was attracting increasing numbers of Europeans. Pa (fortified place) and kainga (village) were being replaced by grogshop and trading post.
“A noble anchorage” was James Cook’s description of Kororareka. Tucked behind sheltering headlands and with good, deep water off shore it was ideal for visiting shipping. Pacific whalers needing a base to pick up supplies, to get repairs done, and to give their men time ashore started visiting from the early 1800s and kept visiting for nearly a hundred years. At first it was English vessels which came; often convict carriers ex-Australia which now empty and needing a return cargo went whaling. American vessels quickly followed in such numbers that an American consul was appointed for a time to offer assistance to whalers if needed.
LIVING HISTORY
Around the town, there are a number of artefacts dating from the town’s whaling history.
Whangamumu Harbour provides evidence of the area’s earlier whaling history with the remains of an old whaling station. It is accessible by a Department of Conservation track. Whaling continued until the 1950s but is now outlawed.
Whalers were not the only Europeans. A visiting English artist Augustus Earle recorded seeing a group of tradesmen, “a respectable body of Scotch mechanics…here is heard daily the sound of the sawpit, while piles of neat white planks appear arranged on the beach”.
Other visitors were more transient: escaped convicts from Australia or deserting sailors (a whaling ship was not the most pleasant work place) helped Kororareka develop a nickname Hellhole of the Pacific. When the whaling ships were in port and crews loose on shore leave grogshops and brothels did a roaring trade and life on the waterfront was rough, rowdy and sometimes violent.
The importance to Maori of trade with visiting shipping is illustrated by the Girls War of 1830 in which two favourites of a whaling captain from different tribal groups got into an argument. The conflict spread and Kororareka beachfront soon erupted into a battle between two large groups. At the heart of the conflict was not any slight to the girls but the wish for one group to dominate the trade with visiting shipping. The missionaries who came over from Paihia were powerless to avert hostilities.
Law and order in the settlement was largely non-existent despite a local vigilante group and the appointment of a British resident at Waitangi so responsible settlers at Kororareka decided to sign a petition to the British king William IV asking for the benefit of British government.
TREATY ONWARDS
Petitioned by the Europeans in the fledgling colony the British government eventually agreed to declare New Zealand a British possession. Captain Hobson, the first governor announced the decision in proclamations read in Christ Church Kororareka and on 6th February 1840 the founding document of New Zealand as a nation, The Treaty of Waitangi between Maori and the British Crown, was signed at Waitangi.
WAITANGI TREATY GROUNDS
The Treaty Grounds at Waitangi are a ferry ride and short walk from Russell. More information about the Treaty Grounds can be found at http://www.waitangi.net.nz/
Treaty information
For more information about the Treaty of Waitangi visit www.treatyofwaitangi.govt.nz
Law and order
The historic Police Station in Russell started as the Customs House built in 1870 from a Gothic design by W.H Clayton, the first Colonial Architect to New Zealand but as visits from whalers became fewer a small office on the wharf was sufficient. The Police Department agreed to take over the building to provide Russell with a Police Station.
The new colony now needed a capital but Kororareka was considered unsuitable partly because of its unsavoury reputation. Instead the capital was established up harbour at Okiato and called Russell. But even Okiato’s tenure as capital was short lived and the administration was moved to Auckland.
As a result much of the shipping started bypassing the Bay. Early land sales were investigated so land values fell. Local Maori were unhappy with the imposition of harbour dues, their loss of power and authority, and the economic downtown. A local chief Hone Heke led a faction to express their discontent by cutting down the flagstaff and the British Union Jack on Maiki hill above the town. The flagstaff was restored but cut down again three more times, the last on the 11 march 1845 involving another chief Kawiti and local hapu Kapotai in a three pronged attack on the town. The Battle of Korareka was won by Maori (helped by the accidental explosion of the town’s ammunition store) who sacked and burnt the town sparing only Christ Church, Pompallier and a few buildings at the south end of the beach. The settlers evacuated and fled to Auckland and it was years before any settlers returned.
Now included under the name of Russell the town was rebuilt and continued to serve shipping. Manganese mining at nearby Tikitikioure, a fish canning factory, and coal mining at Kawakawa brought steady prosperity.
From the 1920s Russell was discovered as an idyllic unspoilt place for holidays or retirement. The town’s reputation was given a huge boost when American game fisherman and writer Zane Grey visited and praised the Bay’s game fishing, leading to the town developing as a base for deep-sea game fishing.
In the 1930’s a road was finally put through (now the Old Russell Road via the coast) which opened the town and peninsula up to tourism, fishing, oyster farming and the cottage industries which now provide employment. Visitors enjoy the Russell lifestyle all year round. It’s not just a place; it’s a state of mind.
https://russellnz.co.nz/old-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 Heke and Kawiti, two powerful Maori chiefs.
Following the sacking, Kororareka, now renamed Russell, was gradually rebuilt finding its main source of income in the provisioning and refitting of whaling ships. Later manganese mining, fish canning and coal brought quiet prosperity to the area.
From the early 1900s Russell became known as a quiet historic town. Other attractions that brought visitors were the annual regatta and the development of big gamefishing, promoted with enthusiasm by the American writer, Zane Grey.
Today, tourism, fishing, oyster farming and cottage industries provide much of the employment for its population of 1000 people.
https://www.bay-of-islands.co.nz/history/russell-history/
This charming town is the perfect base for exploring the Bay of Islands.
Russell holds an important place in New Zealand's history, being the country's first sea port, its first European settlement and New Zealand's first capital in nearby Okiato. The town's streets retain their original layout and names from 1843, and many of its historic buildings can still be visited today. New Zealand's first licensed hotel, bar and restaurant, The Duke of Marlborough is located on the waterfront in the historic village of Russell.
Russell was once known as ‘The hellhole of the Pacific’ because it was a shore leave destination for sailors, whalers and traders during the 19th century. Today the atmosphere is much more savoury - Russell is a popular a holiday town, with plenty of shops, restaurants and accommodation to suit the whole family.
At the wharf you can catch a game fishing boat to hunt for marlin, tuna, broad bill and sharks. Nearby Long Beach is a nice place for a swim. Many of the Bay of Islands daily cruises also use Russell as a departure point out to the Bay of Islands.
A stroll around the streets will lead you to the Catholic Mission ‘Pompallier’, which is New Zealand’s oldest surviving Roman Catholic building. Built in 1841-42, under the direction of architect Louis Perret, it was used as a printery, tannery and storehouse for the French Marist mission. Pompallier has undergone extensive award-winning conservation work and is now a working museum where past methods of tanning, printing and bookbinding can be appreciated.
Another building to admire is Christ Church, the oldest existing church in New Zealand, which still carries musket ball holes from the New Zealand Land Wars.
Russell is accessible by road, but the easiest way to visit is to catch a vehicle ferry from Opua (5 minutes), or passenger ferry from Paihia, which takes around 15 minutes.
https://www.newzealand.com/au/russell/
VII. Contact Information
Mayor: John Carter
Chief Executive: Shaun Clarke
Phone: 0800 920 029
Email: ask.us@fndc.govt.nz
Street address:5 Memorial Avenue Kaikohe 0440 New Zealand
Postal address: Private Bag 752 Kaikohe 0440 New Zealand
https://www.govt.nz/organisations/far-north-district-council/