Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Getting There & Away
The quickest way to reach Russell by car is via the car ferry (car/motorcycle/passenger
$11/5.50/1), which runs every 10 minutes from Opua (5km from Paihia) to Okiato (8km
from Russell), between 6.40am and 10pm. Buy your tickets on board. If you're travelling
from the south, a scenic alternative is Russell Rd.
On foot, the easiest way to reach Russell is on a passenger ferry from Paihia (adult/
child one way $7/3, return $12/6). They run from 7am to 7pm (until 10pm October to
May), generally every 20 minutes but hourly in the evenings. Buy your tickets on board or
at the i-SITE (
Click here
)
in Paihia.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Paihia & Waitangi
POP 1800
The birthplace of NZ (as opposed to Aotearoa), Waitangi inhabits a special, somewhat
complex place in the national psyche - aptly demonstrated by the mixture of celebration,
commemoration, protest and apathy that accompanies the nation's birthday (Waitangi
Day, 6 February).
It was here that the long-neglected and much-contested Treaty of Waitangi was first
signed between Maori chiefs and the British Crown, establishing British sovereignty or
something a bit like it, depending on whether you're reading the English or Maori version
of the document. If you're interested in coming to grips with NZ's history and race rela-
tions, this is the place to start.
Joined to Waitangi by a bridge, Paihia would be a fairly nondescript coastal town if it
wasn't the main entry point to the Bay of Islands. If you're not on a tight budget, catch a
ferry to Russell, which is far nicer.
There are some good walks in the area, including an easy 5km track that follows the
coast from Opua to Paihia.
