Crazy Duck Adventures: Bay of Beauty

Scott had most of this week off (man, we're going to miss this lifestyle when we get back to the real world), so we stole away for a few days to the Bay of Islands. This was quite possibly our last big road trip before we head home in a couple of weeks, and we were excited to finally get to this area of New Zealand..it's been on our hit list of places to go since we got here. We weren't disappointed - it is a stunningly beautiful part of the north island (picture 150 undeveloped islands dotted in crystal clear waters), and chalk full of historical significance as the part of NZ where polynesian and european settlers first arrived.

On the car ferry to Russell

We stayed in the lovely bayside town of Russell, population 1140. This is the birthplace of colonization in NZ, and it retains much of it's yester-year charm. We stayed in a small motel on the water and it was the perfect location...a stone's throw to the beach, shops and restaurants. We spent the first day exploring the town, including the first church in New Zealand (1836) where you can still see holes in the wall caused by musket and cannon balls from a battle between settlers and Maori in 1845. We also did a guided tour of the Pompallier (1842) - a tannery and print shop where Catholic missionaries printed an incredible number of books for the Maori population.

Strolling on the"The Strand" in Russell

Scott checking out the first printing press in the southern hemisphere at Pompallier

The next day, we took a boat tour to explore the bay and some of the islands. Shortly after we left, we were lucky and spotted a pod of dolphins frolicking in the bay. We stopped for several minutes to watch their performances. Georgie loved every second, squealing each time they jumped and splashed. Next up was a trip to the Hole in the Rock (pretty much self explanatory) - an interesting rock formation that was pretty neat to cruise through on the boat.

Token family self-portrait on the boat cruise

Dolphins...check!

Hole in the Rock

It was time to head back to Auckland on Thursday, but not before a quick stop in Paihia...a pretty cheesy touristy town not far from Russell. We did a small hike in a Kiwi (the elusive native bird we have yet to spot) inhabited region, and enjoyed a waterfall viewing at Haruru Falls. We had a rainy, but otherwise uneventful drive back to Auckland later that day. Now getting ready for Christmas (despite everyone being in full summer mode here) and are looking forward to the Musselman-Bells arriving on the weekend!