We arrived late into Paihia and stopped for dinner at the Pizza Shack, a waterfront pizza place downtown. Paihia is a gorgeous spot, a beachy town with a happenin’ strip.
The campsite was smaller and neater than the previous one without the vibrant social scene but most of our time was spent outside of the campgrounds. It was charming with a lovely herb garden for campers to use, an outdoor kitchen, a cafe with good flat whites, and as Ben pointed out to me, “mom, there’s free hot water.” It’s nice to appreciate the little things.
At the Campgrounds
On our first full day in the Bay of Islands we took a ferry from Paihia to Russell. This now quaint seaside town was once a haven for whalers, grog sellers, & ex-convicts earning it the nickname Hell Hole of the Pacific. We ate lunch on the harbor and took a long walk up a zigzag walkway to the peak and had a fantastic view of the islands.
We found another zig zaggy path down to a gorgeous beach surrounded by pitons that made a cozy cove. After a splash Paula and I spent time in the tide pools and found sea urchin skeletons and starfish. A more direct route back took us through a path of wild clematis and impatiens.
When we were back in town the kids got an ice cream. Well deserved after all that walking, and I treated myself to my first souvenir, a cool surfscape painted on wood from a local woodworker.
Russell
We took the ferry back to Paihia and returned to camp via the Countdown Grocery (we even have a loyalty coupon card) for provisions. After a kayak we bbq’ed and utilized the FREE hot water for showers. The kiddos performed a circus for us in the playground. The best part was watching the other kids’ reactions as Paula very dramatically dived off the high dive into a bucket, Luke walked the tight rope, and Ben even offered some time as the strong man. Luke regaled us with songs from preschool- Little Johnny Brown and Suzy works with One Hand. There’s a future as a Wiggle for him.
After they went to bed Harry and I enjoyed a beer and planned out the next few days. As a side note the weather has been perfect everyday. 75 and sunny.
In the morning we prepped to move – washing dishes, doing laundry and general campervan maintenance. We’re getting into the groove. We can disassemble the beds, do laundry, refill the water tank and empty the waste in record time. I’ve been letting Harry take care of the waste. He’s quite good at it, and I hate to deny him that pleasure.
Once that was all completed, we drove down the road to the Waitingi Treaty grounds. The location of the Maori/British treaty signed in 1840. The Treaty, like the UK/NZ relationship seems complicated and confusing. The Maori may have needed a few more lawyers to review it. You know how those British Imperialists could be.
We explored the home of the first British residents, the Busby fam, the Carved Meeting House, the war canoe, which required 76 paddlers, and the cafe of course. We brake for baked goods and flat whites.
From here we had a quick and basic lunch in the van (file this under campervan pros) and headed to a boat for a tour of the islands, out to Hole in the Rock, and a stopover at a beach. Ben will fill you in on these details.
When we were back on land we drove 1.5 hrs to Rawene for our next site. to be continued…
Waitingi Treaty Grounds
