Russell, Bay of Islands

After our long drive yesterday Stuart and I were inclined to stay local around the town of Russell, located in the Bay of Islands. We strolled into town in the late morning to view the quaint buildings and shops of New Zealand's oldest continually habited european settlement. In the settlements early years of trade it became a place of ill repute and was known as the 'Hell Hole of the Pacific' - a place comparable with well known Tortuga. Today however is a charming small village with old european style housing and a beautiful beach promenade filled with bustling restaurants and flowering pohutukawa trees. Just outside the village is the historic flagstaff hill, overlooking the town and the bay. The hill has an amusing tale of a war between the British and the Maori. The British upon claiming the hill erected a flagpole which got repeatedly cut down no less than five times in secret raids on the hill by the disapproving Maori, before an agreement and peace was reached a year later. 

We took a quick stop at Long Beach to see what the local beach offered before having lunch on the beach front at one of the delightful restaurants of the Russel promenade.