Today, the laid-back seaside town of Russell is an idyllic retreat. This Bay of Islands destination in New Zealand is charming and relaxing. As we ticked off the things to do in Russell, we discovered its sordid past.
Russell’s Māori name, Kororāreka, means “how sweet is the penguin” and today, little blue penguin sightings are common out in the bay. In addition, Russell has a few claims to fame:
- It is New Zealand’s first permanent European settlement
- Russell boasts the country’s first colonial capital (nearby Okiato)
- It holds the country’s first licenced hotel and bar
- Is a former whaling station
- Home to NZ’s oldest church
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interesting history of Russell NZ
A seaside location and whaling shore station, it rapidly developed a swashbuckling reputation. Drunken men and loose women earned Russell the moniker ‘Hell Hole of the Pacific‘.
Next came the missionaries intending to bring religion to this new land. In Russell, they had their work cut out for them. Christ Church was established in 1836 and is New Zealand’s oldest church.
The Treaty of Waitangi established New Zealand as a nation under British protection in 1840. Russell became the country’s first colonial capital city. The largest marker in the graveyard outside of Christ Church marks the grave for Tamati Waka Nene, a high-ranking Māori chief who was largely responsible for the acceptance of the Treaty of Waitangi by the Māori people.
While today, the church is open to the public, entrance donation is on the honour system. The requested donation was only a gold coin ($1-$2) on our last visit. Weekly worship is held every Sunday at 10.30 am and is also open to the public.
Conflict and musket holes in Russell’s old church
Throughout the mid-nineteenth century, there were many conflicts in New Zealand between the European settlers and the Māori people. The first of these was the Battle of Kororāreka in 1845.
Interestingly, you can still see musket holes in the walls of the church from this battle. Although, at first glance, the musket holes are not very noticeable.
On closer inspection, I could spot two musket holes in Christ Church in the third and seventh panels from the bottom in my photos.
Duke of Marlborough Hotel
If you can work it out and the weather permits, save time for a meal, a coffee, or just a relaxing glass of wine at sunset from the Duke of Marlborough Hotel verandah. Established in 1827, it’s the first licensed hotel in New Zealand.
The sign out front reads, “The Duke of Marlborough has provided hospitality to travellers and fishermen since the infamous days when Russell was a whaling port.”
Better still, take in some real history of Russell and spend a night or two. It’s a 19th-century hotel complete with modern facilities and a traditional twist. It’s a four-star accommodation with waterfront views from the restaurant and many of the rooms.
One visit and you will understand why it won a 2019 People’s Choice award for Excellence from Hospitality New Zealand. Book your stay at the Duke of Marlborough Hotel here
A Sewing Machine in a Tree?
Duke of Marlborough’s restaurant is well known for its creative fare, over 100 different wines, and 30 beers, but the real fun is brought to life by its friendly staff. On our last visit, our server told a story of a hotel fire some 170 years ago. As the hotel burned, someone tried to save a big heavy sewing machine by tossing it out the window.
As the story goes, the sewing machine landed in the tree outside, which is where it stayed. The tree grew around it, and today, if you look closely, you can see little bits of the metal.
Russell was an early whaling station
A visit to the Russell Museum will highlight the local Māori history as well as the lawless days of the early 1800s when the first American and European whaling ships arrived in New Zealand. Even if it’s closed, stop by for some of the always-available outdoor exhibits.
According to the Department of Conservation, today “New Zealand plays a leading role in the management and protection of the world’s whales and is a recognised world leader in marine mammal protection.”
The Hell Hole of the Pacific . . . Today
Visitors to Russell today are spoilt for choice. From cafes to long walks, there is plenty to do in Russell. Although, sometimes, we just like to walk the streets and enjoy the colonial charm. Here are some of the highlights, several being obvious from the above text.
Historic things to do in Russell
- Visit Christ Church, and take time to look for the musket holes and to walk through the small graveyard.
- Explore the Russell Museum and the surrounding grounds.
- Discover Haratu – the Māori Museum.
- Take a tour of Pompallier Mission and Printery. It’s NZ’s oldest Roman Catholic Building and the place where Catholic missionaries translated their religious texts into Māori, printing over 40,000 books here.
Relaxing things to do in Russell
- Have a coffee or a wine at the Duke of Marlborough Hotel while enjoying the waterfront view.
- Enjoy a wine tasting at Omata Estate Vineyard and Kitchen.
- Spend time at the beach and have a swim or build a look for shells.
- Search for marine mammals on a 50ft catamaran with a Wildlife Cruise (use this link to check for discounts).
Note: swimming with dolphins is not permitted in the Bay of Islands. - Have a meal at the Gables, a restaurant in a building from 1847 with an unusual history, having been a bakery, bordello, and shelter for AWOL sailors.
Active things to do in Russell
- Climb or drive up Maiki Hill (Flagstaff Hill) for fabulous views. It was built to commemorate the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.
- Take a fast boat out to the famous Hole in the Rock at Cape Brett on Explore’s Ocean Adventure . A highlight of our last visit, we featured it prominently in the video above. You can start this adventure from Paihia or Russell. Check here for discounts on your Explore Ocean Adventure
- Take the Russell ferry across the bay to Paihia and the rest of the Bay of Islands for the day and enjoy the beach, hiking, waterfalls, watersports, craft shopping, and the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, the birthplace of New Zealand.
Photo Credit: itravelNZ License (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Russell
There are three ways to get to Russell. The most direct, and therefore most popular, involve a ferry, either a passenger ferry from Paihia or a vehicle ferry from Opua. There is also a windy backroad driving option.
Russell is a small community and easy to get around on foot, and if you are happy to walk, we find the 15-minute passenger ferry to be quite convenient. In fact, we often stay in Paihia and take a day trip to Russell.
Note: The walk to Flagstaff Hill from the Russell ferry terminal will take about 15 minutes, and it is uphill at the end.
If you prefer having a car in Russell, the vehicle ferry runs very regularly from Opua. Take Highway 1 to Kawakawa (north of Whangarei and south of Paihia). In Kawakawa, follow the signposts, which will have you turn towards the ocean onto SH11. You don’t need to book in advance; you pay once on the ferry.
Note: You will be on a sealed but windy road to Opua.
To drive directly, turn onto Old Russell Road in Whakapara from SH1.
Where to stay in Russell
If you don’t want to stay at the Duke of Marlborough or if it’s full, there are plenty of other great choices. Here are our top picks:
- Duke of Marlborough (see above for details) Reserve your room at the Duke of Marlborough here.
- Arcadia Lodge offers deluxe rooms and suites, many with sea views. It’s an 8-minute walk to town, so an okay option without a vehicle if you don’t have too much luggage initially. Reserve your stay at Arcadia Lodge here.
- Eagles Nest is just outside Russel and the ideal place to go for some five-star private luxury. Villas include champagne on arrival and gourmet breakfast provisions. Reserve your stay at Eagles Nest here.
More about Russell, Bay of Islands
- The Bay of Islands is located about 225 kilometres north of Auckland along the Pacific coast. It is an enclave containing 144 islands.
- We often make the Bay of Islands the first overnight stop when we are road-tripping from Auckland to Cape Reinga.
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Which of these things to do in Russell will you do first?
For more on New Zealand, start here: New Zealand Road Trips: Itineraries for North or South Island Adventures, or you might like …
Joe Biki
We will be visiting Russell for a 2-week stay after seeing it on a cruise, and saw the ferry that went there. When we went there, we found it just beautiful indeed. How ironic that the name of The Gables Restaurant turned out to be the same name where we had our wedding reception. The oysters were fabulous, can’t wait to get back there.
Devesh
I really like the look of Russell, especially that old hotel with sunset views.
Cosette
Sounds like a beautiful part of New Zealand. The history behind the church is interesting.
Lisa
What a lovely place. The church looks delightful with its wood panelling and the hotel too. Love the story about the sewing machine!
Paul Pietrangelo
This is a place I would love to visit Rhonda. It’s relaxful and quaint. It’s like a place along Lake Erie called Port Stanley. It was right off the water. It had the Port Stanley Terminal Rail straight to St. Thomas (city) and back. The place we staid was Kettle Creek Inn .
Just 3 minutes’ drive from Kettle Creek Golf & Country Club, this guest accommodation features on-site dining. All rooms are equipped with a fridge.
Each elegant room at Kettle Creek Inn offers the convenience of cable TV and a DVD player. Guests staying in a suite can cozy up by a fireplace or relax in a spa bath.
Breakfast is served daily at Kettle Creek Inn Port Stanley. Featuring local ingredients, lunch and dinner are also available. Guests can dine in the English Pub, by the fireplace in the parlour or in a dining room.
Port Stanley Festival Theatre is just 2 minutes’ walk away. Quai Du Vin Estate Winery is about 15 km away.
Mary Lou & I loved this place.
Have a great Tuesday my friend.
Cruisin Paul
Nancy
Fascinating photos, fascinating history.
Liz Needle
A very interesting and informative post about a very beautiful part of New Zealand. On my to do list next time I visit new Zealand.
Sophie
I visited Russell and the Bay of Islands about 5 years ago and loved it. I had no idea about some of this history though or that is was known as the “hell hole of the Pacific”. the story of the sewing machine is funny too, though I definitely can’t see it in the picture! It was really lovely being reminded of this place and learning a bit more about it. I really want to go back now!
Alan B Bates
Interesting background. Many parallels to where I live in Oklahoma where relations between the white Europeans and Native Americans were strained to the breaking point several times.
nadia
Wow what a great insight into Russell, Bay of Islands. We never had a chance to visit, but saved this post for our future itinerary!
Olivia
How cool! I love learning about the history of a place. I still haven’t made it to New Zealand, but Russell Bay definitely sounds like it’s worth visiting.
Camille
Thanks for sharing this. Russell looks fabulous. Hopefully, we can go there soon.
Megan
I love visiting Russel – it is so like stepping back in time. And there’s no better way to get there than the little ferry from Paihia.
Ryan K Biddulph
What a neat shift, Rhonda.
I always love these towns experiencing a rebirth. From people to places, our past never defines our present. Although this sounds like a Mos Eisley type town back in the day worth a quick visit, just to spot some interesting sights, before traveling through.
Anda
Russel Bay is indeed very peaceful with a very rich history. I loved the story with the sewing machine that ended up in the tree because of the fire. What puzzles me is that the person who wanted to save the sewing machine didn’t get through the trouble of getting it off the tree afterwards, lol! Great photos, like always!
Sue Reddel
We so want to visit New Zealand. There are so many wonders to discover there. The church definitely has an interesting and sordid past indeed!
Lyn aka The Travelling Lindfields
The Bay of Islands was the first place we ever visited in New Zealand. It is a lovely area. One day we hope to get back there.
John Morris
I’m planning to take my first trip to New Zealand next month, and old churches are right up my alley. Shame it’s not a Catholic Church, but I won’t resurrect the Reformation here. :p Thanks for sharing and alerting me to this historic treasure!
mags
I love exploring things like this when I’m traveling. It’s so important to experience the history of a place to really get in touch with the culture.
Lauren Bonheim
I didn’t know about this church or the story behind it, so thanks for sharing! Really interesting read! And I can’t believe there are still holes from bullets in the sides of the church! Pretty wild!
Vanessa
What lovely stained glass in the windows by the church alter! I love small country churches – no matter where they are in the world. They really are the keepers of so much incredible history and genealogy.
Kim-Ling
What an interesting history! The photos are lovely and I can’t believe there are still musket holes in the exterior! Amazing!
Megan Jerrard
1836, wow! How much history that one building would have seen is fascinating!! Wonderful that it’s still being used for worship to this day 🙂
Arzo Travels
Never been to NZ at all but one day hopefully. It looks so extremely peaceful – and though I am not religious I always enjoy visiting religious places.
Corinne
Rhonda. I love anything with a somewhat sordid history. Great story. It is now firmly planted on my list.
Anda
Although ‘old’ is not so old in New Zealand, this church has a very archaic atmosphere. I guess it must be those tomb stones that create that feeling.
Natalia
Interesting history of this church. I like visiting religious places in different parts of the world for their architecture and interiors. If I visit New Zealand some day, I would like to add Russel to my itinerary. Thank you for sharing your experience!
Chrysoula
Great post, this church has an amazing history. I love your photos.
Erika Bisbocci
A cute little church with an interesting history! It seems like the little church survived quite well during the battle between the Maori and the British. I’ve never heard of the Bay of Islands, but I’ll look into going there during my (hopefully soon) visit to New Zealand!
Allison
That is a charming church. I love discovering quaint churches and someday, I think I’d like to see it in person.
stevebethere
I enjoyed that it was interesting and loved the photos too, I also didn’t know the difference between called a graveyard and a cemetery.
Have a musketholetastic day Rhonda 🙂
Deb
I have been to Russel a few times, but I have never seen this church.
Lovely photos!
Lyn
Lovely little church and great story you have shared. We spent time wandering through a gravesite in Wellington, but never knew about this dear little church when we were in Auckland.
Travelera
Nice photos of a little church that holds very interesting history
Have a lovely weekend Rhonda
Jeanna
I thought Hellhole of the Pacific sounded familiar and I didn’t know if it was something like the Battle of Midway or an Xbox title, but it seems as if it’s pretty famous. You really are finding great stuff around you.
Jeanna
I thought you were talking about Vegas for a minute there, haha. Love the photos and history, very fitting for our fall and sadly because I just finished watching “Spotlight” and noticed how often Australia appeared in the wrap up info.
Jackie
What a beauty! I’ve been to New Zealand but we didn’t spend enough time.
Trekking with Becky
I love how you can see the musket holes. It reminded me of how you can still see the carnage of the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. They’re great reminders.
Suze - Luxury Columnist
It’s nice to know that the church is still used by the local community. Its history is fascinating
budget jan
I loved the simple interior of the church. It gives off such a peaceful vibe.
Ahila
Nice to learn of the history of Russell as the first colonial city of NZ. Enjoying your historical trail route in the north island.
Paula McInerney
I had recently read about Russell and its colourful past. Nice church
Kathe W.
Hah! Now we really need to visit….my husbands name is Russell!
Bill Kasman
Visiting New Zealand is definitely on my ‘to-do’ list and this article was an interesting insight into some NZ history.
Comedy Plus
I would love to visit this church. Very beautiful.
Have a great day. 🙂
Alex J. Cavanaugh
Nothing is sacred when it comes to war.
Kind of glad I don’t have to go through a graveyard to get to my church though.
Tara
Wow! The church looks pretty good, considering what it’s been through, and I would love to take a walk around that old cemetery.
Juergen
It looks like Christ Church survived fairly well for a wooden building. I’m always astonished how often our travels draw us to churches – although we not religious. Churches played an important role in early settlers’ life and thus are often telling interesting stories about a destination. #wkendtravelinspiration
Mary {The World Is A Book}
I love old churches and their architecture. I enjoyed the colorful history behind this one. Glad to see they’re still using it for worship.
Lexa Cain
What an adorable church, little picket fence and all! There are a bunch of churches that look just like this in the Northeast of the US. Most of them don’t have cemeteries on the grounds though. US people tend to put their cemeteries somewhere else.
Nano
What a beautiful place, and the history behind it makes it even more incredible. xoxo, nano
Lydia C. Lee
Wow! That is interesting!…obviously someone didn’t believe the church should be a safe haven back then…
Kathy Marris
Yes I have been to Russell and walked in the grounds of this old church but didn’t go inside. I loved the north of New Zealand. I spent a week exploring this area. There is so much beauty in this part of NZ. 🙂
Joyce Lansky
Great photos. A few years ago, I learned an interesting fact about the difference between a cemetery and a grave yard. If the graves are on church property, it’s a grave yard. If no church is present, it’s a cemetery. And to think, I always thought they were the same thing. I guess one day I’m headed to a cemetery. ;p