More Bay of Islands

This morning, I took a ferry to the town of Russell. In the early 1800’s, it was a port of call for Whaling ships on their way back from the Great Southern Ocean. It was also a haven for convicts, derelicts and all manner of social deviants. It was known as the Hell Hole of the Pacific. Unfortunately for all those scalawags, real estate prices rose and priced them right out of the market. Now it’s a quaint gentrified tourist town with lots of expensive vacation homes. Where did all those disreputable rapscallions go? They are probably still here posing as real estate agents. Har!

From Paihia I traveled a fairly short distance today and am camping near the town of Kerikeri. I’ll have to take a picture of the sign at the edge of town and sent it to my friend Kerri to show her that they misspelled her name not once, but twice!

This is the mainland side from the town of Paihia where the ferry to Russell departs:



This is the Russell Strand looking back toward Paihia. What is a “Strand” you ask? Well as near as I can tell, it’s what you name “Front Street” if you want to jack up the prices.


This is Long Beach on the outside of Russell. Truth be told, it’s not really that long:


I’ve always wondered where the Duffus’ of the world went to retire. Now I Know:


Nice clouds on the Ferry ride back to Paihia:


This is the little river that runs just below my campsite here in Kerikeri: