Mark Read
The Bay of Islands ranks as one of NZ’s top summertime destinations. Lingering shots of its turquoise waters and 150 undeveloped islands feature heavily in the country's tourist promotions. Most of the action here is out on the water, whether that be yachting, big-game fishing, kayaking, diving or cruising around in the company of whales and dolphins.
It's also a place of enormous historical significance. Māori knew it as Pēwhairangi and settled here early in their migrations. As the site of NZ’s first permanent British settlement (at Russell), it is the birthplace of European colonisation in the country. It was here that the Treaty of Waitangi was drawn up and first signed in 1840; the treaty remains the linchpin of race relations in NZ today.
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Bay of Islands.
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Occupying a headland draped in lawns and bush, this is NZ's most significant historic site. Here, on 6 February 1840, after much discussion, the first 43 Māori chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi with the British Crown; eventually, over 500 chiefs would sign it. Admission incorporates a guided tour and a spirited cultural performance, and entry to the Museum of Waitangi, the Whare Rūnanga (Carved Meeting House) and the historic Treaty House.
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Two of the nation's most significant buildings nestle side by side on the banks of Kerikeri Basin. Start at the Stone Store, NZ's oldest stone building (1836). Upstairs there's an interesting little museum, while downstairs the shop sells Kiwiana gifts as well as the type of wood and leather goods that used to be stocked here in the 19th century. Tours of neighbouring Kemp House depart from here. Built by the missionaries in 1822, this humble yet pretty wooden Georgian-style house is NZ's oldest building.
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For 10 days in January 1846, 1600 British troops bombarded 500 Māori warriors hunkered down in a pā (fortress) composed of trenches, tunnels and wooden palisades on this lonely hillside. Ruapekapeka translates as 'the bat's nest' but by the time the British broke through, the bats had already flown, leaving them (not for the first time) with an empty pā. This stalemate was to be the final battle of the Northland War; following this the parties made peace.
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It's a bit of a drive (30km) and a short steep walk down to the beach, but worth the effort. There's not a lot of beach when the tide is high so time your visit accordingly.
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Set in verdant farmland 18km (20 minutes) southwest of Kerikeri, this pretty little cottage holds several claims to fame. It's NZ's second-oldest house (built in 1831) and the site of the country's first European-style farm. Many of the exotic trees surrounding it are among the oldest of their kind in the country, and Charles Darwin stayed here in 1835. Inside, the story of the mission station and its inhabitants is outlined in displays in rooms dotted with items of original furniture.
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Built in 1842 to house the Catholic mission’s printing press, this rammed-earth building is the mission's last remaining building in the western Pacific, and NZ's oldest industrial building. Over its seven years of operation, a staggering 40,000 books were printed here in Māori. Admission includes extremely interesting hands-on tours that lead you through the entire bookmaking process, from the icky business of tanning animal hides for the covers, to setting the type and stitching together the final books. You can visit the gardens only ($7) if you miss out on the tour.
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Just up the hill from Kerikeri Mission Station is a marked historical walk that leads to the site of Hongi Hika's pā (fortress) and village. Little remains aside from the terracing that once supported wooden palisades. Huge war parties once departed from here, terrorising much of the North Island and slaughtering thousands during the Musket Wars. The role of missionaries in arming Ngāpuhi remains controversial. The walk emerges near the cute wooden St James Anglican Church (1878).
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The characterful St Paul's was constructed of Kawakawa stone in 1925, and stands on the site of the original mission church, a simple raupo (bulrush) hut erected in 1823. Look for the native birds in the stained glass above the altar – the kotare (kingfisher) represents Jesus (the king plus ‘fisher of men’), while the tui (parson bird) and kererū (wood pigeon) portray the personalities of the Williams brothers (one scholarly, one forceful), who set up the mission station here.
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English naturalist Charles Darwin made a donation towards the cost of building this, the country’s oldest surviving church (1836). The graveyard's biggest memorial commemorates Tamati Waka Nene, a powerful Ngāpuhi chief from the Hokianga who sided against Hōne Heke in the Northland War. The church's wooden exterior has musket and cannonball holes dating from the 1845 battle.
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