We'd covered quite a lot of ground in the Far North so it was time to pack up the wagon and travel south, down the coast. We headed towards Pihia, the Gateway to the Bay of Islands to do a bit of exploring. There's some nice shops to wander round, which we took full advantage of and enjoyed a bit of lunch by the water.
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| Horse Lips on Horse Lips |
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| Suzy still unimpressed with the sushi |
We were originally planning to do a bit of kayaking here but Suzy's beady eyes noticed 'Kayaks' on the pamphlet of the accommodation we'd sorted out over the bay so we waved Paihia goodbye and got on the wee car ferry to the former capital of NZ, Russell.
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| The Big Rig keeps truckin' |
Now you may think, as a former capital of a country, Russell will be quite a big joint, but we're talking capital in the days of Jack Sparrow, when it was pretty much a port for all the international trade with the British. As such, Russell had a bit of a reputation. A sort of Bay of Islands meets Leith Docks if you will. Nowadays, its just a sleepy little village, luring tourists in with stories of its past, and giving them beautiful beaches and great hospitality in return. During the summer months you can't get moving up here but we were really lucky to land ourselves a brilliant little hotel complex right on the beach. With a spa pool. And free kayaks!
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| Accommodation Brochure Pose - See Tripadvisor |
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| Launch Time |
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| Winter in Russell |
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| Rafting Up |
We headed out of the bay with a plan to find some empty beaches. Suzy and Iona got a bit of a fright though when the navigated round the rocks and found themselves head to head with a couple of dolphins. Certainly much closer than I ever got a couple of years ago when we went dolphin watching with Katie and Steph.
After a couple of hours playing at pirates on the high seas it was time to get back to shore and do what pirates do best on dry land...
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| Oh, ho, ho, and a bottle of...beer.. |
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| Fun and games around the spa - after Suzy tanked a chilly bin full of beer |
Then it was time to sample some of the local pubic houses and, of course, the Russell RSA. Another great day road trippin'!
LM :-)
1 comment:
it was my beady eyes what spotted the free kayaks - not that i'm trying to steal the glory suzy- trying to make sure I get credit for things I do - now to try and do the same at work (if only it were that easy!!!!)
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