5 things to know about the Bay of Islands, NZ before you go there
The Bay of Islands is known as the place to head in New Zealand if you’re looking for some quality beach time. The weather is warm (comparably), the beaches are white-gold and the sea is filled with life. But there are things beyond the beaches that you should look for…
Accounts claim that the first waka (canoe) to arrive carrying Maori peoples from Polynesia first landed in Whakatane and then continued north to the Bay of Islands. The waka was called Mataatua and the modern day Ngapuhi people trace their ancestors to this settlement and that canoe. The Bay of Islands was certainly one of the first areas to have a permanent Maori population.
The (now) small town of Russell (Kororareka) was also the first permanent European settlement in New Zealand. It quickly became known as the Hellhole of the Pacific because of the bad behaviour of whaling and sealing crews and the Maori they traded with. The town was known for fighting and giant orgies on the beach. If you go there now though, it’s a pretty peaceful holiday-and-tourist town.
Russell was known as the “Hellhole of the Pacific”
The Bay of Islands is home to the Waitangi Treaty grounds, probably the most important historical site in New Zealand. It was here that a treaty was signed between her British Majesty and the Maori tribes of Aotearoa. She thought they were handing the land over to her, they thought they were allowing her people to stay for a while. There have been struggles over the meaning of the documents ever since, and the treaty – and its flaws – have become a foundational charter for New Zealand.
While many of the original names of geographical landmarks have been changed to European names (Kororareka to Russell for example), a record of the original names still exists. Local artist Murphy Shortland spent years gathering the Maori names from land deeds, court records and Maori oral traditions. The map is called Ipipiri and is visible in the Russell Museum.
The first Christian sermon held in New Zealand is believed to have taken place in the Bay of Islands. Samuel Marsden was a missionary who bought land in BoI and saw it as his role to protect Maori from the sins and disruption of his countrymen. While the history of Christianity in Aotearoa is contentious, Marsden is generally well thought of and had good relations with many local tribal chiefs. As well as Christianity, he also brought wine to the country.
Learn more at:
The Russell Museum
Waitangi Treaty Grounds