UP NORTH

Wave and Waka sculpture, town basin.

Photo: Whangarei District Council

THE DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH HOTEL, RUSSELL Our Stay at the Duke

PART 2

By By Joan Gestro

PAIHIA AND RUSSELL

The Church Missionary Society established a mission in 1823 and New Zealand’s first printing press in 1835. The restored Treaty House at nearby Waitangi was an attraction, a road was built from Õpua. The Rev. Henry Williams was mpressed by the tranquil bay and exclaimed in a mixture of Mãori and English, ‘Pai here!’, meaning ‘Good here’. When the Colony of New Zealand was founded in that year, Hobson was reluctant to choose Kororareka as his capital, due to its bad reputation; As the settlement was notorious for drinking, fighting and prostitution, gaining the name “Hell Hole” instead, Hobson purchased land at Okiato, and renamed it Russell in honour of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Lord John Russell. Duke of Marlborough Hotel. We were so looking forward to our next stop; Paihia, with dinner at Zane Grey.

Zane Grey Restaurant

on the wharf Wonderful spot, restaurant, bar inside or out on the huge deck with lots of comfortable couches and armchairs. No expense, is spared here. With views over the harbour, we had a wonderful meal on the wharf. A definite must do! A 20-minute ferry ride from Russell, the ferries are very frequent. The restaurant and bar were named after the legendary fisherman - Zane Grey. A bestselling American author, Grey indulged his passion for fishing with many visits to New Zealand.

He first visited our Far North shores in 1926 and caught several large fish, including a mako shark. Grey then established a base at Otehei Bay, Urupukapuka Island in the Bay of Islands, which then became a destination for the rich and famous.

OUR VISIT TO HISTORIC WAITANGI

On 6 February 1840 Waitangi was the site for the signing of a treaty between Mãori and William Hobson, representing the British Crown. More than 40 Mãori chiefs signed a treaty with the British Crown, but to this day, remains controversial.

Waitangi

The Waitangi Treaty House and grounds, together with an additional 1,000-acre land block was gifted to the nation in 1932 by the governor-general, Lord Bledisloe, and his wife. His intention was to create a national historic site to mark the country’s foundation document. The first Mãori to sign the Treaty of Waitangi, Ngãpuhi chief Hõne Heke Põkai soon became disenchanted with the consequences of colonisation. He expressed his outrage by repeatedly attacking the flagstaff on the hill above Kororãreka (Russell) 1844. The British reerected it, but it was levelled twice in January 1845 with a fourth attack on 11 March signalled the outbreak of war in the north. We were planning on going to this historic area but two days before our journey began, national news reported that it had been cut down once again. We went up to the site, the flagstaff was temporarily held in place by three steel rods and the site closed to tourists. As we were exploring the area, to our great surprise and delight, we actually heard Kiwis calling. Comfortable in their habitat, not in the least afraid of human intrusion. That was special! Explore the two new contemporary museums, the carving studio, the Treaty House, traditional Mãori waka taua (war canoes) and enjoy a full programme.

Paroa Bay Winery

Perched high above the idyllic Bay of Islands, it is the Moana (ocean) and Whenua (land) who inform and inspire the menu at Sage Restaurant. From the end of the fishing line cast into the sea to the orchard doors of their suppliers and onsite gardens. Focus is on locally grown and sourced ingredients which combine seamlessly into a uniquely creative brand of New Zealand cuisine. With a broad-ranging menu that features some of the freshest offerings from the ocean — all sustainably fished and linecaught — and some of New Zealand’s world-renowned natural produce, the chefs work to strike the perfect balance between creative flair and allowing their ingredients to be savoured as they are. With all dishes thoughtfully matched from wines directly from their own cellar door, the culinary experience is full-circle. It is a considered and intuitive approach that pervades.

Fish and chips at Mangonui fish shop. Museum of Waitangi.

Sage Restaurant

It is the connection between the breath-taking surroundings and the menu that sets Sage apart — one of the most beautiful natural environments on the planet. Paroa Winery have a new wine maker on-site working on the latest harvest to produce a vintage due out by the end of the year. Watch this space!

MANGONUI

We loved Mangonui, it’s a quiet sleepy little town, great browsing through the shops and a great restaurant by the seafront. We had salad loaded with tender prawns, fillet steak with wine to match, served by a most informative and attentive waiter. The iconic Mangonui fish shop, on the wharf, often thought of as the best fish and chips in the country, we, of course, totally agree! As we can speak from experience, lunching on the best fish; lightly battered, cooked to perfection, very succulent indeed. The fish shop is built out onto the water, relaxing, lovely spot, we’ll be back to the famous Mangonui Fish Shop. Be aware of the hungry, cheeky seagulls.

Cape Reinga Lighthouse.

CAPE REINGA

We were looking forward to taking selfies under the Lighthouse at the farthest extremities of New Zealand, and casting our eyes, once again, on the meeting of the waters of the South Pacific and Tasman Sea. A very spiritual sight to behold, as we had already witnessed this place on a previous trip in good weather, therefore, we can vouch for that. A visitor to this place is in for an amazing treat. As the weather was prohibitive on this trip, we settled for the spiritual experience of just being amongst it.

THE WEST COAST

On the highway to the West Coast, heading to Dargaville, we came across a pie cart that sold Paua pies... we immensely enjoyed a first, we could have easily eaten a second, thought of our waistlines and decided... no! We were served by a delightful wahine and also filled our water bottles from a freshwater tap at the back of her van. Great service by the roadside.

Dargaville Museum

The world-renowned Dargaville Museum is a fascinating mustsee attraction. Located in Pou Tu o Te Rangi Harding Park with its magnificent views overlooking the district, town and the Northern Wairoa River. Dargaville Museum tells the fascinating stories of the Kauri Coast: from early Maori life represented by the 16-metre pre-European waka, the replica gumdiggers camp, shipwreck relics, to the masts of the ill-fated Greenpeace protest ship, the Rainbow Warrior. TAANZ bonded for your protection and member of IATA

Waipoua Forest and Tãne Mahuta

Our walk in Waipoua Forest, on the main highway to the Hokianga, not far into the walk, suddenly brought us face to face with Tãne Mahuta... ‘Lord of the Forest’. When you catch your first breathtaking view of this magnificent tree, you can almost feel Tãne Mahuta’s strength and ancient presence, and its overwhelming size made us look like dwarfs. A moving and spiritual experience!

Tane Mahuta.

Hokianga

We were on the last leg of our Far North, Twin Coasts experience. We caught the car ferry to Opononi, on the Hokianga harbour, where Opo the dolphin lived and died. Opo was a bottlenose dolphin who became famous throughout New Zealand during the summer of 1955/56 for playing with the children... Her death was reported nationwide, and she was buried with full Mãori honours in a special plot next to the Opononi War Memorial Hall. At Opononi Point there once was a generous expanse of soft sand where light planes used to land; In 1920, Fred Ladd’s plane landed on the beach near here. Typical of much of the Hokianga erosion is taking its toll and the quantity of sand is now much reduced. One can still see sand dunes on the distant hill around the harbour. We can post no compliments about the food the local pub offers.

The Copthorne Hotel and Resort

The hotel’s lounge bar is a nice place to enjoy a drink. Other amenities include free Wi-Fi in public areas, spa services, and laundry facilities. There’s also the convenience of self-parking. With a stay at this 4-star Omapere hotel, you’ll be 1.3 km (0.8 mi) from Pakia Hill Lookout, the sand dunes, from where you can slide down to the beach to your heart’s content. and 3.2 km (2 mi) from Opononi Beach.

State highway 12 Omapere 0800 358 888

Our tripping around the Far North, was a bit of a whirlwind. If you are time rich, I would suggest, take a little longer and enjoy the peace away from the madding crowd. Bon voyage!

www.seifried.co.nz