Paihai

We spent five beautiful days in Paihai which is located in the Bay of Plenty. There are so many different things to do but being surrounded by water we decided on a boat tour, some kayaking and a short ferry trip over to explore nearby Russell.

On one of our first days we booked a boat tour and headed out to see some of the 144 Islands that make up the Bay of Plenty area. The trip took us out past several Islands and to the well known landmark called “Hole in the Rock”. The hole was impressive but what was more impressive was the fact that our large catamaran actually was able to go through it. We also saw a lot of wildlife during the trip. We found a large pod of dolphins and they had a young juvenile with them. It was fun to watch them put on a show, diving and jumping alongside the boat. We also saw penguins but not what probably comes to mind when you picture a penguin. These are the much smaller little blue penguins and from a distance they look much like a duck (and are about the same size). We also had a short stop-over at a small Island where we found an excellent shell collecting beach and Bree and Mom loaded up on sea shells.

Across the bay from Paihai is the small town of Russell and you can reach it by a short 15 minute passenger ferry ride. We went over for lunch one day and then checked out the local museum. They had a small replica of the Endeavour, the ship that Captain Cook arrived on. Russell used to be known as the “Hell Hole of the Pacific” as it was full of sailors but soon after the missionaries arrived and now it is a quiet little tourist town.

About 30 km from Paihai is the larger town of Kerikeri. It was a short drive and the area is full of different agricultural outlets as well as wood carving, pottery and a chocolate factory that we stopped to sample from. Located in this area is also the oldest stone house in the southern hemisphere. We spent an afternoon touring the area and found a wonderful little Japanese restaurant where we had lunch. On the way back to Paihai we stopped to see the Haruru Falls. These are not that high but look like a miniature version of the Nigeria Falls. The amazing thing was that there are no fences and if you wanted (or were crazy enough) you could walk right out onto the falls. I know some friends at home who would think this would be a great place to kayak off of.

A short walk from downtown Paihai is the Waitangi Treaty grounds. The Waitangi Treaty is the agreement that was made between the British Crown and the Maori Chiefs and was signed on February 6, 1840. We went over to the area but did not take the tour and just enjoyed the scenery instead.

Since the weather was so nice while we were here Bree and I decided to rent a kayak and do some paddling. The bay here is protected so it is one of the few areas we have been to in New Zealand where there is not surf. Bree and I got a small sit on top and headed out for an hour to explore the bay. We were able to paddle around some of the small islands and see some of the shoreline. Bree had her own paddle but spent more time enjoying the scenery (and pretending to be a chipmunk) than she did paddling.

Staying in one place for a few days has really been nice. Our hotel was walking distance to town and I have hardly driven the car at all. I think we have been very fortunate with the weather and it has been nice and relaxing to just sit by the water or stroll around the town. I am enjoying the last of the warm weather as I know it will be much colder when we head down to the South Island in early June. Now it is over to the wild west coast!