New Zealand – Hell Hole of the Pacific

I woke with what I suspect is ‘Fejoa shoulder’. So I decided an easy day was called for and I hopped on the little ferry across to Russell. Its a very picturesque coastal town with a fearsome past. So look at the picture and I’ll give you a brief history of Russell.

The Bay of Islands was one of the first places the Polynesians inhabited. The legend goes that a wounded chieftain at this place asked for penguin broth, when he tried it he said how sweet it was and they named it (Sweet Penguin) Kororareka.
It was already well populated by Maori by the time whalers, sailors and others arrived wanting a port for repairs, provisions and trade in the early 1800’s.
The town grew and was populated by Maori, European settlers, deserter seamen, escaped convicts, traders and a site of brothels and grog houses. The town gained the name ” Hell Hole of the Pacific”. Sounds a bit like Aldershot to me!
There was a Maori battle that took place here called the ‘girls war’ as a result of a ships captain having two favourite Maori women, unfortunately they belonged to different tribes and their rivalry caused a major ruck between tribes! Nothing changes!
In general brutal law was metered out by a vigilante committee until British Government was established in 1840. Charles Darwin visited in 1835 and was appalled and dismayed by the town.

Darwin attended the newly opened the church run by the zealous Christian missionaries. What he saw pleased him, from the genteel christian civility of the Mission nearby, complete with tea in the gardens and a cricket green. It seems ironic that he then returned to England and promptly put himself at odds with the Christian Church by debunking creation.
The name Russell applied to an area further down the coast (not far) and this was the capital for about a year and then moved to Auckland.
This meant economic declined and Maori resentment (due to hefty taxes). The British Flag pole became the focus of resentment and was cut down four times by a Maori, Hone Heke Pokai and his followers. The town was abandoned and a couple of years later re built as Russell with all you come to expect of the colonial establishment.

I walked up Flagstaff Hill and had my lunch looking over the bay before bimbling back to catch the ferry.