Russell Regional Information

Russell | Regional Information | Activity Highlights | Scenic Highlights | History

Russell is a small holiday town located in the beautiful Bay of Islands, one of New Zealand's best loved holiday destinations. Explore a bounty of marine life such as whales, penguins and dolphins.

Russell Overview

Bay of Islands, New Zealand

Russell is a small seaside town situated in the Bay of Islands in the Far North of New Zealand. The Bay of Islands enjoy a subtropical climate and some of the most compelling scenery in the entire country. Most of the homes in this little piece of paradise are holiday homes or tourist accommodation facilities.

Russell is founded on a peninsula jutting out of the mainland in to the scene Bay of Islands. Russell is most easily accessed by ferry from Paiha only taking about 15 minutes. Alternatively it can be reached through a scenic, windy road cutting its way through native New Zealand bush along the peninsula.

This small town is full of historical significance, originally called Kororareka it had a high Māori population in the time of European settlement in the 1830s and 1840s. It was both one of the first permanent European settlements in New Zealand and the first site of New Zealand's capital. It saw both Catholic and Protestant missions compete at opposite sides of the bay.

Image Source: Tourism New Zealand. Charter yacht and swimming in the Bay of Islands, Northland, New Zealand

Charter Yacht, Bay of Islands
Northland
Photographer: Gareth Eyres
(www.exposure.co.nz)

Russell Highlights

From Russell you can visit a most historically important site of Waitangi - the location of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi that made New Zealand a British Colony.

There is no shortage of things to do or places to shop in Russell. Although it is only small town of under 1,000 inhabitants, it has 2 supermarkets, bakery, video rental and much more. It is hard not to enjoy the unspoiled quaint little town, blending both new modern buildings and old heritage buildings together.

Russell offers not only many attractions and breath-taking scenery of its own, but may also serve as a base for exploring more of the dazzling upper North Island.