Dolphins in the Bay of Islands. Photo / Getty Images
There's old-world charm and maritime bliss in the Bay of Islands, our sunny cradle of culture where Māori and Pākehā first came together, writes Paul Rush.
I love to feel the crunch of silica sand between my toes, the caress of the sun on my back and the sense of freedom that comes from walking barefoot on the edge of a clear blue sea.
Nowhere else in this country provides a better opportunity for this invigorating activity than the east coast beaches of Northland. The Bay of Islands especially has appeal for holidaymakers with its easy-going atmosphere, fresh air, friendly locals and warm temperatures.
Paihia is a charming, well-serviced town in a superb location; a fusion of land, sea and sky. It's always buzzing in summer with a mix of locals and tourists licking icecreams and munching fish and chips on the foreshore before hopping aboard a big catamaran for a cruise.
The Bay has been a place of refuge and escape since the early 19th century when the riff-raff of the Pacific arrived in Kororāreka for an excess of R&R and earned it the title "Hell Hole of the Pacific". Today, more refined folk come in droves to "Romantic Russell" to enjoy the aquatic playground.
I feel a natural desire to get out on the water. There's a sparkling blue/green world out there and I love the exhilaration of sweeping past a succession of coves and rocky inlets around the 800km of coastline.
Aboard a Discover The Bay cruise I'm in my element, with seagulls soaring and screeching overhead and a pod of bottlenose dolphins tracking the big catamaran. They take star billing on any cruise.
As Piercy Island's Hole in the Rock comes into view we stand to and weigh up the conditions before "threading the needle". Our skipper says if we're christened by drops of water from the vaulted roof we will live a saintly life. However, the drips are lost in a shower of spray as we power through the cavern.
Otehei Bay on Urupukapuka Island, the "Jewel of the Bay" is our next port of call.
American author Zane Grey adopted this scenic bay as his game fishing base in 1927 and today it boasts a family-friendly, licensed restaurant with good coffee and reasonably priced food.
After a barbecue lunch I visit the Island Conservation Centre and then quickly climb to the trig station to gaze in wonder at an incomparable view of the entire Bay. There's an overwhelming sense of space and colour in this wonderland of 144 islands strung out on a shimmering blue sea. No wonder Captain Cook observed that the Bay offered "Every kind of refreshment".
At Russell, I take the option to disembark into this heritage town. It's a pleasure to walk along the esplanade and sample epicurean delights in the cafes. Strolling between colonial facades and pōhutukawa trees I have no doubt I'm taking New Zealand's most authentic walk back in time.
Russell was once a lusty, crusty madam who entertained raw-boned whalers, sealers, convicts and deserters. The lady is uber-fashionable now, wearing her finery in trendy restaurants and boutiques. I enjoy a light ale on the veranda of Johnny Johnston's 1827 Grog Shop, now the upmarket Duke of Marlborough Hotel — "the pub with no peer".
As pale evening light filters through the pōhutukawa I dine al fresco and gaze at pristine yachts bobbing at anchor in Kororāreka Bay. Distant laughter fills the air as agile, waterlogged children divebomb off the pier. As the sun sets behind Paihia, the old version of Hell assumes a heavenly persona.
Returning to Paihia by ferry I'm drawn to the convivial atmosphere of Alongside Bar and sample a few craft beers before an early night at The Anchorage on the esplanade.
Next morning I make the short drive north to Kerikeri, a pilgrimage to another birthplace of our nation. The locals are proud of their hallowed Town Basin with its original Stone Store, historic Kemp House and the still blossoming 1819 pear tree.
I'm conscious of an abiding sense of prosperity here, with soaring macrocarpa shelter belts enclosing subtropical fruit trees. I stroll along the leafy riverside to Rainbow Falls, visit the Manginangino Kauri Grove and pop into the Kerikeri chocolate factory to complete a pleasant day out.
Later I savour a plate of Waikare Inlet oysters and a Kainui Road sauvignon blanc at Charlotte's Kitchen on the Paihia Pier. The restaurant is named for bawdy Miss Badger, a runaway convict who used her charms to incite a boat crew to mutiny and divert from Tasmania to Kororāreka.
My final day includes a visit to Waitangi, where the new museum is engaging, with interactive displays. A guided tour of the grounds includes the 35m-long ceremonial waka taua canoe, naval flagstaff, sprawling lawns, Treaty House and a cultural performance at Te Whare Rūnanga.
The experience leaves me with a deep impression of New Zealand's founding ceremony on February 5, 1840, with all its pageantry. Trying to imagine the colourful scene played out on these lawns fills me with pride.
Europeans in frock-coats, officers in blue, gold and scarlet uniforms and tattooed Māori chiefs in korowai must have created the ultimate colonial costume drama.
A visit to the Bay of Islands is enhanced by seeing Waitangi and it's a pilgrimage I believe every Kiwi should make. The exhibition balances Māori and Pākehā perspectives with understanding.
It would be hard to conceive of a more picturesque location for two disparate peoples to come together and sign a founding document. It's as if Nature provided the stage for a drama that ushered in the birth of our nation.
The Bay of Islands is a great place to relax on a classic Kiwi holiday, enjoy the best of the golden weather and reflect on how truly blessed we are in this country.
GETTING THERE
Paihia is a three-hour drive from Auckland via State Highway 1, then SH11 at Kawakawa. Air New Zealand has direct flights to Kerikeri and there are regular coach services from Auckland.
Russell is a 20-minute ferry ride from Paihia. Dolphin cruises have a 90 per cent chance of sightings.
Skip the cold and enjoy the sunshine across the ditch.