Kororareka is a town on the Bay of Islands. Kororareka is actually NOT the name of the current town, it is the original Maori name and it means “Sweet Penguin”. Legend has it that a Maori chief, who was wounded in battle, asked for penguin and after drinking some of the broth he murmured: “Ka reka te korora” which translates to ‘how sweet is the penguin’!
The town’s actual name today is Russell. It was named Russell in 1844 and for a short time served as the capital of New Zealand, although locals still refer to it by its Maori name. It has gone by other ‘names’ as well:
- Hell Hole of the Pacific - during the glory days of whaling ships on the world’s oceans, this town was a common port for these ships and as a result became a den of prostitution, taverns and other sins of men who lived the sea;
- Sword-Fishing Capital as made famous by American author Zane Grey
- Tourist friendly and quaint Russell of today
Russell is situated on a peninsula that juts into the bay, and as such is somewhat isolated and has an ‘island vibe’ to it. It has a very deep harbor which allowed the large schooners and whaling ships to enter its port and was better accessed by the sea than by road or trail. Tall Sailing Ships from all over the world came here during the 1800‘s including even those famous whalers from New Bedford Massachusetts (my home state). The common whale that was hunted were Sperm Whales which were plentiful in this part of the world. You may already be familiar with Sperm Whales as they were the most characterized type of whale, long before we learned of the songs of the Humpback, the size of the Blue Whale, etc. The Sperm Whale was made famous in the novel Moby Dick and have that classic, if not iconic profile of a whale we all envision as kids.
During this period of whaling, the town gained a reputation as a lawless and bawdy port. The British Government began to hand out more severe punishment and justice and soon the Treaty of Waitangi was signed. The local Maori resisted some of the British laws and taxes and the town was repeatedly sacked by Maori Warriors.
As the whaling industry waned, the town became a quieter place and soon became a popular summer holiday location. The American writer and sportsman Zane Grey helped establish the Bay of Islands, and Russell into a center for deep sea game-fishing. Eventually Russell was connected to other populated towns via road by 1930.
Today the population is about 1,000 residents. It is a common tourist stop, usually from the larger and more accessible town of Paihia (where I am staying). Small family run ferry boats take you back and forth across the bay.
Today, I took that ferry and spent 1/2 a day touring the old whaling waterfront, the local museum, etc. In Russell I saw the first church erected in New Zealand, the first petrol station in New Zealand, and a lot of history on the local Maori tribe and whaling industry. I took the time to enjoy lunch at a family-run cafe along the Russell waterfront, but was disappointed that they did not serve “Sweet Penguin” on the menu.
I saw replica’s of Captain Cook’s ship Endeavour that was the first European ship to discover New Zealand. The french came soon after, as did the Americans. I saw exhibits of the various Maori weapons, some made from whalebone, some from stone. I read from the Endeavour’s ship logs and log books form other vessels that visited Kororareka.
The rest of the day, not so exciting. Laundry day! As a result, I decided not to make the drive to Whangarei tonight for the Tonga vs Japan match. Watching from Paihia instead. Tonga lead 12-10 currently in case you were on the edge of your seat, dying to know. Still early though, the Japanese can come back. Tomorrow, I hope to visit the historical site of Waitangi which is the most sacred place for all Kiwis: Maori and white-man alike. It is the site of the treaty signing. It is literally right down the road from me.
Meanwhile, Paihia has had a distinctive European flavor. Early this week it was full, and I mean FULL of Irish. A few are still here, but many are beginning to make there way to other parts of New Zealand as the Irish rugby team prepares to play Russia later this weekend. IN their place, we have been invaded by the French! The French have invaded the Northlands as ‘Les Blues’ will take on New Zealand on Saturday night, about 3 hrs away in Auckland. I’ll be there for that match. The Kiwis are all nervous about playing the French even though it is still the round-robin pool play. Despite The All Blacks being the number 1 team in the world for what seems like forever, they have never really fared well in the World Cup. In fact, South Africa and Australia have both won it multiple times whereas the Kiwis only have won it once. The only Northern Hemisphere team to win has been the English. The French though have come close and are one of the best in the world. Plus, the French have typically been the team to knock the Kiwis out, so needless to say....the natives are restless about Saturday’s match.
Finally, some pictures from the Bay of Islands:
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