Russell is a tiny waterfront town in the Bay of Islands that belies its size with an outsized history. Before Auckland and Wellington existed as cities, Russell -- then known as Kororareka -- was the de facto capital of European New Zealand, and its reputation was fearsome. Whalers, sealers, escaped convicts, and grog sellers earned it the title "hellhole of the Pacific," a label that could not be further from the genteel village you find today.
The town's historical layers are visible in a short walk. Christ Church, built in 1836, is New Zealand's oldest surviving church, its walls still pocked with musket ball holes from the fighting between Hone Heke's warriors and British troops in 1845. Pompallier House, a French Catholic mission building, has been beautifully restored and demonstrates the tanning and printing operations that the missionaries ran to produce religious texts in Maori. Flagstaff Hill above the town was the site of Hone Heke's famous acts of defiance -- he chopped down the British flagpole four times, and the story is central to New Zealand's colonial narrative.
Modern Russell is a peaceful place of perhaps 800 residents, reached by a short ferry ride from Paihia or a longer drive around the inlet. The waterfront is lined with heritage buildings converted into cafes, galleries, and a few excellent seafood restaurants. The Duke of Marlborough Hotel claims to hold the oldest liquor license in the country, and its veranda overlooking the bay is one of the finest spots for a drink in all of New Zealand.
The Bay of Islands beyond Russell offers world-class sailing, game fishing, and dolphin watching. You can take a boat to the Hole in the Rock at Cape Brett, or kayak around the sheltered coves near the town. The pace of life here is deliberately unhurried, and the combination of deep history, natural beauty, and excellent food makes Russell one of the most rewarding small towns in New Zealand.