The town of Paihia in the Bay of Islands area was our final stop before returning to Auckland to fly home. We liked this area so much that we ended up staying here four nights! An all day boat cruise among the islands with excellent weather made our visit here more enjoyable.
This area also is steeped in New Zealand history. It is the site of Russell, the first permanent British settlement. It is the birthplace of European colonization of the country, and the location of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, which remains the lynchpin of race relations in New Zealand today.
Our New Zealand trip ended with an early morning flight from Auckland; early enough to watch the sunrise over Auckland airport!
