From the Far North to the Bay of Plenty

Best Things Nearby:
The beach, Bay of Islands, Waitangi, and bush walks.

Best Things About the Resort:
Location -- it is situated across the road from the beach! It is also the cleanest and most looked after resort I've ever been to.

Resort Experience:
Busby Manor, is a dinky little resort located on the main road in to Paihia, and right across the beach. It is an excellent location because you can walk easily to shops, the wharf, and Waitangi.

The resort is a little old looking compared to some of the newer condos in the area, but it is very well looked after and the rooms are spotless clean. We had a one-bedroom unit, which was very spacious for the two of us. The unit has an open plan kitchen and living area, furnished with a dining table, two lounges (one turns into a double bed), and a TV. There are French doors that open from the lounge onto a balcony overlooking the pool and BBQ area. The kitchen is well equipped with a full fridge, oven, microwave, crockery, and utensils. The bathroom hosts the toilet, shower, and vanity. Clean bath and pool towels are supplied, as is soap. The bedroom has a king size bed (which splits into two twin beds).

There are two spa rooms, which are fabulous for soaking away the aches and pains of an adventurous day. You can also hire a small boat and outboard motor from the office (the cheapest in town). There is a swimming pool and BBQ area. A games room will entertain the kids to their hearts’ content. In the event of rainy weather, the office is well stocked with popular board games. There is a share laundry and it costs $2 to wash and $2 to dry. You can buy laundry powder sachets from the office for $1 per packet. The management is very friendly and helpful; they can book and recommend tours.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Very Good
• Amenities: Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Very Good
• Family Friendliness: Very Good
• Service: Excellent

We were feeling pretty hungry after our little hike up Mt Victoria.

I chose a hearty vegetable soup and a feijoa soda (feijoa is a type of guava); and Stuart chose a chicken burger and a banana smoothie. The service was a bit slow, but the food was awesome and large servings. My soup was absolutely yummy and came with crusty toasted ciabatta and butter. Stu's chicken burger was massive a grilled chicken fillet and heaps of salad on panini, served with golden crispy thick chips. Stu's banana smoothie was very delicious too.

You can sit outside and there is plenty of inside areas where you can sit and eat. They also sell a huge array of freshly baked goodies, but we resisted! All up, it cost NZD$26.

The Mangonui fish shop is world famous (according to their sign). Positioned alongside the main road as you drive through the quaint town of Mangonui, it sits on stilts over the water, next to a small jetty.

We arrived after 2pm, so we missed the traditional lunchtime rush and the tourist buses. We ordered two pieces of snapper (they charge you for the fish by weight) and a scoop of chips for only NZ$9. They give you a number and they call you when it is ready. Picnic table seating on the verandah affords you a view over the inlet. Your meal comes wrapped in paper, which brought back my fond childhood memories. We tore open our parcel to find fresh golden battered fish and a generous serve of thick cut chips. Oooh, they were sooo good! A squeeze of lemon on the fish and tomato sauce on the chips, and we devoured our lunch!

The Gables is New Zealand's oldest operating restaurant established in 1847. It is very quaint and has a lovely view over the bay looking back towards Paihia. The building has been renovated, but has retained much of its traditional decor. There are interesting pictures of historical interest adorning the walls.

While the restaurant is a la carte and silver service, they are tolerant of smart casual attire. The service was very efficient.

We had garlic bread to stem our hunger. For an entrée, I chose lamb shanks with root vegetables and a glass of red wine. Stuart had fish of the day, Hapuka (grouper), served with spinach, potato, and a zesty tomato sauce. Our meals were served promptly and the servings were very generous (we could not have fit dessert). Both of our meals were delicious! All up, our dinner cost NZ$50.

The Duke of Marlborough is the oldest licenced pub in New Zealand. Dating back to 1840, it’s located along the beach from at Russell. It is the perfect spot for evening drinks. They also have an a la carte restaurant. Bar prices are a little on the expensive side, but that is because of the cost to transport goods to Russell.

If you want to understand more about the history and cultures of New Zealand, take a visit to historic Waitangi, located north of Paihia on the headland. Visit the Waitangi centre and view an interesting 25-minute film about the history of the Treaty of Waitangi and the site. See the world's largest waka (Maori war canoe), visit the beautifully carved Maori meeting house, and historic Busby Manor. It costs NZ$10 per person.

We nearly drove past it, assuming it to be a tourist trap. But we were feeling the need for a break and decided to stop, and we were glad we did. There is no entrance fee. You can walk around the gift shop and admire all of the beautifully crafted wooden products. The centre piece is a massive Kauris trunk, which forms the spiral stair case that takes you up to the mezzanine level. Out back, you can view wood workers (when they are in action). And you can also buy unfinished wooden bowls and furniture, which a do-it-yourself kit to finish it off yourself. Check out the $32,000 Kauri lounge and ask to see the photo album of how the made the staircase. I relented an purchased a NZ$60 kauri chopping board complete with certificate of authenticity and carbon dating to 30,000-60,000 years old (that equates to $1 per 1,000 years not bad value I reckon).

They also have a cafe with homemade treats and toilets, so it is a good place for a break.

Drive to Waitangi and follow the signs to the parking area for the Hururu Falls walk. DO NOT leave anything in your car that will attract thieves – break-ins are very common! Wear comfortable walking shoes or sandals, a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Bring a water bottle and snacks.

This is a decent walk, so you must be reasonably fit and be prepared! Many people choose to do the walk one-way and get the local tuk-tuk or taxi to pick them up at the other end. We did the return trip; it took two hours and 20 minutes at a decent pace. The track takes you through scrub parallel to the river and at one point, you traverse the river by a wooden bridge that leads on to a boardwalk through pristine mangroves. The walk is very pretty and you will see native vegetation such as Manuka (tea tree) and Ponga (tree ferns); you may also native birds such as fantails, pukeko, and tui. The walk finishes at Hururu Falls, which were bigger than I anticipated.

After much deliberation, we chose the Fuller’s Cream Trip. There are many sightseeing boat trips that go out to the famous "Hole in the Rock" and Cathedral Cave - and some are quite adventurous jet boats. However, they don't all visit the islands in the bay. Fuller's Cream Trip is pretty much an all-day affair, so pack your togs, sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, water and lunch, and remember the camera!

What a fabulous day we had. It was leisurely paced and we got to visit many islands and see lots of seabirds and fish.

This trip visits the black rocks and is the only one that does - they are fascinating. We also follow the original cream trip, dropping off supplies and mail to island residents - and we wished we could get off with them! We visited the beautiful double bay, two amazingly blue bays separated by a thin strip of sand.

For the game fishing enthusiasts, we stopped off at Zane Grey's fishing base for lunch. There is a canteen, but it is quite expensive and the food is limited. We had our own lunch, so we hiked to the top of the nearest hill and found a picnic spot with an awesome view of the Bay of Islands.

After this stop, we ventured out to he Hole in the Rock - if it is a calm day (and we were luck it was), the boats can motor through the hole. We then scooted around to view the "naked lady" (a natural rock formation that looks like a woman), and the Cathedral Cave. From here we headed to the Cape Brett lighthouse, where apparently trampers can stay overnight. A hammerhead shark came up near the boat. We followed the ocean line back and were fortunate to come across a pod of dolphins. We had a lovely afternoon of tea and scones, while heading home.

The little town of Russell is often mistaken for an island, but in reality it is positioned on the tip of a peninsula connected to the mainland. It is much easier and quicker to access Russell by Ferry from either Paihia or Opua. From Paihia you can catch a blue, red or white ferry that ply the bay every few minutes; they cost $5-8 one way per person. Most evenings, Paihians hop on a ferry to dine at one of the restaurants along the Russell foreshore.

Alternatively you can take your car across by catching the vehicular ferry from Opua (10 minutes south of Paihia). The ferry runs every 15 minutes and costs $18 return for the car, driver and one passenger. The ferry runs every 15 minutes until 9:30pm, and 10:30pm on weekends.

It is very easy to drive around Russell and explore the pretty bays. The township itself is quaint and easy to walk around. There is a grocery store, stationers, museum, fabulous restaurants and lots of heritage buildings of interest. Russell is a nice place to while away a sunny afternoon – and if it’s a bit windy you can find a nice sheltered little cove for a refreshing swim.