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Voykit pocket guide · New Zealand
Russell
Kororāreka
Base in Russell for 2 nights if you want quiet evenings; base in Paihia and day-trip over if you want cheaper beds and more tours.
Russell is a small waterfront village on the Bay of Islands, reached by a 15-minute passenger ferry from Paihia or by a vehicle ferry to Okiato plus a 7 km drive. It holds New Zealand's oldest surviving church, its oldest industrial building and its oldest licensed hotel, and it works as a slow two-night base rather than a day of sightseeing.
- Country
- New Zealand
- Local name
- Kororāreka
- Best months
- Dec–Apr
- Avoid
- Jun–Aug (cooler, wetter, shorter ferry hours)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- NZD
- Money
- Currency is the New Zealand dollar (NZD, NZ$). Cards and phone payments are accepted almost everywhere; some small rural stalls and honesty boxes are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget NZ$90–150 excl. bed · Mid NZ$150–260 excl. bed · High NZ$260+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- One NZ, Spark and 2degrees sell tourist SIMs at Auckland and Christchurch arrivals and in supermarkets; passport not required.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 111 · Non-urgent police 105 · Traffic incidents *555
- Plugs
- Types I · 230 V · 50 Hz · Same angled two- or three-pin plug as Australia, Fiji and China; switch the socket on at the wall.
- Tipping
- Café or restaurant: Nothing expected; 10% for very good service at dinner is a bonus.; Taxi / Uber: Nothing; round up if you like.; Guide or tour: Optional NZ$10–20 for a day guide.; Hotel: Nothing.; Public holidays: Cafés may add a 10–15% holiday surcharge to the bill; it is legal and shown on menus.
- Water
- Tap water is safe almost everywhere; follow boil-water notices in small rural schemes. Treat stream water in the backcountry.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets in every town and at most lookouts; DOC long-drops on tracks. Carry paper; never use the roadside.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | NZ$5–7 |
| Fish and chips takeaway | NZ$10–18 |
| Restaurant main | NZ$25–38 |
| Draught beer in a pub | NZ$9–12 |
| Pompallier Mission entry | about NZ$10 |
| Russell Museum entry | about NZ$10 adult |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | NZ$20–50 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- KKE · Kerikeri (Bay of Islands) Airport
- About 40 min drive to Opua, then the vehicle ferry to Okiato; check current flights and shuttle options
- AKL · Auckland Airport
- About 3.5–4 h drive north to Opua; the usual arrival point for a self-drive trip
Typical fares
- Passenger ferry Russell → Paihia
- about NZ$16 return adult, about 15 min
- Vehicle ferry Opua → Okiato
- about NZ$12 car and driver, about NZ$1 extra passenger
- Okiato → Russell village
- 7 km (4.3 mi) by road4.3 mi (7 km) by road
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The village is walkable in 10 minutes end to end. A passenger ferry links the Russell wharf with Paihia in about 15 minutes; the vehicle ferry runs Opua–Okiato every 10 minutes or so and leaves you 7 km (4.3 mi) short of the village. Cruises and fishing trips leave from the Russell waterfront and many also pick up in Paihia. A car helps for Long Beach, Tapeka Point and the wider Bay of Islands.The village is walkable in 10 minutes end to end. A passenger ferry links the Russell wharf with Paihia in about 15 minutes; the vehicle ferry runs Opua–Okiato every 10 minutes or so and leaves you 4.3 mi (7 km) short of the village. Cruises and fishing trips leave from the Russell waterfront and many also pick up in Paihia. A car helps for Long Beach, Tapeka Point and the wider Bay of Islands.
See and do
Known for
- Pompallier Mission
- Christ Church and the 1845 battle graves
- Duke of Marlborough Hotel
- Bay of Islands sailing and cruises
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Paihia and Waitangi Treaty Grounds | Passenger ferry from the Russell wharf, about 15 min | About 30 min |
| Kerikeri | Drive via SH11 and the Opua–Okiato ferry, or the long way round via Oakura | About 1 h |
| Bay of Islands cruises and dolphin watching | Boats leave from the Russell waterfront or Paihia | About 4–6 h |
Sleep
- The Strand waterfront
- Hotels and restaurants on the beach; walk to the ferry, museum and church. Priciest and noisiest in summer.
- York Street and Chapel Street
- One block back from the water; guesthouses, cottages and the two small supermarkets.
- Long Beach and Tapeka Point
- Holiday homes and the better swimming beach, 15–25 min walk over the hill or a short drive.
- Okiato (Old Russell)
- Vehicle-ferry landing 7 km (4.3 mi) from the village; only useful if you have a car and want to skip the passenger ferry.Vehicle-ferry landing 4.3 mi (7 km) from the village; only useful if you have a car and want to skip the passenger ferry.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Kia ora |
| Hello / Welcome | Nau mai, haere mai |
| Please | Koa |
| Where is the ferry wharf? | Kei hea te wāpu? |
| Can I pay by card? | Ka taea te utu mā te kāri? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Kia ora or a handshake; first names from the start; avoid: Formal titles; overlong small talk before business
- Marae visit: Wait to be called on, follow your guide through the pōwhiri, remove shoes before the meeting house; avoid: Eating or drinking inside the wharenui; walking in front of speakers
- Tables and heads: Keep bottoms off tables and hats off tables; food stays away from heads; avoid: Sitting on tables or kitchen benches; touching people's heads
- Roads: Pull over at slow-vehicle bays to let queues pass; wave thanks; avoid: Stopping on the road for photos; drifting right after a stop
- Outdoors: Carry out all rubbish; use toilets; stick to tracks; avoid: Feeding kea and other birds; toileting outside
- Talk: Self-deprecating humour and understatement; avoid: Calling New Zealanders Australians; boasting
- Home visit: Bring wine or something to share; shoes off if the hosts do; avoid: Arriving empty-handed to a 'bring a plate' event
- Names: Use Māori place names and pronounce them with care; avoid: Joking about Māori words or haka
Scams and watch-outs
- Vehicle ferry: car and driver about NZ$12, extra passengers about NZ$1 — 2026 estimate, check current fares.
- Passenger ferry return about NZ$16 adult, NZ$8 child — 2026 estimate, check the operator's timetable.
- Last passenger ferry back is much earlier in winter than in summer: check the sailing times before a late dinner in Paihia.
- Book summer beds and cruises weeks ahead; the village is small and fills up.
- One-lane bridges and left-hand driving on the approach roads; give way as signed.
Very safe for a small resort village; the real risks are the sea, sunburn, and driving the coastal roads after dark. Keep valuables out of sight in parked cars at trailheads and beaches.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Russell yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Pompallier Mission
- Christ Church and the 1845 battle graves
- Duke of Marlborough Hotel
- Bay of Islands sailing and cruises
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Heritage New Zealand — Pompallier Mission: www.heritage.org.nz/places/places-to-visit/northland-region/pompallier
- Northland Ferries — Bay of Islands ferry: northlandferries.co.nz/bay-of-islands-ferry/
- Wikivoyage: Russell (New Zealand), revision 5242219 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5242219
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
RussellKororāreka
Ki tēnei wāhi, koa
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Russell; consulates and embassies are in Auckland and Wellington. Check your own country's list.
Police station on The Strand, on the waterfront.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/russell-new-zealand). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.